Stuck in a childish routine

Looking back at several decades of gaming and comparing the industry and the games now to back in the day shows a big evolution. Technology has become very powerful, the industry itself became professional and there are games like Heavy Rain that target a mature audience. But interestingly for an industry that tries to be taken seriously people don’t always behave that way. The console manufacturers are on top of that list. Best example recently Sony commenting on the DS as “a great babysitting tool”. One could fill a book with all those comments that where ever made to make the other console look bad. Who doesn’t remember the Sega Saturn anti PlayStation commercial? For anybody who doesn`t remember that one here is it :)

 

How serious can you take an industry where the console manufacturers always come out on the stage in their fancy and expensive suits and than come up with those cheap shots against each other? It can not be avoided to make sometimes comments about your direct opponent, but the frequency and the way it was always done by the console manufacturers was something I always considered very childish. Clearly they are not going to say they love the other console, but if you go out and attack the others come up with constructive criticism and correct facts. Of all the companies those manufacturers should lead by example. The developers and publishers are doing a much better job there with companies doing only occasionally and infrequent similar comments.

 

That is a part where I feel the industry didn’t change a lot over the years, but where it should have changed. Instead it is stuck in the childish routine that is more reminiscence of school yard fights than representing a huge corporation. In the end for me it just makes them look less professional than how they should be and support those needles fanboy wars.