Less salesmen, more nerds

[V O R K]

http://www.cracked.com/article_20727_5-reasons-video-game-industry-about-to-crash.html

 

what's your take?

[jayc3399]

Another fantastic piece from Cracked. And I have to agree, the quality of games coming out now, while fantastic in graphics is lacking in game play, we continually see a rehash of the same content over and over and its rather disappointing.

A few friends and I have started a document on google documenting changes to RuneScape that would help revive it and bring it back in, with a lot of the updates that have come out of late I've realized that the game designers at Jagex know things like this, they just aren't allowed/don't have the time/money to do it. And that all boils down to someone who knows nothing about game design and only wants to make loads of money being the leader ship.

 

In the end I do hope that there is a change in the gaming industry, I've long since argued that $65 for a game that is the same thing over and over is ridiculous and that is why I still support PC gaming, where more frequently you can find quality games for $30 or less.

 

 

As a note, I believe we are up to 30 pages, 10k words and 60k characters.

 

Also this could go into general discussion to actually see some content.

[Ginger_Warrior]

The PS4 is the fastest-selling console in UK history.

 

But yeah, it's all about to come crashing down guys.

[jayc3399]

The PS4 is the fastest-selling console in UK history.

 

But yeah, it's all about to come crashing down guys.

 

Just because people want to throw money at something doesn't mean it's sustainable.

 

PS4 also had an advantage this time in terms of price over the Xbox.

 

Not to mention the part about hardware upgrades/new renditions being a large part of the problem in the degradation of game quality.

[Alg]

what's your take?

I would not trust anything gaming-related from Cracked under any circumstances, simply because articles they've published about the topic in the past have been laughably inaccurate at best. Especially when they're trying to prove a point.

 

That's the nicest thing I can say about them.

[Veiva]

Although I disagree that the game industry is collapsing (at least, not right now), the way its going is not good for the consumer.

 

Forza for the Xbox One has you purchase a $60 game and then has pay to win transactions in it... yes, while you can grind for the cars, you are given option to buy them outright. I can only assume that grinding for the cars is gonna waste much more time than otherwise. Then there's Ryse... and probably a bunch more. PS4? I don't know--I haven't bothered to search, but I wouldn't be surprised.

 

Cost isn't the only problem. There's the idea that games must have ultra-realistic, 1080p@60FPS graphics to be worth the consumer's dime (whether or not the players care, I can't say). Where's style? I see most title games on the PS4/One try and be realistic. Why?

 

To be honest, even though I've grown a bit bitter with Nintendo, they are the only ones who aren't guilty of it. Imagine if Microsoft produced the latest Pokemon--"Buy any Pokemon you don't have for $0.99*!" Imagine if Super Mario 3D World was a Facebook game--"Five lives per day! Buy more when you run out, only $1.99!" Evidently they don't seek out top of the line graphics either--they use some things forgotten by most modern game producers: style. Super Mario Galaxy is beautiful, regardless of 480p or 1080p. But look at the Call of Duties on the Wii (and Wii U)--they're ugly as sin, because they try and be realistic on a platform that doesn't have that power.

 

On an aside, I'm developing a game. It's going to have an hour, maybe two, of gameplay. And guess what? It'll run at 24 FPS (there's a stylistic reason for that). There's going to be plenty of style, no hand holding, etc. There will be more substance in this two-hour game than the first two-hours of many recent games out (because in those two hours, you'll just have finished the tutorial!). And you know why? Because I can get away with it. I'm not being forced to make this game by some businessman.

 

I do believe indie* games are the future at this rate. Not AAA game studios, who only want to milk the consumer's last dime.

 

*: Indie also doesn't mean 2 people in a basement. Basically, by 'indie' I mean 'no giant publisher breathing down your neck. Also, freedom to do whatever you want.'

[Dizzle229]

I don't think the industry is crashing. I think it SHOULD be, but it doesn't because for whatever reason, no matter how bad it gets, people still keep buying this crap.

[Riku3220]

I don't think the industry is going to crash, but I do think that what the big publishers are doing is destructive to their relationship with consumers. With things like day 1 DLC or online passes they've effectively allowed themselves to release incomplete games, then they get to ask us for more money to get a slightly more complete version. I understand why though. I can't hate businesses for being businesses when their goal is profit. I just wish that they wouldn't rush to release half made games (GTA5) or charge $15 for 3 new maps that were probably done before the game even came out (CoD).  I love the concept of DLC but it's just not working like it should be.

[nine naked men]

a bunch of valid issues that will in no way result in the crash of the videogame industry

 

with the prevalence of indie game studies, ways to fund yr game that aren't going to a big studio (kickstarter, mainly), and ways to get it out to a bigger audience than it would normally (stuff like the humble bundle, steam greenlight), the big developers may (may) falter but there'll always be people to pick up the slack.

[Estonian dude]

The whole industry is not going to crash. People love video games too much for it.

The big publishers going to crash? That is inevitable. That has already started with THQ. But there are always new ones to take their space.

And "indies" are always going to keep the industry up, in the billions of dollars.

[Kimberly]

The PS4 is the fastest-selling console in UK history.

 

But yeah, it's all about to come crashing down guys.

Home ownership skyrocketed just before the housing collapse. That's the reason why that particular observation is absolutely useless.

 

The whole industry is not going to crash. People love video games too much for it.

The big publishers going to crash? That is inevitable. That has already started with THQ. But there are always new ones to take their space.

And "indies" are always going to keep the industry up, in the billions of dollars.

Indie devs aren't getting the attention they need on consoles even with this gen's "new support" of them; a much-needed thing since consoles still account for a large percentage of gamers right now. The sooner big game publishers crash in their attempts to over monetize videogaming and console makers start courting those indie devs more, then we'll actually see indie games propping the industry up. Then, and not before.

[Ginger_Warrior]

Is it any more useless than an article which basically, in simple terms, screams "I'm sick to death of the major devs trying to maximize profit, but thank God they're about to meet their demise because I'm Indie 4 lyf" and yet doesn't provide a single scrap of evidence to back it up?

 

At the very most, all you can argue is they're both as bad as each other. Which flatters your side of argument about as much as it does mine.

[Giordano]

The article is decent at explaining its theory but the article compares the upcoming crash to the one in 1983. Video games back then was small and had to compete with so much other forms of entertainment, it was easy to loose interest.

 

Now it's very large and people have some sort of mentality that entertainment mostly comes from electronic/digital devices: cell phones, movies, games, TV, etc. I feel video games have too much importance in people's entertainment.

[V O R K]

I don't think the industry is going to crash, but I do think that what the big publishers are doing is destructive to their relationship with consumers. With things like day 1 DLC or online passes they've effectively allowed themselves to release incomplete games, then they get to ask us for more money to get a slightly more complete version. I understand why though. I can't hate businesses for being businesses when their goal is profit. I just wish that they wouldn't rush to release half made games (GTA5) or charge $15 for 3 new maps that were probably done before the game even came out (CoD).  I love the concept of DLC but it's just not working like it should be.

 

Freemium is a term I picked up from these forums not too long ago and it has been haunting me ever since.

 

@jayc good to know there are still people out there who care :)!

 

@alg: cracked is lulz

 

@Veiva: Tekken: Revolution is another harrowing example of the meaningless grind and buy your way to the top-mentality :(... horrifying!

 

The lot: Indeed, I don't think the game industry will ever crash nontheless i'm curious of the future and what it will bring :o