So I finally took the plunge and signed up for a GameFly subscription earlier this week. I had been holding out for a while for some reason I now know longer remember. Whatever it was, receiving my first game in the mail wiped away any doubt I had about the 15 dollar per month investment. After spending a mere two hours with Katamari Forever I realized that this service fills a large hole I didn't even know existed; namely, I'm now able to indulge the casual gamer inside of me without passing up the ever abundant stream of AAA titles .
It wasn't until I experienced the freedom that comes from putting "Viva Pinata" on my GameFly Q that I truly realized what a "serious" gamer I've become. Looking back on the past six months, the only games I've played have been major releases and "critically acclaimed" titles. Don't get me wrong, it's been a stellar lineup(Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening). However, looking back on it all, solely playing these AAA titles has been very exhausting.
Partially, this is a result of the "Second Christmas" effect which comes from so many top titles being pushed into 2010's Q1. It used to be that there was a welcome lull after the holiday rush subsided. This slow period once offered gamers the chance to pick up games that might be old or overlooked. It seems that with the growth of the industry and the resulting boom of AAA titles that the release schedule is spreading out to take up the entire year. This is awesome because it means more great games. It's also somewhat draining.
The "sequel syndrome" also plays a key role in this phenomenon because the gamer has more and more franchises to follow. I, for one, feel a certain responsibility to play the newest title in a franchise if I've already played its previous entries. It becomes a given that when a new Zelda comes out I drop the 60 bucks/hours necessary to experience the series' latest. I suppose we as gamers feel compelled to do this because of all of the time/commitment we've already sunk into the world of that particular franchise. There is an established bond, and thus, there isn't the couple hours of meet-and-greet present in a new IP. Likewise, it's much easier and cheaper for game developers to create a new story in an established world. Indeed it seems as though developers green light sequels for any game that sees even moderate success. This cycle results in the market being flooded with established franchises leaving little time/money for developers to spend expanding their horizons.
With this year-round flood of "must-play" titles, it becomes harder and harder to find the resources to experience more casual games. This is why GameFly is so great. It allows me to experience a ton of more underrated titles without having to actually purchase them; my wallet remains committed to the never-ending string of "must buy" games (a problem/subject for another day). I can't wait to play through Mad World, Deadly Premonition, Boy and His Blob, Silent Hill, and all the other titles on my Q.
That being said, I wonder if this sort of quasi support of underrated titles actually encourages developers to take risks. After all, while I might rent Okami, at the end of the day I'm going to buy Super Mario Galaxy 2. Perhaps my dollars might be better spent if I flipped which games I rent/buy. Sure, I might end up with a lemon on my shelf here and there, but maybe if more gamers took risks with their purchases, developers would be able to experience some freedom from the shackles of the sequel.
