Jane at GGA discusses a very interesting proposal about the application of the economic Long Tail theory to the longevity of games. Her argument is that, yes, games can experience a substantial longevity if released years after they were initially available (she points to Deus Ex's recent appearance on the digital distribution channel Steam, and we can also point to the retro games which pop up on Xbox Live's Arcade channel, the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console and the PlayStation 3's download centre), but that the graphical content will take away from audiences' desires to play them.
In one way I agree. As she says, we are next-gen-philic; we like new and shiny things. The uncanny valley continues to be squeezed, and realistic graphics are a tour de force in today's gaming fodder. But I would argue that this is to games' detriment beyond the potential for them to be reinvigorated five years after launch. II say that it doesn't matter what a game looks like; I'll play it if it's a good game and looks rubbish, just like I'll listen to Michael Jackson's Thriller on LP and watch The Third Man in black and white. The content is king.
Jane and I aren't dissimilar. She predicts:
... the prevalence of long tail economics [will] create an environment that kills off the big-budget dinosaurs allowing the little adaptable games to flourish in their niches
...and I wave my flag of support in the air right beside her.
