I think that what we experience is classic evolution of a subculture, alternative hobby into mainstream and the strongest point of every such turn is to focus on people who are not members of that subculture, who haven't spend ages playing games in this, nongamers. That is why games are becoming, dumbier easier. I also feel a very strong pull of almost any genre into action category, like some sort of action crucible. RPGs are filled with more actions than needed, with no actual RPG or character development (which is switched to more cinematic yet linear and preset paths where the actual choice is just an illusion - that's mass effect for example). Strategies are getting less strategic, less tactic with strong inclination to action and with only minimalist building and micromanagement (if it's present at all), even adventure games, that were always about puzzles, precisely created locations and story are driven into this dumb action madness.
What's worse is that level design is stagnating, or even worse degrading into linear narrow paths and corridors, even exteriors are looking much like interiors and are designed the same way, with no logic or uniqueness. All these cheap concrete industrial, sterile tunnels are masked and (hardly) justified with cinematic cutscenes on every corner (if there is a corner at all) which are trying to hide the fact, that the actual gameplay is far worse now than 20 years ago (Alan Wake has extremely repetitive and boring gameplay for example). All these movie-like effects and scenes are no excuse. When developers didn't have such "weapons" to use on the VG audience, they had to work hard on the actual gameplay and content.
The same scenario is repeating itself a thousand times, there are very few innovations if any. And they are hardly in VG mainstream. Many publishers and developers are claiming that new technology helps them to make games more real, more enjoyable, but the stories are getting dumber and dumber like the worst cases of Hollywood. Another thing is that because the new technology, there are lot less models used for enemies or NPC. Remember Mass Effect and two models for human women + one haircut? When aliens look the same, it doesn't bother us that much, but our own kind. It won't add much credibility or atmosphere in my opinion. Or the voice-acting in Oblivion, why I should I be glad that I can finally hear NPCs in Oblivion if there are like 6 or 8 voices used for the whole Cyrodiil population? Especially when wood elves and dark elves have the same high pitched voice (Dark elves always had VERY gravel voice). There are lot less different environments in new games, more generic look-alike dungeons.
And what I really hate that there is almost never actual ending to a game. There is always "to be continued", opened end where it should be closed in a games that have no real reason to be have sequel. I hate it especially if I need to buy 2 hour long DLC to enjoy the (many times lousy)ending. Imagine you are in a cinema and you watch a 2 hours long movie and just before the final showdown or revelation or acceptation or whatever...the screen goes black and then a notice appears "to view last 15 minutes, buy our DLC or web episode). Aren't we paying enough money for the game? Aren't we entitled to see the complete story? the point of our effort? Imagine a song, painting or a sculpture with a missing part (not the antic statues
) that you can see after a while for a "small" amount of money. Another thing is that they are breaking games of normal length into two or three instalments or they are just milking the cow by making irrelevant sequels. How many of the story driven games from last years are actually without sequel or with closed story? Another thing is that the story is supposed to have a point and when you cut the game into little pieces, the point is lost or the motivation for the point is already forgotten by the fourth instalment.
So what is my conclusion? I try to play older games I've missed somehow or adventure games like Gray Matter (technologically obsolete game, but with good dialogues, story and very precise locations) and I hope some of the kickstarter projects will be success not only for the developers, but for the gamers as well.
For me a gamer is not a dude who plays CoD whole day or who's thinking that Mass Effect 3 is the best and most cleverly developed game ever, not to mention people who think that Master Chief is the best VG character of all time. There is certain dignity and this isn't part of it, you cannot be experienced or demanding player with exquisite taste if you lack experience in variability in what you experienced and how you perceive it. It's a shame that true gamers are really a minority, but it doesn't mean that we don't want to enjoy a good game.
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