The Wii and DS have proven that the gaming industry has huge growth potential. To expand the industry, though, Brutal Legend designer Tim Schafer says that companies need to make games about something other than space marines.

"It's getting better, it used to be that the games industry had a short list of inspirations," Schafer told GI.biz. "You had Tolkien-esque fantasy, Star Wars, and then new things get added. I think GTA brought a whole new level of inspiration. And I think the broader that gets, the more people will be interested in games."

"If you look at movies, they deal with everything about life. They deal with all aspects of life: romance, comedy, serious dramas. And games are mostly limited to the summer action blockbuster."

Schafer also mentions that "humor would get more people into games". His career seems to bear out the point. Had his own games - Full Throttle, Monkey Island, Psychonauts - not been so funny, it seems quite likely they wouldn't have the cult status they currently enjoy.

For many games, though, it seems like story and dialogue are very low priorities in the development process. However, I don't think the problem is, as Schafer says, that there's a shortage of romance, comedy, or drama. There's just a shortage of good romance, comedy, or drama.