Uh, I know this is a short little blog of yours and it was half a year ago so you could very well be a different person now, but I'm going to respond to it as it is.

If you haven't noticed already, Next-Gen has obviously been opening the doors of innovation and creativity. I can't tell you the number of times my stomach cringed when I heard aNOTHER sequel was coming out for a game on the PS2. The games that came out for the PS2/Xbox/GameCube era were just so bland and barely stretched anything but conventional bounds maybe a centimeter out.

The technology wasnt as good as it could have been, but it did provide some fun and open some new genres, but innovate it did not, and given the plethora of bland, piece of crap FPS games that flowed out of that generation, creativity was frozen in time.

Not until the past year or so have things brightened up. With the Nintendo DS already out and adding new aspects to games that we had never thought before and making previous, console based game series even BETTER with a simple handheld with the power of an N64, I dont see how creativity or innovation is at a lack.

It also shocks me that you said this, COMPLETELY disregarding the existance of a certain next-gen console (there are 3 next-gen consoles tho, so I can see how you lost track) maybe you've heard of it, the Nintendo Wii? Or maybe the name change scared you and your head exploded, formerly the Nintendo Revolution for you stubborn types. The consoles idea in itself is innovative and revolutionary and you certainly cant say most of its games are going to focus on sparks, flashes and dazzle, because all it is a slightly beefed up GameCube with a very innovative control system and nice online capabilities.

But, you DID acknowledge the existance of a next-gen gaming movement at all, so I have to bring up the point of how the power of the next-generation systems only allow more innovation to happen. More intelligent enemies, a higher screen resolution so more detail can be put into a game so more features can be added to make the experience a much better one. More onscreen characters possible, better AI, more unique physics add for more random yet controllable situations, keeping games fresh. More space to add so there's more to do. Just more of everything and less of nothing (except maybe Rumble in Sony's case). I mean, if youre given more of everything and less of nothing, how is innovation and creativity going to STOP? I'm sorry, but there is just no way. I've had way more fun with games during the next-generation already than I ever did in the last generation. And I love/d my PS2, Halo 2 holds a special place in my heart and every GTA game touched me in a very special way that only my uncle can attest to. The GameCube's life cycle alone kept me interested, not including the Mario's, Zelda's and Smash's it provided for long times to come.

With the direction the Next-Generation is headed, things are becoming pricier, making gaming a riskier business for developers, but that seems to only be driving them more and more to create new, more varied and innovate games so that they can captivate the market with an entirely new product, start a craze and make millions. It's forced innovation, but its innovation, so it doesnt feel like it. And you cant deny that its there.

So all in all, I have to say that your short blog has been quickly demolished by my long winded comment. Also, Way of the Samurai games are fun but too buggy to fully enjoy, Frame City Killer was cancelled and I laugh heartily at the fact that you even considered playing it and Blue Dragon looks terribly buggy and like one of the least innovative games out there... see: any game with dragons in it, Psi-Ops, Blinx the Time Traveler and every other random, broken shooter that came out for the last gen, and add crappy "next-gen" graphics.

I hope you reconsider your opinions, or already have.

Good day!

PS.
Shenmue was the only thing you did right in that blog. Ty.