In the modern age of games, content is king. If people are invested, and there's always something new to experience, they will keep playing. Such is what
recent data shows, with the likes of Minecraft, GTA V Online, and Fortnite being among the most played games of last year. And with a greater push for games to be a platform, as Fortnite has already been demonstrating the last few years, it got me thinking. What if Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo replaced a traditional home screen with a game that would see the same sort of development across years to continually expand it?
There's pros and cons to that, of course. But
it made for a fun excuse to look at both sides. In short, I feel it's possible. For instance, taking from my article, if Nintendo were to have Animal Crossing be the first thing to show up when loading up the console for the first time, how interested would you be in it? So, the name of the console appeared, then it asked you to create a character, place your house, then a short tutorial on how the house acts as a home screen would.
All the typical features of the home screen, such as your game collection, settings, and digital storefront, would all be accessible, but beyond the door of this house (or the attic, as per older Animal Crossing games) would be a whole game to experience. One which you would have the choice to expand when new content arrives. As also talked about, it could also serve as a way to make many crossovers happen that otherwise wouldn't. Playing a Halo multiplayer game on a map designed for Forza Horizon, or a Crackdown-style shooter in a Minecraft world, for example.
Should the console makers do such a thing, would it interest you? Or would you never venture beyond that door once the tutorial was done?