Persistence Pays Off

Greg Kasavin is GameSpot's site director. Having two different taunts in Samurai Shodown II is as much personalization as he's ever wanted out of a game. E-mail him at greg@gamespot.com.

It is human nature to want to belong to some higher group or order while at the same time wanting to create a unique identity. Microsoft, Nintendo, Apple, and others have formed this eerie mass consciousness where different shades of smooth plastic and leather holders are supposed to represent our uniqueness. But this conflicts with our need to be individuals, and to express ourselves in new ways.

Then again, considering the successes these companies have enjoyed mass-marketing their products to millions of "individuals" just like you, the line between individuality and conformity seems to be difficult to find. I think maybe it's right over there somewhere next to the Xbox 360's interchangeable faceplates.

What sometimes concerns me about trends toward faux individuality and personalization being manifest in all products (including games) is that as for me, personally, I really couldn't care less. For instance, I used to get cheap laughs out of passengers when I was schlepping around in my Acura Integra by claiming it was the only Integra in all the San Francisco Bay Area that still had its original manufacturer-installed parts intact, and therefore it was truly unique. Today, though, since I'm no longer an antiestablishment, trench-coat-wearing, school-administration-hating teenager, I wonder how come I don't fall in line and get excited about leopard-spotted cell phones, same as everyone else seems to. What's wrong with me? Why don't I want things my way?

It's because I already have too many details to sweat, that's why. I'd like nothing better than not to worry about the small stuff. I want fewer options, not more options. I don't custom-configure my dinner when I go out to eat. I just pick something from the (hopefully short) menu. I don't ask for special arrangements when I'm talking to some poor, thankless customer service guy as I'm trying to cancel my TiVo subscription. When it comes to products, I just want them to work well and to perform the specific functions I need them to.

I've never gotten much value out of convergence products--right on down to Swiss Army knives, which always seem cool but never seem to do anything particularly well. I guess I feel the same way about my game systems and my games. If they're all going to let me create a unique identity, in addition to decorating my virtual home and letting me become a distinguished virtual citizen in a very special virtual community, I guess that's OK. But excuse me while I stifle a yawn and keep looking for a decent game to play now that I spent six hours finishing the last one.

Part of what's happened is that these things that are supposed be all about me, me, me have gradually taken on the connotation of generic sameness that's caused terms like "alternative music" to become as much of a joke as my line about the Integra. Are you really all that special if you're sporting the camouflage Game Boy Micro, just like every other guy who bought one? I guess my interest in personalization begins and ends with utility, and I sooner find comfort in knowing there are others who feel the same way than in the lonely idea that my thoughts are completely my own. Either way, I'll think about accessorizing my Xbox 360 only after I'm satisfied that it's got plenty of great games to play on it.

Admittedly, some of what's being planned for the Xbox 360 does seem like it's going to take personalization to the next level--past the superficial stuff like a removable faceplate. You've probably noticed that pretty much every game that has an online component these days now tasks you with creating your own online persona, competing in tournament ladders, ranking up, and all that stuff. And while each game has its dozens, hundreds, or thousands of devotees, ask yourself how many games you've played in the last year that enticed you to try to really get involved? Now that online gaming has lost most of its novelty and has become an accepted standard, whose mileage will vary by individual, I think it's safe to say just as many people are turned off by the thought of participating in online matches with raging idiots as there are people who look forward to live competition.

Well, the Xbox 360's solution to these problems, apparently, is to take the concept of a persistent in-game identity one step further by making it a pan-gaming experience. So it's not just how good you are at Dead or Alive 4 or how many headshots you've scored in Call of Duty 2--it's all that stuff combined. Your persistent identity comes to represent the sum total of your experiences rather than being a representation of how obsessively you've played just one game.

As somebody who likes playing a lot of different games, that's something I can definitely get behind. Given the choice, I'd much rather play a variety of games than just stick to one. So how come there's no way for me to express that about myself in some persistent gaming community? Suddenly it's a whole new ballgame, because it occurs to you that the guy who lost the race in Project Gotham Racing 3 lost not because he sucks but because he's been splitting his time between that game and every other for the Xbox 360.

One thing I know for sure is that games that find ways to reward you simply for playing and spending time with them are onto something important. While games should rightfully motivate you to master them and reach the finish line as effectively as possible, they should be providing you with a rewarding experience every step of the way, even if you lose. Don't take this to mean I think games should be dumbed down and should hold your hand all the way to the magical ending cutscene. On the contrary, playing Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance recently served as a great reminder that games that are punishing can be very rewarding in turn. But the point is, for me to want to feel compelled to belong as a unique individual in a persistent community of other game players, I need to really care about the games themselves first. It's a cart-before-the-horse thing.

Next Up: Hello! My name is _Jim_Bob_The_Marine_! by Cliff Hicks