Growing Up Isn't Easy

So first things first: I’m not a guy. I’m a chick who really digs her video games. And, since I’m not a guy (and I know I’m generalizing, but I just have to do it), I don’t really feel the need to play a game that involves running around just killing things. It’s boring to me. Or driving games. Most of them are just the same with different graphics. Obviously, Mario Kart is definitely an exception to this rule. On the other hand, I’m not the girly girl who likes the cutsie games. (Yeah, I’m a terrible person, I didn’t like Katamari.) And I’ve never played the Sims. So I’m kind of in the middle of this spectrum of blood/speed vs. kiddie.

The real reason I play is for the story. I mean, yeah, its got to be fun to play or it gets boring. But for me, fun is characters I am involved with (Xenosaga) or unique, intelligent art styles (Okami), or really clever dialogue (Psychonauts). And there just aren’t enough games out there like that. I mean, come on, the majority of games are aimed toward adolescent teenage boys or college guys who are basically adolescent boys that can buy alcohol instead of asking their older cousin to get it for them.

So where are the games for me? The gaming demographic is getting older. According to the ESA, the average age of gamers is 33. (I thought it was kinda funny they point out several times how gamers spend more time on excercise than on the games themselves…) So why aren’t the games keeping up? Where are the adult games? Indigo Prophecy was one of my favorite games last year. The storyline was interesting, gameplay was unique, concept was great, characters were very real. And one of the most astonishing things about it? There was sex in the game. Now, I’m not talking about just having random, gratuitous nudity. But we have two adult characters. They’re attracted to each other. It moves the plot to another level. What’s more natural? Why do we need to cut that? Game companies are so afraid to gear their products for an older audience. There’s still the assumption that it’s only for the “younger crowd” and that’s just not true anymore. Hell, the younger crowd can’t even afford the consoles anymore. So if they want to keep selling games, they’ve got to put better products on the shelves. But of course, the stores won’t carry AO games. Where is the shame in a game being AO? Just because a store admits to selling video games to adults, naturally they have to be branded as….I don’t even know what. As catering to a subversive, evil influence in society. That their children might buy this game. And we’ve all heard that argument. Parents should take care of their own progeny instead of expecting total strangers to do the raising.

I’m not five years old. Yeah, it’s fun sometimes to pull out Donkey Kong and play through some side scrolling goodness. But I’m older now and I want more. I want realistic characters, smart dialogue, and challenging gameplay. I don’t want to play the same game ten times with ten different names. Gamers have grown up and the companies should figure that out and grow up with us.