Game Standards Have Dropped—What Happened?

[『NAPTRIX』]

I’ve been noticing a concerning trend in gaming lately—standards have dropped drastically. It feels like effort and quality control have taken a backseat, and the floodgates are open for low-effort releases.

Nowadays, it seems like literally anyone can throw together a barely functional "game," make an image move on screen, pay the $100 Steam fee, and boom—it’s on the store. No gameplay depth, no polish, no real effort. Just asset flips, AI-generated junk, and low-effort cash grabs.
Steam used to have a much higher bar for quality, but now the store is cluttered with these rushed, uninspired projects. Meanwhile, actual indie devs who put in effort get buried under the flood of shovelware.

How did we get here? Is this just a result of removing Greenlight? Should Valve step in and start curating the store again? Or is this just the inevitable state of the industry now?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

[datCookie]

Corporate greed

[xBCxRangers]

Brain drain at the gaming companies, as well as greed trying to make the quick buck on game services.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by 『NAPTRIX』:

I’ve been noticing a concerning trend in gaming lately—standards have dropped drastically. It feels like effort and quality control have taken a backseat, and the floodgates are open for low-effort releases.

No drop in standards m8. More likely your search methods aren't working for you. Might wanna change them

Also worth reminding THis was the first third party game on the steam store
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1002/Rag_Doll_Kung_Fu/

Originally posted by 『NAPTRIX』:

Meanwhile, actual indie devs who put in effort get buried under the flood of shovelware.

If you can't stand out from shovelware. THen your game is shovelware. SImple as.

Originally posted by 『NAPTRIX』:

How did we get here? Is this just a result of removing Greenlight? Should Valve step in and start curating the store again? Or is this just the inevitable state of the industry now?

Grass SImulator was one of the games that was voted through greenlight.
'Nuff Said.

Might wanna take off them nostalgia goggles m8.

[Swarmfly]

Human beings are easily entertained with shallow pleasures.

[Stormer]

Shovelware has always been here, AI just made spitting it out easier

[Zero]

It's a mainstream hobby full of stupid people now who have no money sense. That's what happened.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Bugthesda has always said, "it just works" and "It's not a bug, it's a feature. "

[Paratech2008]

Well even AAA games on release aren't necessarily "quality."

[Djinghis(ComOff)]

Most of these games I think I know you're referring to don't have marketing beyond the Steam platform. I think it's fair to say that gamers are just as lazy as they don't bother reviewing a game outside of steam shop. This is why the once great IndieDB website and many like it are dead now. Marketing within steam has become much like Youtube where clickbait and silly thumbnails are the primary marketing strategy and the content is secondary consideration. And of course, to state the obvious, nobody is forcing you to buy low quality games.

[Ender]

"Game Standards Have Dropped—What Happened"

"Woke" is what happened.

[Chika Ogiue]

Originally posted by Ender:

"Woke" is what happened.

Define today's meaning of woke. Does it involve poor quality games such as Rag Doll Kung-Fu, or is it still just attacking minorities and other people you don't like?

[76561198407601200]

Originally posted by 『NAPTRIX』:

I’ve been noticing a concerning trend in gaming lately—standards have dropped drastically. It feels like effort and quality control have taken a backseat, and the floodgates are open for low-effort releases.

Nowadays, it seems like literally anyone can throw together a barely functional "game," make an image move on screen, pay the $100 Steam fee, and boom—it’s on the store. No gameplay depth, no polish, no real effort. Just asset flips, AI-generated junk, and low-effort cash grabs.
Steam used to have a much higher bar for quality, but now the store is cluttered with these rushed, uninspired projects. Meanwhile, actual indie devs who put in effort get buried under the flood of shovelware.

How did we get here? Is this just a result of removing Greenlight? Should Valve step in and start curating the store again? Or is this just the inevitable state of the industry now?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Lately? The standards dropped so low at one point that it pretty much took out the game market, the nes the came rolling around then here we are.

[Doctor Zalgo]

Originally posted by Ender:

"Game Standards Have Dropped—What Happened"

"Woke" is what happened.

You misspelled capitalism.

[salva早晨享用的咖啡]

if you buy low effort game, game maker make more low effort game.
stop buy them

[Paratech2008]

Some inexpensive "survivor games" gave me more enjoyment than AAA games.

Example.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2066020/Soulstone_Survivors/

Almost 200 hours played.