The Evolution of Anarchy in Games.

A Look at how game worlds have evolved, and the difference between the freedom of games like Pong and World of Warcraft

An interesting idea and brilliantly conveyed research and detail into how video games are becoming less linear and breaking almost all the conventional rules. World of Warcraft is larger than 5 GTA Vice City islands. Animal Crossing doesn't actually end. While games like GTA IV are also pushing borders with games that are less confined, more creative, and push the boundaries of creativity with brilliant artistic liberties taken by innovative developers.

Mass Effect tried blending the open world freedom of MMO's with psuedo-freedom of large cities and maps from non online games. It worked brilliantly.

Some call them open ended adventures. Others call them sandbox games. Which ever title you prefer, there is no denying the appeal of a game where the entertainment never ends and can be played at the consumer's leisure. If it's slaying demons and magically powered swordsmen or blasting a cap in rival gang member's skull from your Benz, chances are you've played and possibly enjoyed the carnage and bliss of a non linear game.

When the word "sandbox" is uttered the game that often comes to the minds of console owners is the most popular of the genre: Grand Theft Auto. However the non linear game had been around long before the Scarface-esc adventures of Tommy Vercetti. One of the most notable: The Legend of Zelda for the NES. The player had the option of simply rescuing Zelda from Ganondorf and be done with the game. Basically the game could have been Super Mario but with a sword. However what made Zelda such a success was the ability to explore beyond the initial quest. Treasure hunting made the game much more than a rescue operation. It made it an interactive adventure. Other Nintendo games that followed, such as Metroid, had the same feel. You don't need to upgrade your blaster to shoot up to ten rockets, but it made Samus that much more powerful and gave the player a sense of accomplishment. However the non linear aspect of gaming would get a complete overhaul once RPG's went from tabletop to television screen.

The way Grand Theft Auto III changed games was never predicted to be this large. Look at the first GTA, and look at GTA IV...Seriously.

In 1986 Japanese developer Enix released Dragon Quest (Warrior in North America). Although not as much as a non linear game as a straightforward RPG, Dragon Quest cannot be overlooked for it's influence upon other RPG's. The over world, villages, shops, boss battles, just about everything that is considered a staple of the modern RPG can be traced back to this quaint quest. However Enix's rival, Squaresoft, would take this humble genre and run with it all the way to the bank.

Squaresoft of the late 80's resembled nothing of it's current state. Failing in the industry, Square had filed for bankruptcy and was publishing it's swan song, affectionately called "Final Fantasy". However once it was released it went on to become the juggernaut it's known as today. The reason for that wasn't the fact that it was a brightly colored, musically addictive RPG, it was it's replay value. Final Fantasy I had side quests and extra weapons to collect and because of that the need for a strategy guide was absolute when this game came out just to be able to brag to one's friends that the game had been completed 100%. Since Square had dug itself out of a hole, the sequels followed. In Japan FFII, and III improved upon the non linear aspect. IV was released stateside as II and was regarded as one of the greatest RPG's of all time. Yes, it had a spectacular story, but it's open ended game play made it, and it's follow ups, what it was; a masterpiece. However the gaming public craved more than simple scripted turn based combat

This video showcases the scope of the world of Mass Effect. Demonstrating the boundaries it pushed.

In 1997 Ultima Online hit the net and opened up the gates for a wave of other MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games). Soon Everquest (sometimes known as Evercrack due to it's numerous addicts), World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XI, and Uru were released to increasing popularity. The appeal of these titles stemmed from the fact that no matter how long you played it, the game never ended. The developers added to the game play, capped levels to give the advanced vets a chance at a challenge and even released expansion packs instead of sequels so that the player could continue to use their beloved character in new adventures. The draw was that there would always be something new in their world, something that other genres would soon borrow from.

There is of course a downside to so much freedom in a digitized landscape. That bane is the lack of a social life. Now this is not ment to offend those that play games like WoW and might still have a drink at the bars every now and then. No, this is more of a synopsis of what happens when someone has too much of a good thing. Of it's 11 million users, only a fraction of WoW players have a serious gaming addiction, not to say that WoW is the only online game with addicts (see Halo 3, CoD4 etc), but they are out there. For instance the website wowdetox.com lists support threads for those seeking help to curb their online gaming addiciton and those that are willing to share their success stories. Many are happy to be able to get out of the house for the first time in months and not have to run back to their apartments to run a raid. Others claim to be neglectful of their loved ones and are only just realizing the impact that playing such a game 24/7 is having on their families.

On foot - all expansion packs included - It would take you literally maybe a fully day to traverse the entire land set in World of Warcraft.

Then there are the gold farmers, under paid (often Asian or Eastern Europeans) kids that slave away at a computer for hours, farming for gold for a larger company. In turn the company takes the massive treasure trove that has been ill gotten and sells it online for lazy players to buy that fancy new sword without the work. Many of these farmers work for hours, even days on end. Sweatshops aren't just for making those fancy Nikes anymore.This shows the dark side of capitalism on a digital level.

