When I look at video games, I look for the next evolution of entertainment. Obviously I end up disappointed most of the time. Don't get me wrong; shooting asteroids and fighting just for the sake of fighting is great and all, but sometimes I need something more. There are times when I want a story that is truly engrossing, and characters that I can actually begin to care about. The problem I'm having is that I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Too often I find clichéd characters with two-dimensional personalities and stories that I just can't buy. I'm tired of seeing people just fall into saving the world and fighting something just because it's there. I think it's time for another revolution; a call for higher standards. With the potential for video games to be every medium of art combined and made interactive, why aren't we making them just that? Why haven't they become something to the scale of interactive art yet? The days of the SNES are over. Now the technology exists to make something so compelling that it begins to win Grammys, or the Bram Stroker award, or even the Joe Shuster.

Maybe I'm wrong and I've just had too much caffeine. Maybe I'm just stuck in a rut and I can't seem to find a game that actually interests me. But maybe I'm right. Maybe we need to make something great happen. Maybe Square-Enix should be shut down for even entertaining the idea of Musashi: Samurai Legend. Tell me what you think.

Maybe you overrate all the other art forms.

That's certainly a possibility, and probable at that.

I think that video games are going through a nice evolution. Video games are all the things you address, of which 'art' is only one aspect.

Right now, they are very much part of the commercial, mainstream, mass appeal tech culture phase. Unfortunately that is going to result in more cliché stories, more concentration on technical prowess instead of artistic presentation, etc., but give it time.

Video games are starting to get entrenched as the media form that they rightfully deserve because of this popularity. In the same way that the arcade aspect is presently popular (like on XBOX 360) soon enough, I believe we will go back to the artistic games, and then eventually there will be enough room for all forms, styles, and genres.

As a side note, I’d like to say that I welcome gaming cliché to an extent. In the same ways that movies ‘borrow’ from books, video games ‘borrow’ from movies. This is a good thing with respect to training the mind for a basis from which to function as it provides familiarity when transcending domains, but I do completely admit, for the gamer that lives in the game world, there is nothing exotic about a cliché game.

Eventually I expect that video games (as part of interactive media) will be considered to have the status of books and movies, and be applicable to a diversity of demographics and tastes.

I’d say just give it time.

There's always RPG Maker.

Sometimes there are games like what you are looking for. Just look for them. Indigo Prohechy is a great example.

I appreciate your feedback, Anonymous Bo. For the most part I agree with you. And yes, I acknowledge that the new systems can't really be expect to have many games of great depth and consequence so early into their lives. I suppose that my complaint is that while I see people cry when they watch movies or read books, and while I see people have great in depth and deep conversations about various other forms of art, I see that as being something much more rare with video games. Perhaps time is what we need, or perhaps it is indeed a revolution.

Sometimes when I'm out shopping with my friends, and we come across a place that sells video games, I will stop for a moment and point out rows upon rows of terrible games that never should have seen the light of day. Games that are so horrific, that their lack of sales must surely cause harm to the company that created them. What if instead of companies accepting any silly idea that comes their way, they chose to turn down these ideas and focus the extra time and money they would gain into making a video game that is that much more valuable to the world. Spend the extra money hiring people with the talent to make games that don't suck. Nay, hire people with the talent to make something revolutionary. Kick the graphics up another notch, but in areas that are not commonly focused upon. Spend more time making characters that are believable. Hire directors that can actually recognize voice talent and have experience in said field. Spend some time looking at people outside of the video game community when searching for employees or talent. Why have a list of 2500 games for a console, when 2200 of them aren't worth playing, or only end in disappointment? Think of how much money could be saved by not creating those games, and how much money there is to be gained when making a game that is such a hit that it sells nearly as many copies as there is systems. Perhaps it may be time for a revolution. Which isn't to say that arcade games are with out merit. Don't get me wrong, I love most of the games I own. But why is it such a crazy idea to expect greatness? When will the video game industry have its Casablanca? When will it be recognized for a feat of greatness that goes down in history?

That's all I'm saying... For now.

It is an unfortunate fact that developers make crappy games just to rake in easy money. Sometimes so they can have money on their bigger projects.

@Klaus
There are a couple things that I think are worth noting. Unlike Casablanca, I can't sit and play a single player turn-based RPG with my girlfirend and a friend or two so that we can all cry together because the games themselves are single-player AND they take a long time to complete. They are more comparable to books than to movies from a social point of view.

However,

I'll take the single player campaign experience of Halo, Shadow Hearts Covenant, Metroid Prime, and Metal Gear Solid 2 over Casablanca any day AND I think a lot of people agree.

Are you simply referring to a specific group of people? Whose praise are you trying to gain for these elite video games?

I suggest trying new types of games and more.

I also think that the old Musashi game for the Playstation was wonderful though. The story wasn't serious, it was over the top and fun- like a pint-sized hero game should be. However, the latter Squeenix abomination for the PS2 makes me want to cry.

I thought Phantasy Star Universe's story mode would be flaky and predictable at well- and it was to an extent; however you fall in love with the characters eventually. I find that games where you can relate to the characters and really connect are the best kind.

If you want to talk disappointment, I would say FFXII. It had a high bar set, and it flunked story-wise in my opinion. PSU had Phantasy Star Online to show up, and it did in regards to plot(as well as numerous aspects including gameplay, graphics, and more).

Overall, I would suggest playing games especially of the RPG Variety. I haven't been able to afford too to many games lately- but a recent RPG of interest I keep hearing about has a title like "Odin's Sphere" for the PS2.