I'm not a cultural relativist by any means, but it's a bit destructive to focus on whether something is artistically driven. Millions of people have a positive

I'm not a cultural relativist by any means, but it's a bit destructive to focus on whether something is artistically driven. Millions of people have a positive relationship with mass-market games such as FIFA: they just have a different utility model. These games in turn tend to derive some of their value from the social interactions that they facilitate. The fact that something is profit driven is thus not at odds with its intrinsic worth. Meanwhile, there are tons of nominally artistic games that don't really tread new ground or say anything. It often has more to do with chance (multiple factors and talented people coming together by accident) than careful artistic consideration. That's why game studios often struggle to repeat the same magic across different titles, and why even indie bands with the least corporate influence struggle after the first album.