YeulEmeralda
Member
Lets put it this way: CP2077 did not dethrone Deus Ex.
How long should they be allowed to make money? If they create a skin and people buy it, when should they stop selling it and start giving it away?The thing that bites me the most about microtransactions is that the developer does the work on the skin or whatever it is once and then just keeps collecting all this money from microtransactions indefinitely, when they shouldnt be making additional revenue off of it. It's a scummy business model. In extreme cases, like EA, microtransactions are blatantly abused and borderline scam territory. (loot boxes, 'surprise mechanics' and all this nonsense justification)
I have the exact opposite opinion in a lot of ways. I feel like games by and large have gotten much much better - at least single player ones, but it’s stagnated a bit so there isn’t as much innovation as there used to be. But overall I’d say quality is higher in spite of the bullshit that comes with it like micro transactions and patches - but those don’t really fuck with me as I don’t care enoughI feel like games these days seem to be hella recycled, boring experiences - the same shit reskinned again and again for the same (if not higher) price tag. Perhaps its because im like 25 now and I've seen my fair share, so it's not as exciting anymore, but maybe its also just because the quality of them has decreased?
Developers also seem to be more afraid to go out on a limb and take risks, resulting in games that play it way too safe. One thing I noticed is that usually developers will try a few things, find something that works, and then milk the fuck out of it. But then they don't make better games - once they have their cash cow you'd think they'd be like "ok great we solved the money problem, now lets make some good shit" - but they dont even seem to in a lot of cases.
Maybe that's a shot at capitalism, but it's funny you know because when you start a business, your funds are low and you're trying to cultivate something amazing, and by the time you finally see success youve just become heinously greedy and creatively bankrupt. This isnt just a reality for the videogame industry either, it happens all over. The world in general is a more insane place than most people realize outside their sheltered reality.
Overall, I feel the following is the sad reality/issues with video games in 2021:
I recognize that some of these issues are due to the way business goes and economical pressures on both the consumer and business' side, but the overall state of things is concerning.
- Microtransactions are everywhere and they're being accepted by docile consumers (and/or ignorant younger people) who are not choosing with their wallet, further perpetuating the problem
- Certain developers appear to be hacking gamers for $$$ and getting away with it, while no one acknowledges what is happening before their eyes
- New games are often recycled hot garbage thats hyped to the moon and back (but never lives up to it's expectations)
- Video games dont even ship complete anymore, content is cut from the disc or original offering and then being offered later as DLC, or worse, it's being left on the disc and then unlocked after the initial purchase with yet another purchase
- Console gamers have to pay monthly to play online (when they already pay for internet - yes i know this isnt a new thing, but its always been bullshit)
- Video games are hitting prices far too high for the average consumer to realistically want to buy more than a couple a year
- Fewer games are developed each year, and the ones that are play it incredibly safe to ensure profits aren't low
- Games/writers are now injecting political and social agendas into video games
- Developers are pandering to anything that makes anyone uncomfortable and completely blunting any apparent edginess to appeal more to a larger audience (devs are legitimately afraid to be edgy in today's world as apposed to two or three generations ago)
- Every developer seems to want you to have and use their own marketplace and app launcher so they can make more $$$ and profile you harder, forcing consumers to install trash they dont want just to even play games
- Developers skimp on substance and instead make everything hella shiny/explosive in an attempt to overstimulate the player and 'wow' them (because explosions and shiny things are entertaining, right?) - a general over-focus on graphical fidelity and how it looks rather than how it plays
- Games ship broken with many bugs - developers release day 1 patches to supposedly fix the issues, but the patches dont even fix the issues in some cases (why not just fix the issues before launching the game, the fuck?) resulting in consumers getting a shitty experience that is in some cases unplayable (and effectively being scammed)
- And more that's not coming to mind right now
Does anyone feel like most games aren't living up to their hype and or expectations? At what point do you think the shift happened? IMO there seems to be many industry wide issues that aren't really being addressed, or companies aren't being held accountable. What could be done to resolve these issues?
