The proof that video games are media has never been so apparent. As the gaming equivalent to television, episodic gamers and developers need vast channels of game content for surfing, mixes of gameplay, and other forms of entertainment novelty. That's what is required to give some meaning to the term 'episodic games.' It's television for the gaming population.
I hope you'll forgive the worldly cynicism of this avid gamer, as I find this approach to be a bit gimmicky. Creating and releasing games in episodes holds major financial advantages over traditional game development. Developers are able to 'pilot' games to find out if they will work out in the market prior to making multi-million dollar investments. Episodic games are also ideally suited for digital download because they are bite-sized entertainment with all the graphical bells and whistles of multi-gig retail titles. At long last I am glad that developers are finally adopting the single-unit gouge and are making a premium by selling 'episodes' at the same price we're used to paying for multi-level expansion packs.
However, this approach does bode some great potential innovations. The questions abound: Can players influence the course of the series based on the results of online multiplayer tournaments? Can players implement a story themselves for MMORPGs into each episodic iteration? Of course, I know that there are some logical issues that come with those ideas: Does multiplayer break the fiction of the single player campaign? And what happens to the multiplayer tournaments once the last episode in the series is released? I have high hopes for Valve in the innovation department with regards to episodic gaming, as their track record clearly proves that innovation is their middle name.
Television has had decades to perfect a model for entertainment which includes a variety of content with a mix of genres and releasing them in what is known as 'appointment schedules.' That term means that the goal there is entice people to make it a point to follow episodes of their favourite series and discuss it with their friends. Episodic gaming is appointment gaming and it is the most genius, yet simple and obvious marketing ploy I have seen so far from gaming publishers.