Here's Andrew Park's resolution: This will be the last time he writes about Resident Evil 4 this year. Congratulate him at [email protected].

　　Games are changing. They're not developed in a vacuum anymore, or under the dominion of five guys in a basement. And to get more original properties out there, game publishers are going to need to find new ways to support the risky games. In the end, advertising won't drop the cost of games any, because, hey, companies like making a buck any way they can. But the funding just might give unproven games a chance. So if that means I have to see Carl's Jr. ads plastered over Burnout Revenge so Criterion can develop a game like Black, well, that's a price I'm willing to pay.

　　Here's another price that hopefully shouldn't be too steep for most of us: New Year's resolutions. If you read my columns, you know that I try to avoid acting like a game industry know-it-all; but I'll commemorate the occasion by getting on my rarely used soapbox.

　　Tekken 5: An improved sequel, despite the lack of online play.

　　To anyone developing a video game sequel: Take a look at this year's successful sequels to see what they did right. Were they good? Were they great? Why? Consider the cases of Blitz: The League and Tekken 5--both are console video games that don't seem to have much in common. But they both come from long-running series that originated in arcades, and in both series, the previous game wasn't all that great. (NFL Blitz Pro tried and failed to incorporate simulation-style gameplay, while Tekken 4 had a lot of unnecessary fluff, like side-switching grapples and excessive wall juggles). Of course, both 2005 sequels ended up being excellent because talented developers invested a great deal of care, effort, and artistry into them.

　　But they also ended up being really good sequels because they were developed with an overall design goal: to go back to the basic great gameplay each series was known for, focus on it, and refine it (and each series did make a name for itself with great gameplay, way back when). In these cases, they took the much-needed step of stripping out the unnecessary stuff that weighed down the previous games in the series and ended up with new games that played great, even if they did leave room for improvement. (This year's Blitz had some artificial intelligence quirks and lacked a franchise mode, while Tekken still hasn't come online, for instance.)

　　Resident Evil 4: A textbook example of how to make a sequel. And yes, this is the last time I'll talk about this game... This year, anyway.

　　Also, for anyone developing a video game sequel, hunker down with Resident Evil 4 if you haven't already, especially if you're grappling with the seemingly impossible task of making a follow-up that brings in a new audience while still appealing to existing fans. This is the game that does exactly that. In fact, if there were a textbook on how to develop games, there'd be a chapter devoted to this game under creating successful sequels. Consider how the game offers a completely new "side-story" plot, but includes characters, gameplay items (healing herbs, rocket launchers), and gameplay features (ammo conservation, puzzle elements) common to the series, and even makes a few specific references to earlier games, which really makes the game seem like a proper continuation for fans.

　　But it also changed the camera, pacing, and control scheme to make it much, much more appealing to new players, and the game's exceptional production values--including some of the best graphics and sound effects this year--helped seal the deal for many first-timers. This was the year that Resident Evil ceased to cater only to a limited group of fans who were already used to the old, clunky control scheme and camera angles. And quite possibly, if other developers attempt to learn from this game, 2005 could be a crucial milestone for survival horror games--we might be looking back on it as the year this genre became relevant again. Any way you look at it, Resident Evil 4 is a shining example of how to create a successful sequel that appeals to a much broader audience, even though the series has been around for many years and built up many fans' expectations.

　　This is New York senator Hilary Clinton. You may have heard of her, especially in relation to this year's events.

　　For all of us, I'd also advise more discretion, if not a more responsible approach to making, playing, and talking about games. 2005 was the year of scandal and legislation for the game industry, at least in the United States, because of objectionable content that got a game, its developer and publisher, and anyone who plays it a lot of negative press. It also made some lawyer famous (or infamous, if you prefer), again. Yet in the wake of this mess, misguided game developers are still looking to push out games that focus on edgy urban culture and cuss words, while for months, discussion communities of hardcore game fans everywhere were paralyzed with rage about the audacity of some lawyer from Florida.

　　Incidentally, that lawyer, who has mysteriously disappeared from the scene in December, seemed to do everything he could to make the headlines in August through November, which was, not coincidentally, when his new book was released. As such, every single person who wrote angry rants or participated in heated debates about him, his views, and his accusations was actually participating in a not-so-subtle viral marketing campaign to generate interest for his book.

　　If you didn't realize that, then sorry, but you were an unwitting tool who helped a scandalmonger shill his wares. If you did realize that, I hope you made sure our lawyer friend at least cut you a check in exchange for your efforts, because marketing is very important to selling new products. (I actually considered writing a column earlier this year to discourage people from paying any attention to him, as I discussed with Carrie, but decided eventually that it would just lead to more undeserved spotlight).

　　I'll offer this: I still don't think getting riled up about game-related scandals is a productive way to react to them (especially when scandalmongers are hoping to profit from writing a new book at around the same time), but I also don't think that ignoring the issue for being ridiculous (which is what I used to do myself) will work well either, all things considered. One of the primary issues on the table is responsibility for making sure games with explicit, "adult" content don't fall into the hands of minors, and whether the previous safeguard of ESRB ratings is adequate.

　　This may be anecdotal, but every game-discussion area I've visited and every conversation I've had with game players has invariably drawn the same dismissive, disgusted reaction to the topic of regulating games for underage players. I think we can do better than that, by doing at least two things.

　　First, let's actually pay attention to game ratings and helping to educate people who may not be familiar with them. This doesn't necessarily mean stopping people at random in game stores--though I've briefly, politely interrupted a parent with a small child eying an M-rated game to point out the game's explicit content both in game stores and at GameSpot's recent G.A.M.E. event in San Francisco, and I can tell you, it isn't hard. It could be as simple as talking to people you already know who aren't familiar with games, and may not be familiar with ESRB ratings or the difference between one game or another. If you're a young person who gets games through your parents or guardian(s), you may want to sit them down and talk it over with them. Better that you and your family make your choices than a policeman or a senator, right?

　　Let's all have a safe and happy holiday this year. But we might want to start thinking about issues that will come up next year.

　　Second, let's pay attention to game-related legislation and get involved, especially when this sort of thing hits close to home. Remember when the biggest, scariest antigame crusader was Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and his alarmist-sounding "Killology" study group? This time around, there are multiple state senators pushing for federal legislation in the US... It's a much bigger issue now than it was then, and one that probably shouldn't be ignored any longer. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, many of the crusaders against the evils of the game industry always use polemical, inflammatory language--it's as if they're trying to provoke a fight, one for which they assume concerned parents everywhere will be on their side.

　　This kind of conflict isn't the answer--understanding and communication are. And who understands the issues better than us, the people who play games? Let's see to it that our favorite hobby, pastime, passion--whatever you'd like to call it--doesn't get warped, damaged, or suppressed (any more than it arguably has been already, anyway). Because we're the people who could be affected the most by these issues.

　　[Editor's Note: Freeplay will be on hiatus for the holidays. Thanks for reading GameSpot features, and please rejoin us for more feature stories in the New Year.]