I jumped head first into computer programming and game programming. I looked at a whole bunch of tutorials on various aspects of making a game. Then I saw a video on Game Theory and Game Mechanics by PAX. Wow!
I have an issue with modern AAA gaming companies myself. Most of these games are formulaic and revamped versions of Doom '95. There isn't much innovation that goes on in big companies. If they can make the same money by releasing the same Call of Duty game every year with a bit better graphics and a few more maps, why try to actually make the game better?
Personally, I don't care for that type of game myself. A lot of people think that shooters are fun to play because they are shooters. But that is not true. What makes a shooter fun are the mechanics behind it. Even by simply spotting the mechanic of a game an enhancing it, you can make a game so much more fun.
There is a certain mechanic in shooters that I call the Hide & Go Seek Mechanic. It goes back to childhood, when you played hide and seek. You went and hid, and other people had to come find you. When someone was close to you, your heart rate went up, because they were right there, but they couldn't see you. You had that little grind on your face when they went by and didn't get you. That game has a Sneaking element to it that made it exciting.
Another aspect of the Hide & Go Seek mechanic is the Hand-Eye coordination aspect of it. This is the part that makes shooters more of a sport.
With these two elements alone, you can create a very fun game that is not a shooter.
Metal Gear Solid had the Sneaking element down packed. When Snake hid in a locker as the guards searched the perimeter, you could almost hear your own heart beat as they got closer and closer to your locker. This type of thing makes Metal Gear Solid better than Splinter Cell.
As far as AAA games go, they mostly use the same old mechanics because they sell.
EA SPORTS is perhaps the worse sports game company ever. Every year the come out with the same thing, and show no real improvement except for a few boring franchise modes.
However, 2K SPORTS always adds something new that adds to the game. I remember when I first played the Dunk Contest on NBA 2K, I was like WOW! They even had first-person mode in their football game (too bad EA bought the licenses to stifle 2K).
My favorite sports game of all time is Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle Cars. It has elements of all sports in one. Hand-eye coordination is key. It is really addictive also.
So yes, there are other games other than First-Person shooters and MMORPGs.
There is PLENTY of space for innovation in the gaming industry. I'd like to bring some of those childhood games to the screen. It is all about the mechanics!