Discuss.
Excuse any poor formatting/weird continuity issues, this is just a bunch of thoughts dumped onto a page.
Exactly what you said, games in the west are playing it too safe as to not hurt anyone's fee fees. Thing is, that destroys creativity and the restriction of freedom creates a bland game. They don't seem to realise this.I feel like games these days seem to be hella recycled, boring experiences - the same shit reskinned again and again for the same (if not higher) price tag. Perhaps its because im like 25 now and I've seen my fair share, so it's not as exciting anymore, but maybe its also just because the quality of them has decreased?
Developers also seem to be more afraid to go out on a limb and take risks, resulting in games that play it way too safe. One thing I noticed is that usually developers will try a few things, find something that works, and then milk the fuck out of it. But then they don't make better games - once they have their cash cow you'd think they'd be like "ok great we solved the money problem, now lets make some good shit" - but they dont even seem to in a lot of cases.
Maybe that's a shot at capitalism, but it's funny you know because when you start a business, your funds are low and you're trying to cultivate something amazing, and by the time you finally see success youve just become heinously greedy and creatively bankrupt. This isnt just a reality for the videogame industry either, it happens all over. The world in general is a more insane place than most people realize outside their sheltered reality.
Overall, I feel the following is the sad reality/issues with video games in 2021:
I recognize that some of these issues are due to the way business goes and economical pressures on both the consumer and business' side, but the overall state of things is concerning.
- Microtransactions are everywhere and they're being accepted by docile consumers (and/or ignorant younger people) who are not choosing with their wallet, further perpetuating the problem
- Certain developers appear to be hacking gamers for $$$ and getting away with it, while no one acknowledges what is happening before their eyes
- New games are often recycled hot garbage thats hyped to the moon and back (but never lives up to it's expectations)
- Video games dont even ship complete anymore, content is cut from the disc or original offering and then being offered later as DLC, or worse, it's being left on the disc and then unlocked after the initial purchase with yet another purchase
- Console gamers have to pay monthly to play online (when they already pay for internet - yes i know this isnt a new thing, but its always been bullshit)
- Video games are hitting prices far too high for the average consumer to realistically want to buy more than a couple a year
- Fewer games are developed each year, and the ones that are play it incredibly safe to ensure profits aren't low
- Games/writers are now injecting political and social agendas into video games
- Developers are pandering to anything that makes anyone uncomfortable and completely blunting any apparent edginess to appeal more to a larger audience (devs are legitimately afraid to be edgy in today's world as apposed to two or three generations ago)
- Every developer seems to want you to have and use their own marketplace and app launcher so they can make more $$$ and profile you harder, forcing consumers to install trash they dont want just to even play games
- Developers skimp on substance and instead make everything hella shiny/explosive in an attempt to overstimulate the player and 'wow' them (because explosions and shiny things are entertaining, right?) - a general over-focus on graphical fidelity and how it looks rather than how it plays
- Games ship broken with many bugs - developers release day 1 patches to supposedly fix the issues, but the patches dont even fix the issues in some cases (why not just fix the issues before launching the game, the fuck?) resulting in consumers getting a shitty experience that is in some cases unplayable (and effectively being scammed)
- And more that's not coming to mind right now
Does anyone feel like most games aren't living up to their hype and or expectations? At what point do you think the shift happened? IMO there seems to be many industry wide issues that aren't really being addressed, or companies aren't being held accountable. What could be done to resolve these issues?
Discuss.
Excuse any poor formatting/weird continuity issues, this is just a bunch of thoughts dumped onto a page.
