Dear Future Gamer,

Each new generation sees games in a new way. And it's a shame that nowadays you need 30 or more folks to develop one, a budget in the millions and multimedia studios a-la Hollywood to be able to call your product a game.

What on earth do we want? Do we want a game in which we make digital friends? Do we need games to make new friends? Do we want games to be able to virtually kill our "friends"? Do we need adventures that go beyond reality? Or games in where we experience life the way it is supposed to be? Is this some deep-rooted need for digital paradise? We tell our friends about experiences that take place in fantasy alone. But do we need virtual girlfriends and creatures to be our slaves? Do we need machines to think we are in control?

Is it not simply the truth, that we cannot control this digital evolution taking place for profit reasons alone? In a world sickened by war, disease, hate and pain, the best we can do is ignore. What better to use than cyberspace to turn our heads from reality? Games are more than just fun. Just wait 50 years, and you’ll know. Then we will understand this super-fast digital revolution that is taking place right now.

Games CAN turn humans into selfish beings. Control over reality simply lies beyond an on/off switch. For reality is only a word existing in humanity. Ah well, maybe in 50 years they’ll say those guys from Future Gamer should get out more often.

Great magazine by the way.

Casper Planken

FG: Er, yes. I think I sort of follow Casper here. Games, the Internet, TV, books, film or even our day-to-day jobs can all be used as scapegoats for our complacent attitude to the plights other people are facing in the world. None of them are the real problem though, until we change our attitudes as human beings and care more for our fellow man we'll always find it easier to ignore a situation that doesn't directly impact on our lives. Right, anyone for tennis?