However WoW, as previously stated, isn't the only game that has it's negative consequences. In August of 2005 a South Korean man died after playing a marathon session of Starcraft for fifty hours straight. PC gaming isn't the only place danger is found. November of 2008 saw tragedy strike again. Brandon Crisp of Barrie, Ontario had an argument about his online gaming habits with his parents. His mom and dad suspended his Xbox 360 privaliges after they had felt he had spent far too much time online with Call of Duty 4. He ran away from home only to be found days later by some hunters in the woods. Many of thse horrible and avoidable situations go unreported each year and only by seeking help for yourself or a loved one will prevent the ultimate Game Over. Remember, life has no reset button.

That being said, let's look at the game that took the sandbox genre and ran with it all the way to the bank. Grand Theft Auto. The game that defined the genre. 1997 marked it's debut on the PC, with a follow up in 1998 on the Playstation and later a reduced version on the Gameboy Color. The game was a commercial success. Shooting innocent people. Running cops over with a stolen car. Blowing up an oil tanker with back alley rocket launcher. It brought out the inner psycho in every consumer aged seventeen and up (yeah, right, I was seventeen in '97, so was my eight year old cousin). It's sequel would bring even more success but it would be the third dimension that would bring the game mainstream.

Kojima's Metal Gear Solid is a great example of how the original in the series move on to become massive games with unparalleled freedom, during the generations of their maturity.

The Playstation 2 only needed one game to dominate over it's competition and that game was Grand Theft Auto III (later ported to PC and Xbox). Besides a story that borrowed heavily on cliched mob movies, the ability to come home from a hard day at the office and pull a drive by on the Triads and totally ignore the story was key to it's blockbuster status. It's sequels are proof that the public, as a whole, craves open ended carnage. With follow ups using the same "III" engine and the direct sequel, GTA4 on the next gen consoles, never have players been offered so many options to off rival gang members in cold blood (although GTA4 seemed to be lacking in that department as opposed to SA, but that's for another article) As long as there is a need, Rockstar will be happy to oblige, and so will many copycats to varying degrees of success

However magic and gang banging aren't the only genres that the sandbox world have to offer. For instance Metal Gear, a series that doesn't seem to have a place in this article, is a prime example of a game that has evolved from a straight forward, very linear title to a series that offers multiple endings (MGS1), side missions (VR Missions, Substance, Subsistence) and online gameplay (Subsistence, MGS4). The storyline may be linear, but there are multiple ways to arrive at the same end. For instance in it's most recent incarnation, MGS4, you have the option of helping out insurgent rebels, fighting against them with the PMC's, or simply sneaking past both sides to complete your mission. You can play the whole game without firing a single fatal shot at either side. Seriously, what other game allows that much freedom?

Then we have the simple laid back world of Animal Crossing. This game is so fun and addictive but when it's all said and done, the game has no story, no ending, nothing. You build a house, do chores for others to earn money, grow your food and play old school Nintendo games when you're done working. Sound familiar? The draw of this game is the fact that you can live a fantasy life in a cute little neighbor hood without the distraction and monotany of every day life. What's ironic, though, is the fact that in real life if said player were to be asked to do chores and go outside to farm, they'd decline only to do what they were just asked to in the virtual world.

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In the future, the sandbox may expand to include the real world. In 2007 the creators of the blockbuster hit The Dark Knight created a viral marketing game involving internet use and real world clues to unravel more information on the upcoming summer release. This is only a small example of what the future will entail. Online communities will blend with real world locations. If youi can't join your buddies at the pub for a brew, you can log in and have a virtual mug along side them from the comfort of your home (while wearing level 13 armor and brandishing your Red Dragon sword). Perhaps this sounds a bit far fetched, but honestly, who doesn't see this eventually coming? Going to Walmart at four in the morning to grab the barcodes to unlock a new gun or sword (wait a minute, methinks this has been done. See Monster Rancher, using CD's to unlock more monsters and MGS: PO, using different Wi-Fi hotspots to unlock characters). Not beyond the relm of possibilty anymore, right?

Guns, swords, grenades, spaceships, daggers, magic, wizards, or sports cars. Take your pick. Any game of the future worth it's price to play will have to offer the player more than shiny graphics and an oscar worthy score. Some current contenders need to get with the program, such as the Wii. While innovative in it's own right, it will need to step it up soon to be able to include blockbuster MMO's and FPS games (see it's version of CoD:WaW for terrible graphics) to draw the older gaming audience. The name of the game these days is replay value, and if the efforts put forth have little to none, expect to see it at the bottom of the bargain bin because the serious gamers will be playing and replaying the more successful non linear title.