Gameplay vs Story

[Leigh]

There's a lot more to gameplay than a control scheme, and you're playing the wrong games if you think there isn't enough new stuff being done these days.

But how new? New as in genre-establishing? Or just tacking on using a shovel in a platformer game?

You don't have to establish a completely new genre to do things that haven't been done before. Portal didn't invent the first person puzzle game. The original StarCraft didn't invent the RTS, Half-Life 2 didn't invent the FPS, Just Cause 2 didn't invent the sandbox game, Mario 64 didn't invent the 3D platformer, Shadow of the Colossus didn't invent the 3D platformer/action game, and I really could probably sit here listing games all day but the point is that these games did things which had never been done before and had gameplay that completely changed how the genres were viewed or played without actually establishing a new genre.

I understand what you're inferring. But I think we can safely assume that we are both just motivated by different forces as a baseline? Over the past couple of years, and despite having played video games all my life, I've realised that I'm probably not a 'Gamer'. Haha. =) That's probably the reason that I have completed 5% of my game collection! =P I guess there is a reason that when I replay Final Fantasy these days - I do it with cheat modes that stop random encounters and max level everyone from the start! =P