(is the) Game industry (is) crashing ? !

[Saïbaïman]

It has been months now that I am watching and following new games' releases, and I wasn't very amazed.
Each time I check the "new releases" I see reworkings of old games, and a few new generation games which are not convincing me at all, resulting I don't buy anything and keep playing my chosen games...even if I am willing to play something else.

Of course there are still some good games, but you can count them on your hands.
I made the decision years ago to boycott big companies and stopped playing games like battlefield or similar AAA, but I recognize they are still making a few great games (with essentially the same old recipes as the previous decade , with a few improvements)

I am feeling there is something wrong with the game industry and I think it is going down slowly since around 10-15 years now.

Many commercials practices are putting this industry to its end: pre-ordering (making you free beta-testers who are not listened to most of the time), massive paid DLCs and strategies to make you buy them, bad optimization, low replayability, too few hig end content, no new concepts of gaming, the outrageous rise of sh!tt! mobile games...etc...

20 years ago I imagined the games in the future would be a partnership of different studios mixing their own speciality to release the perfect game.

But I was wrong... in fact, the only game which has the mind to do that and succeed is StarCitizen and...it has been in development since 14 years now ( !! ) and is still not near to be released (!!!)...what bored me too.

What are your thoughts about this? Am I too bored? Or do you think we will see another crash of this industry in the next months/years

There is definitely a problem somewhere

[Kargor]

Well, as long as they keep making good games and don't crash into my house, I don't really care.

[xBCxRangers]

Triple A is in bad shape. Studios are laying off big time. And as far as more smaller independent developers i'm seeing some good stuff. But they're always in EA, and don't know what the outcome may be.

I think there's no doubt, these "current gen" titles have been a big disappointment, and i forgone the whole thing. I'm spending time on older titles i never got to play.

[Saïbaïman]

Messaggio originale di xBCxRangers:

I think there's no doubt, these "current gen" titles have been a big disappointment, and i forgone the whole thing. I'm spending time on older titles i never got to play.

The fact that many players are now spending their time on old games is the proof that new games are not fulfilling their expectations...and this is a big problem because, as time goes, we should expect bettter from those companies that are "still making good games AAA etc..." but only care about profit instead of entertainment and R&D for new games concepts (we can see some from indy but with their limited means, they can't release a better content which will occupy your game time for long playing sessions for several years)

I don't get it why the Majors are shooting the bullet in their own feet since years, without trying to change this business model to something more valuable, entertaining and profitable in long-term...

[Boblin the Goblin]

The industry isn't crashing.

The original crash happened because video games were seen as a commodity and the amount of games/consoles that lacked any type of quality control.

Since then, gaming and gaming development have not only become cheaper(relatively speaking) but have also expanded greatly. It's much too easy for anyone to pick up development tools and make a game for there to be an industry-wide crash.

[xBCxRangers]

Messaggio originale di Saïbaïman:

Messaggio originale di xBCxRangers:

I think there's no doubt, these "current gen" titles have been a big disappointment, and i forgone the whole thing. I'm spending time on older titles i never got to play.

The fact that many players are now spending their time on old games is the proof that new games are not fulfilling their expectations...and this is a big problem because, as time goes, we should expect bettter from those companies that are "still making good games AAA etc..." but only care about profit instead of entertainment and R&D for new games concepts (we can see some from indy but with their limited means, they can't release a better content which will occupy your game time for long playing sessions for several years)

I don't get it why the Majors are shooting the bullet in their own feet since years, without trying to change this business model to something more valuable, entertaining and profitable in long-term...

I agree with you 100%. There may be sort of a brain drain of sorts in the development arena. Looking for the quick buck rather than quality.

I just saw a game, made by literally, one man. That was here on PC, came to Xbox, and you have SP and MP, Hour long missions in numerous campaigns.

Third and First Person. MP and SP. Map Editor. State of the art pathing for AI. You can be infantry, drive a tank, a plane, you name it, SP and MP. All for 8 usd. Yes, 8.

The graphics aren't great, but i went to the reviews here, and at Xbox, and folks are literally dumbfounded, how one man, can do all of that.

Great reviews, and was at the Top 20 Xbox Most PAID Games. Meaning, that one dude, sold a ton, and rightfully so.

And so, now i'm looking at the billion dollar companies. How in the living hell, can one dude from Italy, make such a game, yet, they all whiff out, with teams on the credits, the size of a huge motion picture?

It's a bad scene, and unfortunately you may find that one diamond in the ruff, but it's not coming from AAA.

[Saïbaïman]

Messaggio originale di SlowMango:

The industry isn't crashing.

The original crash happened because video games were seen as a commodity and the amount of games/consoles that lacked any type of quality control.

Since then, gaming and gaming development have not only become cheaper(relatively speaking) but have also expanded greatly. It's much too easy for anyone to pick up development tools and make a game for there to be an industry-wide crash.

