The Cargo Cult of Game Mechanics (Destiny)

by RaichuKFM , Northeastern Ohio, Thursday, January 15, 2015, 17:20 (3401 days ago) @ Cody Miller

So by your reasoning, if finger-painting were in vogue, it'd be a detriment to high art?

That doesn't make sense.

Just because a game doesn't utilize the increased graphic capabilities that we have now or whatever doesn't mean that it's setting back said progress. If such a game was setting back progress, that means that most people don't think that progress is necessarily needed. If enough people agreed that such progress was unnecessary and not a draw that said progress couldn't viably continue to improve because it didn't have a large enough audience, then that means most people don't think said progress was making better games. And then that would be that.

But that isn't what's happening, is it?

Indie games, by and large, appeal to a niche.

They're no more a detriment to AAA games than minimalist paintings are to hyper-realist art.