just to be clear, my entire “what is this game about” thing is really more about establishing an internal set of rules on the part of the developer in order to create a cohesive and potentially meaningful thing.

Right, and I totally agree with the sentiment. I think that basically I was saying the same thing as you and Chris Remo and Chris Hecker and probably dozens if not hundreds of other people. I was just commenting on the use of the word “about” specifically, since I think it implies a certain type of game.

I still think the “Why did I make this game?” question is a valid one. After all, it’s not like movies or books are always made for purely artistic reasons; see “Transformers 2″ or any Chicken Soup book. And unless publishers micromanage to a horrifying degree (which they could of course, since I have no idea what the industry’s like personally), I don’t see why you can’t make a shooter with two ice levels and three different flame throwers that still tells a story that means something.

That’s kind of the point I was trying to get at. Take your example game:

Why am I making this game?: Because Flame Thrower 2: The Reckoning made so much money, the publishers want one with ice levels and RPG elements.
What is this game about?: It’s about a space marine who, after raiding the beach at Normandy, becomes a zombie with no memory of his past, so he has to collect the five shards of the Life Crystal in order to save the princess.

You’ve answered both questions, but haven’t done anything to raise the state of the art. But if you ask “What am I trying to say?” and “Why am I saying it with a game?” then I believe you’re getting closer to making the game meaningful instead of “just” a diversion.

I also think that there are games out there that already tell meaningful stories, like Psychonauts. I watched my brother play through the game in his usual rushing way, and I saw the “main” story. Then I played through myself, collecting everything I could, because that’s how I play. That’s when I realized there’s a deeper, “second” story to the game, the one you only see when you take time to spend with the other characters and collect the hidden memories. The main story is about a ten year old kid saving the day and realizing his father really did love him after all. The second story is about how we’re all messed up in the head; everyone suffers from past trauma or phobias, and it’s how we deal with our problems that makes us mentally healthy or ill. I found the second story moving, not just because of it’s surprisingly delicate touch in analyzing mental illness in a humorous way, but also because it’s a story you don’t get if you don’t take the time with the characters, lending another layer of meaning through the telling.

And everyone, you should go read Sean’s blog. He talks about how an old man told him to make babies, very hilarious.