Against New Games

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Against New Games
Type	Manifesto

Against New Games is a manifesto published in January 2019, attributed to Charlotte Fang though released anonymously under the XCELA Group umbrella. The document is notable primarily as XCELA's first published text and the first known work to utilize the Viral Public License (VPL), which was created by Fang in early 2019. The manifesto presents a critique of the contemporary video game industry, focusing on its emphasis on graphical fidelity over gameplay innovation, the industry's hardware upgrade cycle, and various consumer-hostile practices. The text includes a set of principles encouraging gamers to reject graphical quality as a metric of value, avoid hardware upgrades for purely aesthetic improvements, and boycott games with exploitative practices.

Content and arguments

Critique of graphical emphasis

The manifesto's primary argument centers on the disproportionate focus on graphical improvements in modern video games at the expense of gameplay innovation. The text contends that "good graphics are unimportant" for several reasons:

• Graphical standards are relative and quickly become outdated
• Graphics function primarily as a marketing gimmick rather than enhancing gameplay
• The emphasis on photorealism is short-sighted, as such graphics age poorly compared to stylized visuals
• The pursuit of improved graphics is the main factor increasing development costs, leading to risk-averse design decisions

This critique frames the industry's graphical arms race as benefiting hardware manufacturers and publishers more than players, while simultaneously constraining creative possibilities through escalating budgets.

Hardware treadmill

A second major critique targets what the text calls the "hardware treadmill"—the constant pressure on consumers to upgrade their gaming hardware to play new releases. The manifesto argues that this cycle is unnecessary because:

• Hardware capabilities have plateaued in terms of their benefits to gameplay complexity
• The primary purpose of hardware upgrades has become supporting ever more demanding graphics rather than enabling new gameplay possibilities
• Developers could optimize games for lower hardware requirements but choose not to, forcing continued participation in the upgrade cycle

This position challenges the industry narrative of technological progress, suggesting that hardware advancements no longer meaningfully improve the gaming experience.

Industry practices

The third section condemns what it describes as "harmful practices" that have become industry standards, including:

• Artificial exclusivity
• Centralized multiplayer servers
• Digital Rights Management (DRM)
• Exclusive content and pre-order bonuses
• Limited backwards compatibility
• Hostility to modding
• Elimination of LAN multiplayer and split-screen options
• Console online subscription requirements
• Pay-to-win and microtransaction models
• Paid downloadable content (DLC)
• Subscription releases or seasonal passes
• Vendor lock-in

The text also notes that even the indie game industry has adopted questionable practices such as closed-source software, early access models, and crowdfunding. It argues that participating in and supporting this industry is both uncomfortable and unethical.

Timelessness of good games

The final argument maintains that "good games don't age" because quality game design is eternal. The manifesto suggests that:

• The best games of the past remain rewarding to play today
• Innovation in game design is increasingly divorced from technological advancement
• In the long-term, games are evaluated on their design merits rather than technical achievements
• The complete historical library of video games is accessible through emulation
• Most games from any generation are forgettable, making it logical to focus on proven classics rather than new releases

This section establishes a value framework prioritizing gameplay design over technological novelty and suggests that players have little reason to purchase new releases when so many excellent older games are available.

Manifesto principles

The document concludes with a set of principles for readers to follow:

1. Reject graphical quality as an influence on game evaluation 2. Reject games that cannot be played on inexpensive hardware 3. Reject games designed or released with harmful practices 4. Configure systems to utilize emulation options 5. Consider new games alongside all previously released games 6. Evaluate new games from a long-term perspective

These principles aim to guide consumer behavior toward a more critical and selective approach to video game consumption.

Historical significance

First application of the Viral Public License

The most notable aspect of "Against New Games" from a historical perspective is its status as the first work published under the Viral Public License (VPL), a copyleft license created by Charlotte Fang in early 2019. The use of this license represented a practical implementation of the information freedom principles that would be more explicitly articulated in later XCELA texts, demonstrating how content could be both freely accessible and protected from proprietary capture.

As the inaugural work using the VPL, the manifesto occupies an important place in the history of alternative licensing approaches to digital content, serving as a test case for the license that would later be applied to various XCELA and Remilia Corporation projects.

Early XCELA artifact

"Against New Games" represents one of the earliest public artifacts of XCELA Group, published shortly after the group's formation in January 2019. While not necessarily a foundational text in terms of its lasting influence, the manifesto offers insight into the early concerns and philosophical orientation of XCELA before its later evolution and eventual incorporation into Remilia Corporation.

The document's themes of technological skepticism, resistance to corporate control, and emphasis on user freedom would recur throughout XCELA's later work, making it an interesting early expression of ideas that would be developed in subsequent projects.

Relation to "Extortion Industry"

Two months after publishing "Against New Games," XCELA released a follow-up manifesto titled "Extortion Industry," which extended the critique from design priorities and industry practices to the fundamental economic model of the video game industry. The two texts demonstrate an escalating radicalism in XCELA's critique, moving from specific industry practices to foundational questions about intellectual property and digital ownership.

While "Against New Games" focused on the creative aspects of game development, "Extortion Industry" examined the legal and economic structures underlying the industry, particularly copyright enforcement. Together, they form an interesting pair of texts that illustrate XCELA's early attempts to articulate a comprehensive critique of contemporary digital media production and distribution.

Context

Industry climate

"Against New Games" emerged during a period of increasing criticism of the AAA video game industry for practices such as aggressive monetization, live service models, and high-budget titles that prioritized graphics and scale over innovation. The manifesto appeared shortly after several high-profile controversies regarding microtransactions, loot boxes, and games released in unfinished states, including the backlash against EA's "Star Wars Battlefront II" monetization system in late 2017.

The text's skepticism toward technological progress as a driver of improved gaming experiences can be situated within a broader cultural context of growing criticism toward Silicon Valley techno-optimism and the negative effects of planned obsolescence on both consumers and the environment.

XCELA's early development

As one of XCELA Group's first public texts, "Against New Games" provides context for understanding the group's early orientation before its later development and eventual incorporation into Remilia Corporation in March 2022. The manifesto's themes align with XCELA's stated focus areas, particularly "Information Freedoms" and resistance to what they termed the "network event horizon"—the perceived increasing hostility of mainstream digital platforms.

The document provides a snapshot of XCELA's early interests before the group expanded its focus to areas like digital sovereignty infrastructure, experimental computing hardware, and realtime communication platforms.

Relation to later developments

While "Against New Games" itself may not have had significant direct influence on gaming discourse, several of its themes connect to ongoing conversations in digital culture. Its critique of planned obsolescence and corporate control over digital experiences relates to later discussions about digital sovereignty, right to repair, and environmental impacts of technology consumption.

The manifesto's skepticism toward technological progressivism as a value framework also connects to broader cultural critiques of Silicon Valley's innovation rhetoric and growing public awareness of the social costs of technological acceleration.

After XCELA Group was incorporated into Remilia Corporation in March 2022, some of these themes continued to be explored in different contexts, particularly in Remilia's approaches to alternative ownership models and community-centered creation.

See also

• XCELA Group
• Extortion Industry
• Viral Public License
• Charlotte Fang
• Remilia Corporation
• Digital sovereignty