You are wrong, game developpment has become too expansive and Business Insider did an article on it.
Concerning the expansion... I said it earlier: no great new concept of gaming excepted VR emerged

"The video game industry is in trouble. Here's why."
Peter Kafka - Business Insider
Feb 1, 2024

[Yasahi]

I guess you missed Palworld and Helldivers 2 launches. Those two alone are proof that the industry isn't crashing.

Just because the latest Ubisoft/EA/Blizzard trope isn't selling like hot cakes does not mean that the industry is crashing. We're still getting lots of excellent games in multiple genres. Some from bigger studios and some from indie ones. If anything, the indie ones have been doing a really nice job lately.

[Saïbaïman]

Messaggio originale di Yasahi:

I guess you missed Palworld and Helldivers 2 launches. Those two alone are proof that the industry isn't crashing.

Just because the latest Ubisoft/EA/Blizzard trope isn't selling like hot cakes does not mean that the industry is crashing. We're still getting lots of excellent games in multiple genres. Some from bigger studios and some from indie ones. If anything, the indie ones have been doing a really nice job lately.

I am assuming the industry is going into a crash because new good&complete games releases can be count on one hand...
yes there are some exceptions... 2... and still you have to consider replayability for those two games for instance.
I was very hyped by Helldiver, then after viewing some video I felt it is very repetitive and without goal, but I may be wrong.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Messaggio originale di Saïbaïman:

Messaggio originale di SlowMango:

The industry isn't crashing.

The original crash happened because video games were seen as a commodity and the amount of games/consoles that lacked any type of quality control.

Since then, gaming and gaming development have not only become cheaper(relatively speaking) but have also expanded greatly. It's much too easy for anyone to pick up development tools and make a game for there to be an industry-wide crash.

You are wrong, game developpment has become too expansive and Business Insider did an article on it.
Concerning the expansion... I said it earlier: no great new concept of gaming excepted VR emerged

"The video game industry is in trouble. Here's why."
Peter Kafka - Business Insider
Feb 1, 2024

AAA game development is not all game development.

It has never been easier for an indie dev to create and release a game.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Messaggio originale di Saïbaïman:

Messaggio originale di Yasahi:

I guess you missed Palworld and Helldivers 2 launches. Those two alone are proof that the industry isn't crashing.

Just because the latest Ubisoft/EA/Blizzard trope isn't selling like hot cakes does not mean that the industry is crashing. We're still getting lots of excellent games in multiple genres. Some from bigger studios and some from indie ones. If anything, the indie ones have been doing a really nice job lately.

I am assuming the industry is going into a crash because new good&complete games releases can be count on one hand...
yes there are some exceptions... 2... and still you have to consider replayability for those two games for instance.
I was very hyped by Helldiver, then after viewing some video I felt it is very repetitive and without goal, but I may be wrong.

Way more than 2.

Those are just the most recent examples. BG3 is another big wrench in the doomspeak.

[Saïbaïman]

Messaggio originale di SlowMango:

It has never been easier for an indie dev to create and release a game.

Yes you're right on that point.

But indy games are mostly very short and lack of content because of their limited means.

If a redemption is possible, it will be from indies... but they are stuck in a vicious circle since years: no money, no commercial, no dynamic or will to hire and improve the game to push it higher in content and longevity (some does, but very very few)

I already put my trust in a few indies games, and most of the time they become abandonware after a year or two

[Boblin the Goblin]

Messaggio originale di Saïbaïman:

Messaggio originale di SlowMango:

It has never been easier for an indie dev to create and release a game.

Yes you're right on that point.

But indy games are mostly very short and lack of content because of their limited means.

If a redemption is possible, it will be from indies... but they are stuck in a vicious circle since years: no money, no commercial, no dynamic or will to hire and improve the game to push it higher in content and longevity (some does, but very very few)

I already put my trust in a few indies games, and most of the time they become abandonware after a year or two

This is also not true.

Plenty of indie games have loads of content for their price. Even without marketing budgets, many undies have exploded.

A big recent example is Lethal Company.

[Saïbaïman]

I played BG3, I love this kind of games, but I got bored about it (maybe because it is a solo game, and when it relies to RPG I prefer mmo's and live players'cooperation and pvp)

But I recognize BG3 is a real success.
That makes three. :D

of course there are still good games, but I feel there are less of it than before which limits considerably the offer for old players like me ;)

I am still keeping an eye on future releases too...let's hope some pearls will continue to appear

[Boblin the Goblin]

Messaggio originale di Saïbaïman:

I played BG3, I love this kind of games, but I got bored about it (maybe because it is a solo game, and when it relies to RPG I prefer mmo's and live players'cooperation and pvp)

But I recognize BG3 is a real success.
That makes three. :D

of course there are still good games, but I feel there are less of it than before which limits considerably the offer for old players like me ;)

Paying attention to only AAA games will make it seem like that.

90% of my library isn't AAA games for a reason. It still contains new releases though.

[pulserated]

game industry crashing??!