There are quite a few personal favorites that haven't been surpassed:
Super Metroid (only Metroid Prime and SOTN comes close. Maybe Axiom Verge too. Some more recent Castlevania games on GBA/DS are OK. Bloodstained was just OK)
Dungeon Keeper (any similar modern game was inferior for me)
Zelda - Majora's Mask (the time loop is unique and the dark atmosphere also elevates this more than any other Zelda game)
SMW2: Yoshi's Island (still the best 2D platformer)
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (the 2nd best 2D platformer IMO)
TMNT 4 (SNES)/Streets of Rage 2 (still the best beat-em-ups)
Starcraft 1 (single player campaign is magnitudes better than SC2)
Red Alert 2 (still the best RTS overall imo)
F-Zero X/GX (where are the modern futuristic racers? The indy ones also kinda suck)
DOOM/QUAKE/Duke Nukem 3D/DOOM 64 (the labyrinthine "puzzle" like level design is dead. Some indies are trying to emulate this but they are not as good)
F.E.A.R (still the best AI in a shooter)
Sega Rally/Daytona USA/Colin Mcrae 2.0-3.0-2005/Rallisport Challenge/Outrun 2006 (where are the 60fps arcade racers now?)
Anno 1404 (it's still the best Anno/city builder IMO)
System Shock 2 (Bioshock and PREY were great. But i don't think they were better)
REmake (still the best Resident Evil game)
Rogue Leader (still the best Star War game)
Baldur's Gate 2 (what's the modern equivalent? Are they as good?)
Diablo 1/2 (same as above)
Advance wars series (GBA and DS, so they are old. anything similar now that is as good?)
Silent Hill 2/3 (nuff said)
Portal/Portal2/Talos Principle (haven't seen something as good lately)
I don't think these older games have been surpassed in the last couple of generations. Though some like Portal 2, Anno and Talos could be considered modern games but oh, well. Talos is still a 6 year old game.
If you think that's "nostalgia" you'd be wrong. Some of those games i played well after they were considered old. I played System Shock 2 after Bioshock and i still liked it more. Same with Duke Nukem 3D. I'm enjoying it more than any modern FPS right now. There's even a DOOM mega wad released in 2007 (Knee-Deep in zDOOM) which is like a remake of the original DOOM's first episode and even that i enjoyed way more than any FPS i played the last, dunno, 10 years?
Most of the games in that list are just the same think over and over. I look over at what a buggy mess and a terrible frame rate The Getway had and yet people here moan about Cyberpunk .Yup, games are getting worse especially AAA Western games, also gaming companies are making games with no risk at all, just the same game over and over. i miss when Sony used to publish all of these soulful diverse games.
All those games have new and better entries this gen. I’m gonna suppose that you are on your early 20s because I can tell you for sure that I played way before those games similar or even better. There are even games on there that meant the dismiss of the franchise.Well, let’s see how playing AAA was not so long before. Before before Kinect, “the consoles are dead” and the dreaded GaaS.
Welly… welly… Wellington. I’d seem you do can judge the state of an industry by the output of that industry. Shocking.
1) All of this games were a novelty in the year they came out. Now many are a derivative carcass to keep milking the IP. 2) I wasn’t implying that they were better that generation but the point where the industry stoped to care, and that AAA once were risky and varied. 3) Please show me the better version of Halo 3 or Mass Effect 2 or Dead Space which I can buy this generation. That’d be so awesome. 4) I’m forty.All those games have new and better entries this gen. I’m gonna suppose that you are on your early 20s because I can tell you for sure that I played way before those games similar or even better. There are even games on there that meant the dismiss of the franchise.
On the flip side, you may not actually see a lot of content like that if it weren't for micro-transactions. You are making the assumption that if micro-transactions didn't exist, this content would ship with the final game. Many games that we bought during the PS1-2 era, were a single package, one and done experience but we have no idea if those experiences could have expanded if the market and infrastructure was there.The majority of people don't like them, atleast that I've talked to - I havent heard many good things. I think developers started offering them to test the waters, people accepted them and eventually it's evolved and become a standard (but predatory) practice. Disregard the characterization, and their prevelance remains.
The problem is that a lot of people dont see the issue with it. The reality is that you end up buying these expensive ass games with less actual content, and then paying more over time to get all these dumb skins or other things which should already be included in the game in the first place. It's actually very anti-consumer the way it is handled, while under the veil of being 'additional content' to not seem as scummy as it really is.
