The Homgenization of Video Games
There used to be a simple way to characterize videogames, back when games were simple enough that they could only do a couple of things. More and more though, the gaming elements that work are being amalgamated and placed into one overarching genre that encapsulates everything.
I don't think that taking the successful game types and pooling them together are bad, but sometimes they can cloud the experience. The current tendency of first person shooters to upgrade weapons, for instance, takes away from the joy of finding a new death machine.
The first games I remember that successfully blended elements from multiple genres were Super Metroid and Castlevania. Successfully infusing RPG elements with action/adventure gaming breathed a little fresh air into two series that had started to grow a little stale.
It seems natural for games to evolve into new types over time. The limitations of games used to set the rules, but now their potential is so huge that the designers ultimately control the game type. The all encompassing nature of current games does leave me a little apprehensive as to what comes next. As fun as a virtual life simulator sounds, I'm still working on perfecting the real thing.

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Your article was very interesting. Thank you.