Power Trip--Should Games Re-think Levelling Mechanics?

As a fan of many very large RPG's I am overly familiar with the concept of "levelling up" a character.  You start off as a beginner--someone with weak skills and equipment and through your conquests and experiences become more powerful.  It's actually something I enjoy because it does feel so rewarding.  I enjoyed it so much that in World of Warcraft I usually levelled up multiple characters to max level.  In a recent issue of PBS's "Game/Show" Jamin explored the concept of levelling up and the illusion of power in video games.  There are some interesting ideas contained within.  View it below:

Levelling up and gaining power is a very core concept in video games.  It works because it rewards players and makes them feel good about what they are doing.  It's incredibly fun to unlock a new ability or piece of special equipment.  Without these sort of rewards what would keep players from continuing to slay monsters or navigate puzzles?  I don't think that levelling up has much to do with skill in most games.  If anything the game almost gets easier as you gain levels and you can make more mistakes or rely more on the equipment that you have unlocked.  I find that my play gets sloppier because I know I can count on the plethora of items that I didn't have at earlier levels.

I don't think the levelling system in most games will go away.  It keeps people playing and gives them a reason to invest time and effort.  Like Jamin stated, it will be interesting to see how game developers move away from this deeply entrenched part of so many games.