The thing that bites me the most about microtransactions is that the developer does the work on the skin or whatever it is once and then just keeps collecting all this money from microtransactions indefinitely, when they shouldnt be making additional revenue off of it. It's a scummy business model. In extreme cases, like EA, microtransactions are blatantly abused and borderline scam territory. (loot boxes, 'surprise mechanics' and all this nonsense justification)
I don't think games get shittier, I think we've just been there, done that. We are not as hungry as we used to.
We are coming off an incredible rush, 3D games are not an unknown frontier anymore and graphics don't "wow" us as easy. Doesn't mean there is nothing that could be innovated on, or still improved. It's just an increasingly risky venture for studios and publishers in comparison to the relative safe by the books games.
The way we consume media has changed, too. When I was younger, I used to read gaming magazines all the time. It was the premiere way to get a glimpse of what comes next, infering what was going on through written words and screenshots. Now we have on demand videos, trailers, game coverage through a thousand different sources. There is a lesser sense of mistery regarding new products.
But we also have VR, which will kick off the whole 3D rush we saw with the OG Playstation/N64-era again. People just need to take the risk, invest and put on a headset themselves.
1) All of this games were a novelty in the year they came out. Now many are a derivative carcass to keep milking the IP. 2) I wasn’t implying that they were better that generation but the point where the industry stoped to care, and that AAA once were risky and varied. 3) Please show me the better version of Halo 3 or Mass Effect 2 or Dead Space which I can buy this generation. That’d be so awesome. 4) I’m forty.
This is the reason why i am considering Switch for a console, i'm waiting if they announce a revisiion. I do play on PC also, just not realy cinematic games or anything with many cutscenes.I’m enjoying games more than I have in almost 30 years because of the Nintendo Switch. I prefer shorter, less cinematic games. I’d rather watch movies than play a game that is trying to be like a movie. You just need to know what you like and look for it. It’s likely out there.
I'm sorry to hear that, and I'm glad I don't get it myself. Do you get motion sickness from every VR game you tried? What about games like Star Wars Squadrons, where you can be safely seated?You have the percentage of people though like me, however small that percentage is, that get bad motion sickness after playing VR. I was fine during it when i tried it, but after i took the headset off i felt horribly nauseous for almost 2 hrs. Until that factor is 100% or fairly close to that eliminated, i feel that VR will only ever be a niche thing.
I'm sorry to hear that, and I'm glad I don't get it myself. Do you get motion sickness from every VR game you tried? What about games like Star Wars Squadrons, where you can be safely seated?
I don't think VR is here to replace flat screen gaming, it's apples and oranges. But it's definitely something that still has a lot of the growth and excitement ahead of itself.
It's not and I can't repeat it often enough as someone who grew up with a Gamecube and Wii (I also played some PS1/N64 because my brothers had those, but they weren't my consoles). There are definitely games that do age poorly, but definitely not all games. I often go back to the PS1, Dreamcast, or Sega Genesis for example, and find a lot to like. Also, in many cases, trends change. Mechanics that were used industry-wide in the late '90s don't necessarily get used today. Often because those mechanics are dated. However, often it is because those mechanics aren't the trend anymore. How many developers for example tried to make another COD or Gears? Plenty! Are TPS and FPS prior to those games dated because they don't have fancy cover systems and aiming with iron sights? Hell no! I also think expectations play a role. Like when you are used to modern mechanics and then go back to a classic to find out it plays completely different so you deem it as a poorly aged P.O.S instead of, well, learning the mechanics and master them.Nostalgia certainly does play a factor when you're playing old games you're fond of, yes. But I dont think that's the complete story.
you are getting old. games are getting objectively better each year. if the best 2000 game was released today as it was everybody would hate it.
no achievements. no new content. no progression. awful graphics. awful animations. awful gameplay. awful ui. awful quality of life features. no patches fixing things
you may hate that it has became a real industry now instead of a couple of people making passion projects but that sounds like someone complaining about the beginning of hollywood in 1915
sorry but crunch time was even worse in the old days. the only people making games were basically the people that really wanted to and that means working all day.
