[Part four of our summary of Skinny Banter #1: Ultimate Game Mash-Up]
Our first Skinny Banter has been an interesting community experiment, with a single concept being interpreted very differently by each contributor. Personally, it provided me with a fascinating insight into the tastes and preferences of my fellow GameSkinny contributors and shows what an eclectic community of video games enthusiasts we are building here.
Despite the variety, with a host of genres mashed up from fantasy MMOs and historical strategy games to science-fiction adventures and superspy simulators, it was especially interesting to see the common themes which arose from each discussion piece. In many cases there were calls for games with more “heart”, which provide a deeper sense of engagement through narrative and immersion.
Scale also seemed to be something which was regularly discussed; whether the viewpoint was as an individual surrounded by the world or as a god/general overseeing the realm, there seemed to be a desire for a greater level of detail. Players seem to hunger for a more complete game experience where the strings are hidden and character takes centre stage. Games with personality, verve and depth are apparently favoured over ones where the story and colour are draped across the mechanics like an afterthought.
Of the concepts laid out in our inaugural Skinny Banter, I’ve certainly got my favourites. There are a few that I would absolutely love to see find their way into reality – actually, to be fair, pretty much all of them (except Rothalack’s and Joxef’s, for obvious reasons). Perhaps the technology doesn’t quite exist to see some of the more ambitious ideas fully realised, but it is certainly encouraging to think that despite how far games have come, there is still plenty of room to grow.
Thank you to everyone who contributed and I hope to see you all again for the next Skinny Banter.
Skinny Banter #1 Wrap-Up Index
2. Japan, Warcraft and Cyberpunk
