Happy New Year! The Journey Begins.

The creation of Project Horizon has officially begun!

Check back regularly for updates, and join me on this amazing adventure!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Video Games are Dead

How's that for a first title? Let's calm down, though. I wasn't implying that our favourite medium is becoming irrelevant. In fact, it could be argued that this is the one medium that is becoming more relevant than any other. It's been reported that game sales passed that of DVDs sometime last decade. DVDs! A product put out by Hollywood can no longer best that of what (in its early days) was seen as nothing more than toys for children and nerds. So I was in no way suggesting a downfall of video games. I am a huge supporter of the industry. Despite being in film school, I wouldn't be too hesitant to guess that I rack more hours up on average per week on video games than I do watching and enjoying films. And I don't regret a second of it.

And yet, as much as I enjoy mostly all of the time I spend with a controller in my hand (maybe omit the moments of rage-inducing deaths while playing Dark Souls. Then again, the controller doesn't usually stay in my hands for too long during that), I can't shake the feeling that something is missing from this generation.

But again, don't get too worked up. Let's remember that this is an article that is expressing my opinion. I'm simply communicating what I have observed in the industry since this whole
"next-gen" thing took off. So let's start with the good. Listing everything positive about the last 6 years is an unrealistic task. So much has happened! We have witnessed video games becoming a part of the mainstream world. If you were to tell anyone from ten years ago that motion controls would have a large piece of the gaming pie, they most likely would have laughed in your face. Advances in the graphical aspects have increased tremendously, almost to the point where it's hard to see room for any improvement. (Just look at that "The Last of Us" debut trailer that was captured in engine.) Passion has become even more present within the community, fanboyism being ignited in so many. New genres, new distribution methods, new innovations, new steps towards absolute greatness have been taken this generation. There is so much good that has been brought to the table these past years, I have barely begun to mention them all. I included this so that you all realize that I do see good in this generation. I appreciate the steps that this art form has taken towards legitimacy. I am blown away at how much advancement has been made.

With that aside, let me share my problem with you. It really comes down to one word, one thing that I sense lacking in these time-sucking adventures that we so willingly take part in.

Emotion.

After I defeated Zeus, and thecredits for God of War III rolled, I decided to watch some of the included "making of" footage that was offered. I was amazed by what I saw. A team of eighty-something people, so in tune with each other, so focused on achieving a visible goal. They had such a clear vision of what they wanted, and they worked so in synch to make their vision real. Emotion was present in the making of this game. They were passionate about the product that they were
making. And yet, after playing each of the three games one after the next, I
felt very little. Kratos seemed lifeless, a cardboard cutout of masculinity. A
completely unreal character. One could argue that it is fine that he lacks
believability, because the world he inhabits is obviously contrived as well. But
this argument in invalid. If one is to believe a world, a scenario, or anything, each part must possess the same level of believability to make it so. I won't spoil the ending, but I was largely unaffected by the "startling" conclusion.

Kratos' saga left me wanting more.

The same goes for the Uncharted series. (I must have lost some readers there, but please, read on.) I love what Naughty Dog has created with this franchise. While the level of writing does fluctuate between the three installments, it only does so from the level of masterwork to pure perfection. The characters are believable, and you truly buy into what is being presented. But yet again, I was left wanting more from the narrative. I found myself with a slight feeling of "yeah, seen that already" as the story took it's twists and turns. Maybe this is a franchise that doesn't need the level of complex narrative that I wanted, but Naughty Dog has claimed again and again that they are striving to drive this industry forward. They describe their products as not video games, but experiences that you just so happened to be able to play. "Game", they describe, is the wrong word. That implies that there is a distinction of winning or losing, where as they simply want to present you with something to be a part of, and live within. While definitely ahead in terms of writing and characterization, I found the Uncharted series to have a fairly average story. That being said, the games are absolutely phenomenal in context.

Cover art for the game that started Sony's defining franchise.

Those are just two examples. You are probably thinking of multiple games right now that moved you in some way, and that is fantastic. But know that I mostly purchase a game based on its likelihood to do this. And so far this generation, I have found that this is generally lacking.

Developers, more and more, are using power to grab our hearts. And at times, this undeniably works well.(While watching a friend play Skyrim, I remember saying "stop! Look at that!" I was referring to the stunning view from atop a castle.) But set-pieces and breath taking vistas are taking the place of something that is, in my opinion, more important. Scenes like the death of Aeris. Intimate moments, that make you stop and pause; that cause a sudden remembrance of everything that has happened up until that point. Human emotion is extinct. I find that games now are focused solely on making the player feel like a badass. Dominance and power are easily marketable. "Look! You get to kill things, while riding a horse, in an airplane, as a God that rules the world!" A Hollywood-ization, if you will.

I, along with millions of other people am thankful for the countless hours that I have felt like a badass. But I also notice what this has taken the place of. I need to feel something real. I need to see people feeling what I feel. I need to laugh, I need to cry, and I need to do everything in between.

And so that is what brought me to the decision to do what I am doing. It might not seem like it, but this blog is only a very small part of what I am doing. I want to (in my world, at least) fix some of the wrong that has gone on this generation. I am creating my own video game. On paper, at least. For the next year (or however long it takes) I am writing a script for a story that has been growing in my head for years. It's what I believe a video game should be. Something that transports us to a completely unreal world, but all the while still creates a real feeling. A feeling we can relate to.

It's a story of loss. A story of intimacy. A
story of a fantastic reality. It's a human story.

It's Project Horizon.