Wilson
I have never made my own game but I think it would be a very fun and interesting thing to do. I have a lot fo respect for people who can create their own games and make them a success in the video game culture. I personally think that the video game industry is worse off now that the techonology to create cutting-edge gaming experiences isn't available to everyone anymore. Over the past few years cutting-age gaming experiences has made people come to expect that they will always be getting this experience. Now that it is not available to everyone anymore, I think it is frustrating people because they are still expecting the best of the best. http://blogs.setonhill.edu/CodyNaylor/2010/01/01-20-10_discussion_wilson.html
I think you're right, Keith... we have been spoiled by great graphics, online multiplayer, and tight controls and we now expect every game to come fully equipped with them...
I also have a lot of respect for game developers (professional or not), and I agree that we have become spoiled by advanced technology. It is great for the big industry, but it does not help the economics of indie game developers. If people just tried some indie games, they might be pleasantly surprised.
It really is a shame that those high-tech programs aren't available for everyone. At the same time, I'm sure you'd need some kind of special trainig to use them--not to mention the amount of time dedicated to using such programs. I'm not saying that Indie games don't take a ton of time to create; I'm just suggesting that the more complicated the graphics, the more longer it's gonna take to get things right. It's just not fair to indie programmers.