Anyone who took an advanced Computer Science class must have had an assignment like this. However, what I really wish is that my professors had explained the assignment better or used something like this as an example. I found the description of his experience really interesting and his experience seemed more enlightening than my equivalent CS assignment.
Which brings me to my main point. When game development budgets begin to approach that of movie budgets, are we heading in the right direction? I’m not saying that games like World of Warcraft, GTR2, Final Fantasy, don’t deserve the time and money they get, but there are only a handful of respectable games which have earned back its cost. Additionally, there aren’t anymore “independent” game houses anymore (or at least extremely few). Of course comparing Space Quest 5 to a Final Fantasy game, God of War, or even The Longest Journey (which would be the closest comparison) is comparing apples to oranges.
Look at the Oscar nominees/winners this year. Really not a single big-budget film among them. Will the same thing happen to video games?