Simple-Minded Gamers?

Originally, I had thought about calling this "Gamers are Stupid," but that is blatantly unfair to the numerous gamers who I know, from experience, are rather interesting, educated, and knowledgeable individuals. Instead, I thought "Most Gamers Are Stupid" had a little more truth to it, but it just didn't have that same ring to it. So, I decided I might as well go with the comparatively more politically-correct phrase of "simple-minded," so that I could get my point across without offending everyone who read the title. Instead, I'll have them read the first paragraph, and then get offended.

Gamers are stupid.

So, the British Academy of Film and Television Awards just awarded their list of the best games of the year for 2010. While it's awesome to me that at least some official body of artists and entertainers have recognized that games are not a form of media that is below them, there is a certain result that really bothered me.

At the end of the list was the BAFTA's "Game Award 2010," which was the top-voted game of 2010. Up in the nominations were Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain, and others. The top-voted game of 2010?

Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Now, I'm no stranger to the draw of this game. I've played every single Call of Duty game ever made. I've played more hours of Modern Warfare than I might care to admit. However, I vehemently disagree with this result. Not because it isn't a good game. If it wasn't, it wouldn't have been placed on this list. Instead, my problem is that it's not the best game of this year, and yet it's the game that the public wants.

It's interesting, because there seems to be two very distinct camps in the gamer demographic. There are those of us who follow games, are very discerning, and are constantly looking for something new and innovative to come along and engage our curiosities so that we can lose ourselves in an entirely new world that we've never been to before... And then there are the players who are perfectly content to be shoveled the exact same experience over and over again year after year.

Does this say something about the coming generations? Despite what the, dare I say, "educated" gamer is looking for, the only real vote comes from the almighty dollar. If the masses want cheeseburgers every night, then that is what they shall receive, no matter what other culinary creations that innovative developers may wish to create.

This worries me. In an age where our technology allows us to create just about any idea that our minds can imagine, the most popular games are those that hardly innovate at all, still relying on ideas that were created five years ago with naught but superficial changes. So much more could be done, and yet it seems that these masses of gamers are satisfied with just the bare minimum. That cheeseburger has been repackaged in a shiny new wrapper, and they're willing to pay even more to wolf it right down.

It's just too bad. Oh well. I guess I'll have to resign myself to the realization that in the coming years, all we're going to see on the shelf is Call of Duty: Same Old Stuff, and Madden 2020: We've Added Even More Tackle Animations.

And the stupid gamers will keep buying it anyway.