The Orlando Sentinel has some troubling news about the future of video games.  It seems that the Orlando Science Center held a Game Design Summer Camp for kids to take a crack at game design and development.  The campers recently presented their final presentations and reveal what elements of game design are the most important to the kiddies.

While the tools these 11 to 15 year-olds used to make these games were rudimentary, you could see some good ideas at work. It was most fun for me to see what things the kids thought were most important; secret levels, licensed music, and of course lots of shooting.

Licensed music.  *sigh*.  I hate to see the next generation of gamers putting such an emphasis on licensed music.  I have yet to encounter a game in which the licensed music felt appropriate.  I'd much rather hear original songs in games instead of the latest Top 40 crap.  If licensed music had been around at the dawn of gaming we may never have been exposed to the classic songs of Super Mario Bros., Mega Man 2, or Castlevania.  Original songs tailored to the atmosphere and events of a game beat licensed music any day.