(I'm still thinking about DLC and mobile content as of late. Blame my new Android.)
I sort through the DLC on my console and am amazed at what's there (and at times appalled, but mostly amazed). I look through the online store on my smartphone and am overwhelmed with choices. When it comes to books the content available to me, especially via eBooks is stunning.
It seems that, media, software, and gamewise we're in a kind of explosion of creativity and productivity. There's just a huge amount of stuff everywhere – often good stuff – that we can download, play, read, or listen too.
So of course I, progeek that I am, asked myself why this is. Here's the conclusions I've come to:
- Availability. Anyone who remembers self-publishing, zines, shareware, freeware, and so on knows there have been people who do cool things for free or cheap privately. Now we have the tools to make it available, so these people are both seen, but others are encouraged.
- Profitability. Yes, profit is something of a motive for us, and the fact people can more easily monetize there works is a driving factor for sure. It's easier all the time to make money with your creative efforts (even if its not much or requires you do your own publicity).
- Tools. We're sitting on decades of development of various tools to let us create works, from musical software to word processors. That's reached a kind of critical mass that lets us do a lot very quickly – and well. Tools also help "patch over" certain lacks in skill (like, say, spelling).
- Connectivity. With the internet, social media, etc. we can collaborate on works, promote our works, and in general hook up with people to work with or for.
- Coming To Light. Some of the things we're seeing are the results of previously unpublished work, unrealized ideas, and half-hearted ramblings that, thanks to the above 4, are coming out and being realized.
We're in a creative explosion of works these days – for a variety of reasons. Staying aware of it will give us a better chance to understand the times we live in, understand what's coming next, and of course, take advantage of it.
Ask yourself, what can you do now, professionally, you couldn't do a decade ago, thanks to the above factors?
– Steven Savage