Naturally, developers want their games to appeal to a wide audience. In some cases this means creating a game that incorperates elements from many different genres so that you end up with a product that will (in theory) attract the fans of each genre. But it doesn't always work that way and sometimes developers are left with a game that may bluir the genre lines, while not excelling in any.
Destructoid takes a look at Mass Effect, Resident Evil 5, and Resident Evil 4, three great games that do just this.

Genre generalization occurs when a game attempts to straddle two or more different genres or styles, without effectively fleshing out any of them. This often leaves the player inevitably wanting more from one part of the game or another, without ever really delivering a fully fleshed out experience. “Jack of all trades, proficient in none,” is an accurate term for this affliction. Unfortunately, this appears to be a major trend that will be shaping the modern gaming market in the months and years to come.

Some of the bigger blockbuster game titles of the last few years showcase this troublesome trend in all its gruesome glory. Mass Effect, from Bioware, is a chief offender, as are Resident Evil 4 and 5. Now, before I rip into these three games, I want to be absolutely sure that you know I really enjoyed these games. I’m not bringing them up here because they were bad games; in fact, I’m using these examples specifically because of their notoriety. The success of these games is the primary reason I see generalization as the next step in gaming, and where I see the industry as a whole headed.

Miss Razz via destructoid.com »