How to Spend $2,500 on Non-Existing Video Games, in 40 Easy Steps
0Over the past 10 months or so I've apparently spent almost $2,500 on video games that sort of don't actually exist (at least not yet). That's a lot of money, all things considered, but even if half of these games don't make it out and another third proves disappointing in some major ways I would still be reasonably happy with having supported projects which, for the most part, would not have been funded by major video game publishers. While I don't dislike mainstream games per se, Kickstarter should be seen as only one part of a major backlash against some of the more depressing trends within the industry of the past 10-15 years. We as discerning grown-up gamers want more diversity than current AAA blockbusters can offer us, so I think the strong support for those seemingly nostalgic pitches of Double Fine and Project Eternity actually reflects an underlying desire for a wider range of possible gaming experiences than is being offered by the big multinational entertainment corporations of today. It's not so much that we blindly want to return to the past; it's rather that we know we used to play some truly awesome types of games which are, for no good reason, no longer being made. In the grand scheme of things, $2,500 is one man's small step towards a future in which there's more to life than third-person shooters and Facebook time sinks....