Gamasutra - 10 Ideas on The Future of Games

Gamasutra has posted  this newsbit from the 2007 International Game Developers Association Leadership Forum, giving ten ideas from Don Daglow, president and CEO of Stormfront Studios(Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Neverwinter Nights) on the future of games. Some of these are very personal observations, but the following caught my eye:

 Idea 4: Who Controls the Future?

Daglow stated that developers, publishers, the press, and the retailers do not control the future. "The publisher-developer blame game misses the point," he said. "Neither of us are in charge. Since we're polite, we don't blame each other. We blame retailers and the press -- unless they're around -- and it's not their fault, either. Game players control the future. They decide what's fun. And when you accept who controls the future, it liberates you to focus on creativity and fun."

Idea 9: Conglomerates, Conformists, and Consent

How do we find fulfillment if we're in charge of one leaf on the corporate team? Daglow states that creative fulfillment is possible even though big publishers will remain big.

"We are in each in charge of how we feel," he said. "We're in charge of our own dreams... No one controls your creative dreams or your creative commitment except you."

He continued: "There are some things about this company I like and some things I don't like. Should I stay? That's a moment of control. A project is ending. Should I stay here or should I move on? That's a moment of control."

"Even the big guys getting bigger cannot dehumanize your personal commitment to creativity," he concluded.