New PBS Game/Show asks if the FPS is dying or ascending

The first-person shooter had a good run. Ever since players got a taste of the recoil on Doom’s shotgun, the genre has been firmly planted at the forefront of the industry. They’ve consistently been the biggest moneymakers, pushed technical boundaries, and ushered us into in the era of online play. 

But as recent trends and sales figures indicate (ahem, Titanfall), their grip is weakening, like an aging gunslinger with an arthritic trigger finger who must be pushed by his posse into a nursing home. 

Yeah, plenty of people still get their kicks from dropping and head-shotting, but increasingly players are looking for something more. We’re seeing more games that use the mechanisms of shooters for ends other than, well, shooting things in the face, like Gone Home and Portal. So what’s going on? Is the FPS riding into the sunset, or is it evolving into a beautiful new form?

Watch the episode to find out, and please subscribe!