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Early arcade staples such as high scores and turbo fire buttons are rarely found in games today. Since the focus of most games has shifted from quick thrills to complex narratives, only one such mechanic, death, still sees wide use. Is it time for the industry to drop this vestige of the golden years or should death continue to serve a vital role in games today?

Clarification is always needed when talking about broad subjects; a category which death in video games easily falls into. When I speak of the 'death mechanic', I'm referring to the act of a player failing. After which, a game over screen appears and a checkpoint is loaded. The question is not whether developers should remove punishments for failing objectives, but if the current system is still necessary for narrative-driven games.

For those that remember the glory days of arcades, having to choose between using your last quarter for an extra life and calling mom for a ride is unforgettable. Watching the "Continue?" countdown was excruciating - especially when your clanking pocket of quarters had dwindled to a single coin. Back then the death mechanic was absolutely necessary; it was the revenue model for games. In an arcade, hardware was provided for free to users, but the software was rented out on a time scale system. While not literally a quarter for 'x' minutes of play (skill was a factor), it was rare to go beyond five minutes without a game over screen.

Consoles changed that. By purchasing the hardware, players subsequently starting buying the software. The need for incentives to keep pumping money into the system disappeared. Granted, a game had to be good enough to warrant a purchase, but the length of a typical session could be greatly extended without hurting revenue. The impact of this economic shift wasn't immediately apparent. Programmers were accustomed to making arcade-style games and players were comfortable purchasing them: something which many Atari and NES carts reflect. But slowly, starting with The Legend of Zelda, developers realized they were no longer constrained by the old model. It was at this point that the doors swung wide open: games didn't always have to be so difficult; narratives didn't have to rely on either a simple opening paragraph i.e. Contra or licensed property to flesh out their world; and most importantly, developers could now incorporate a wider range of emotions - not just thrills and excitement.