The DeanBeat: Will we see creativity or imaginative exhaustion at E3?

I’ve been thinking about creativity and the video game industry. Is it better than ever, given the influx of indie game creators into mobile and mainstream gaming? Are the platforms enabling it by improving the chances that developers can get a better return on investment? When we go to the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the game industry’s big trade show starting June 14 in Los Angeles, will we see it? Or will we see creative exhaustion?

E3 is where the game industry shows off what is coming for the next year or so. We’ll see 1,500 games this year, including 100 that have never been revealed at all. Jaded observers often dismiss this show for its me-too games, sequels, and licenses based on well-known brands from outside of gaming. When you take those games out, what is left that can be truly called groundbreaking or innovative and still has an impact? And what happens when you take a brand out of its natural element and put it into another medium or an unfamiliar territory like China?