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Monthly Musings: Untapped Potential photo

If you're not too busy lapping up all the news coming from E3, why not write an article on June's Monthly Musing theme? If your article is good enough, or inspires good discussion, you may have a chance to get it featured on the front page.

With every passing year, we see more and more what games are capable of. We've seen games evolve as an artistic, technological, and narrative medium thanks to benchmark games like Passage, Portal, or Metal Gear Solid.

But for every moment that makes us gasp, or cheer, or shout "f*ck yeah" at the top of our lungs, there must be other things that inspire the opposite reaction. Things about videogames that piss us off, or disappoint us, or make us yearn for something more. That's the main idea behind this month's Musing theme, "Untapped Potential."

What should games be doing, but aren't? What trends in current game design irritate you? What is holding games back from what they could eventually become -- and for that matter, what could they eventually become?

Hit the jump for a further explanation of the theme, and instructions on how your writing can be featured on the Dtoid front page.

First, the technical instructions: get a Dtoid account, write a community blog titled "Untapped Potential: blah blah blah," and make sure to choose the Monthly Theme tag.

In regards to the theme: I'd typically worry that the theme is so vague that it might just turn into a formless excuse for angry ranting, but you folks have never devolved into that before -- no reason you would now. 

June's theme is designed for general discussion of where games currently are as a medium, and where they could be. Does it irritate you that 90% of mainstream games revolve around shooting things? Do you think players aren't being presented with enough freedom, even in games that claim to espouse some sort of moral choice? Are there too many goddamn MMOs and casual games, and not enough of (insert your favorite genre here)? Write about it.


Continue: More Monthly Musing Assignment stories





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15 comments | showing # 1 to 15

eternalplayer2345's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 12:50
eternalplayer2345
What if I make a post "Untapped potential: regarding E3". Total mindfuck!
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 12:54
Tubatic
Its tricky, because my first inclination is to, basically, rewrite my old articles about Mega Man, SimCity, Fable II and X-Com.

I have to have played some other games than those...

There's always the legendary pokemon MMO ... or the actual console MMO...

hmmm...
Zippyduda's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 13:05
Zippyduda
I may have to do one of these now I've finished college pretty much.
SephirothX's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 13:18
SephirothX
hmmm could this theme be interpreted to talk about a franchise that had/has untapped potential? or is it more of an in general idea
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 13:19
Monodi
As you said it, it is pretty vague. I really don't find negative points in many games because they could be fucking anything. Could take a while to analyze one
A New Challenger's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 13:48
A New Challenger
My first thought was "Stretch Panic" but given that the game is several years old I don't know if it's at all relevant to the big picture today. Then again, games of today don't have nearly enough gigantic boobs, so maybe!
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 14:07
Chronic Logic
Rifts the tabletop role playing game, imagine if that game got turned into a MMO? Such untapped potential, man. Seriously.
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 15:12
Monodi
i think i got a great idea now.
fetusmilk's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 15:22
fetusmilk
god id like to do one but it might take me all month to put it together.
Analoge's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 15:26
Analoge
Are any of the regarding E3 musings getting posted?
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 16:07
Monodi
I think mine was the very first of last month, and that is why almost no one saw it.
Shadowboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 17:30
Shadowboi
i thought assassin's creed could have been so much more...someone right it!
NihonTiger90's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/08/2009 22:23
NihonTiger90
This one... she shall take a bit to write.
Batthink's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/09/2009 06:45
Batthink
I've already got a really good one. Since I'm concerned about people stealing my subject, I'll only give you a clue; it could have been used alongside polygons. ;O)
Zodiac Eclipse's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/09/2009 12:17
Zodiac Eclipse
I'm in, just have to actually write something.
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