What is perfect?

Throughout history, there have been attempts to create the Perfect Game - the one game that you will be able to play forever without ever having to buy another (Spore, WoW, etc.). They have all failed. Not for lack of ambition - it's just that citizens of today's disposable society are always looking for something bigger, better, brighter, and newer. There is no perfect game, as there is no perfect person.

The same problem can be seen when trying to determine the Greatest Game of All Time. Even determining the Greatest Game of the Year is problematic. Someone will always complain that this game is better than that one, or they'll complain that the voters were influenced in a digital payola scandal. As technology advances, what we expect out of our games changes. We want bigger, better, more. And we should. After 30 years of video game history, game developers should know what works and what doesn't while still being unafraid to try something new and innovative. (I hate how the word "innovative" is tossed around so recklessly nowadays as well, but that will have to be saved for another post.) Also, now that consumers are spending more money on games than ever before, it's not too much to expect that we get our money's worth. Otherwise, we will find a more economical distraction like drugs or old muscle cars.

Games can be artistic, but first and foremost they are software. A person is interacting with a computer in a way that evokes some kind of emotion. Without a seamless amalgamation of man and machine, the other aspects of the game are rendered pointless. The Great Games control well, and they are pleasing to the eyes, and the music suits the gameplay. Besides taste and smell, games cater directly to our sensory experiences. The best games are here for us and with us. They do not exist in a vacuum.

Think of your favorite game. Well, favorite games. It's far easier to choose from a specific genre than from the complete collection of all software ever produced. And the more specific the category, the fewer choices. This is why many lists on the 'Net often go by a format like "Top 10 PlayStation Racing Games" instead of "10 Best Games of All Time." The Best Games of All Time list is totally subjective, yet numerous titles from throughout history appear on nearly every list. Super Mario Bros., Tetris, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Half-Life 2, Final Fantasy VII, Space Invaders, Pong, Ms. Pac-Man, Super Metroid, Resident Evil 2. What do they have in common? Not much, except that they all appeal to our basest human instincts: run, hoarde, kill. Instead of video games being used as a form of escapism, they represent a world we will never know, and we are okay with that. Even flawed digital worlds are more orderly and palatable because everything is in it's place. Every piece of trash littering the digital streets was put there for a purpose, even if that purpose is merely ambiance. What purpose does garbage on our real-life streets serve? Ambiance for our real-life, crappy lives. Sometimes it feels that even the worst games have higer lows than our highest highs...