I think it’s pretty much a fact at this point that the majority of people in this world don’t like change. They shy away from any type of change in their lives, whether it’s something small like the food they order at their favorite restaurant, or something bigger like their job. Most people would rather order the same old food at their favorite restaurant rather then change it up to try something different, and those same people would rather sit day in and day out at a job they hate rather then attempt to find a new one. I mean I can’t deny that I’m one of these people, because the truth is I am. Change can be a very scary thing, and I for one hate it.

People are not the only ones who hate change, companies hate it to. Just look at the video game industry and all you see are examples of companies that do not want to change. Instead of taking a risk on new game intellectual property (IP) that no one has tried before, companies stick to known quantities that are statistically and historically shown to be financially successful. I think it’s pretty safe to say that a very large percentage of games that come out in a given year are sequels. You have your Call of Duty’s, your Mega Man’s, your Command and Conquer’s, your Madden’s, your Devil May Cry’s, your Final Fantasy’s, your Resident Evil’s, your Halo’s … seriously do I really have to go on?

Game companies like EA and Activision don’t want to take risk on new game IP’s because it really is a huge financial risk, and who can blame them. Games cost tens of millions of dollars to develop now-a-days and these companies don’t want to take a risk if they aren’t guaranteed a profit. Video games are an industry now and industries exist to make money. We might love the hard working developers who bring us all these incredible games, but a lot of them would never have got a start without the financial backing from the big publisher’s. These publishers don’t just give their money away for no reason. They expect a profit, and there is no better way to get a profit then to stick to IP’s that are guaranteed to make money, and hence they hate change just as much as the individual people do.



This brings me to the entire point of this editorial, which is that in this world full of gaming sequels there is “change” coming. In the massive pile of 2008 sequels like MGS4, GTA4, COD5, Ninja Gaiden 2, and Mega Man 9, there is one shining original gem waiting in the dark to be discovered. This game is Mirror’s Edge, and backing it is the big dollar company that has proved it hates change the most, Electronic Arts. The interesting thing is that when most people hear that EA is publishing this game their first response is, “I hope EA doesn’t screw it up.” That is totally the wrong attitude to have. We should be thanking EA for taking such a big risk on a new IP, not scolding them for it.

For those of you who don’t know, Mirror’s Edge is a new first person action adventure game from the publisher DICE. The general idea is that in a future where cities are run like huge police states, and the movement of people and information is closely monitored, sensitive information is carried from one place to another by couriers known as runners. These runners stick to the rooftops and the sewers to carry their information from place to place, and do so with fluid acrobatic type of movements. The main protagonist of the story, Faith, has discovered her sister has been taken and framed for a crime she didn’t commit, and now Faith is wanted and is on the run. She must find out who is behind all of this to save herself and her sister. And so it begins …



The interesting thing about this game, and why it brings such a “change” to the industry, is that it’s a FPS in which the developer does NOT want the user to use weapons. The whole idea is to use your speed, momentum, the environment, and acrobatics to defeat your enemies. There will be guns in the game, but the idea is that if you do ever get hold of a weapon, you won’t want to use it except for a minute of two to get out of a tight situation. Your best ally will be your speed and momentum, and the player will actually want to shy away from using any weaponry at all in most situations.

This whole idea of a FPS where you don’t want to use weapons just really has me on the edge of my seat and truly reminds me of how exciting “change” can be. Yeah there have been other first and third person games that try to push the user away from using weapons, such as Thief, Hitman, and Metal Gear Solid, but they all still present you with a plethora of weapons which at some point are always required to get the job done. Mirror’s Edge wants to make sure you never want to pick up a weapon. The developer even said that in the XBOX360 version there will be an achievement for getting through the game without ever using a weapon. I don’t know about you, but I already want to try my hardest to get this achievement.



I’m ready for a change. I’m ready for something new. I’m ready for a big developer like EA to take a chance on a new game. It’s so rare that is happens that when it does we need to all stand up and take notice. I can only hope that Mirror’s Edge ends up being good and is not another Assassin’s Creed. My hopes are high though, I mean seriously after watching the trailer for the game how can you not be. It looks incredible, it sounds incredible, and it’s an original idea … sign me up.

I’m ready for a change … are you?