Dude take a break. You're burned out. If you look at the quality of titles across all devices you'll realise that in terms of choice we have never had it better as gamers.I feel like games these days seem to be hella recycled, boring experiences - the same shit reskinned again and again for the same (if not higher) price tag. Perhaps its because im like 25 now and I've seen my fair share, so it's not as exciting anymore, but maybe its also just because the quality of them has decreased?
Developers also seem to be more afraid to go out on a limb and take risks, resulting in games that play it way too safe. One thing I noticed is that usually developers will try a few things, find something that works, and then milk the fuck out of it. But then they don't make better games - once they have their cash cow you'd think they'd be like "ok great we solved the money problem, now lets make some good shit" - but they dont even seem to in a lot of cases.
Maybe that's a shot at capitalism, but it's funny you know because when you start a business, your funds are low and you're trying to cultivate something amazing, and by the time you finally see success youve just become heinously greedy and creatively bankrupt. This isnt just a reality for the videogame industry either, it happens all over. The world in general is a more insane place than most people realize outside their sheltered reality.
Overall, I feel the following is the sad reality/issues with video games in 2021:
I recognize that some of these issues are due to the way business goes and economical pressures on both the consumer and business' side, but the overall state of things is concerning.
- Microtransactions are everywhere and they're being accepted by docile consumers (and/or ignorant younger people) who are not choosing with their wallet, further perpetuating the problem
- Certain developers appear to be hacking gamers for $$$ and getting away with it, while no one acknowledges what is happening before their eyes
- New games are often recycled hot garbage thats hyped to the moon and back (but never lives up to it's expectations)
- Video games dont even ship complete anymore, content is cut from the disc or original offering and then being offered later as DLC, or worse, it's being left on the disc and then unlocked after the initial purchase with yet another purchase
- Console gamers have to pay monthly to play online (when they already pay for internet - yes i know this isnt a new thing, but its always been bullshit)
- Video games are hitting prices far too high for the average consumer to realistically want to buy more than a couple a year
- Fewer games are developed each year, and the ones that are play it incredibly safe to ensure profits aren't low
- Games/writers are now injecting political and social agendas into video games
- Developers are pandering to anything that makes anyone uncomfortable and completely blunting any apparent edginess to appeal more to a larger audience (devs are legitimately afraid to be edgy in today's world as apposed to two or three generations ago)
- Every developer seems to want you to have and use their own marketplace and app launcher so they can make more $$$ and profile you harder, forcing consumers to install trash they dont want just to even play games
- Developers skimp on substance and instead make everything hella shiny/explosive in an attempt to overstimulate the player and 'wow' them (because explosions and shiny things are entertaining, right?) - a general over-focus on graphical fidelity and how it looks rather than how it plays
- Games ship broken with many bugs - developers release day 1 patches to supposedly fix the issues, but the patches dont even fix the issues in some cases (why not just fix the issues before launching the game, the fuck?) resulting in consumers getting a shitty experience that is in some cases unplayable (and effectively being scammed)
- And more that's not coming to mind right now
Does anyone feel like most games aren't living up to their hype and or expectations? At what point do you think the shift happened? IMO there seems to be many industry wide issues that aren't really being addressed, or companies aren't being held accountable. What could be done to resolve these issues?
Discuss.
Excuse any poor formatting/weird continuity issues, this is just a bunch of thoughts dumped onto a page.
So if I go back and play Super Mario World and enjoy it more than New Super Mario Bros. that's nostalgia. Gotcha!Go back and play your favourite games of all time, bet they ain't aged well. As you get older it's all nostalgia.
I agree, fallen order was a very bad game and one of the worst AAA games ever made. Masters of teras kasi was a better star wars game.Yes they are ... it’s not just nostalgia, it’s not just growing old.. it’s really simple actually. Games have hit that “ blockbuster movie” rut where it’s such big money invested now that everything is narrowed down to one simplistic formula that’s proven to extract the most money.