Re: Can Games Get Any Better (2024 Ed)

On 3/24/2024 11:15 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sun, 24 Mar 2024 09:05:35 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
 

On 23/03/2024 15:00, Mike S. wrote:

I do NOT think games are better or worse now then they were in the
past. I prefer older games but I always believed this was just because
of my own personal preferences and not because games themselves  have
gotten worse. There have always been good games and bad games. I don't
think that is ever going to change.
>
The biggest change I have noticed these days I think is that big
developers no longer take chances. This is not necessarily a bad thing
though, because the more innovative titles have just moved  over to
smaller indie devs. This is just a switch to me, not a decline. From
what I can see, there are so many types of games to choose from, you
should be able to find something that appeals to you. At least on the
PC side of things.

>
I think that in some ways they are better and in some worse. The big
budget space seems to have very much stagnated in terms of gameplay and
gone backwards in terms of innovative overall. As you say innovative and
risk adverse don't really go together. I'd also add that part of gaming
in this space that I think has got significantly worse is the wide scale
introduction of MTX. You want me to pay £60 for a game and then expect
me pay even more money if I want an enjoyable game experience, I think
I'll pass on that. I do remember thinking many years ago that one day we
might move from where gameplay was the core and a finical model was
attached to it (we think you'll enjoy this game so give us some money
for it) to a finical model which the gameplay was just there to support.
To me, that's now happened.
>
The part I very much agree with is that the innovation has just moved,
or was always there, to medium/small studios and in many ways I think
there it has improved with the range of games easily available to play.
Indeed it's possible that they tripe-A developers have done me a favour
by 'encouraging' me to explore new types of games. Is that something I
should thank Bobby 'I may look like a potato with a face draw on it but
I'm rich' Kotick?
>

 This more or less coincides with my own thoughts.
 Overall, I think that there /has/ been improvement in the industry.
Yes, the triple-A publishers are absolutely stuck in a rut; they never
take chances, prefering sequels and remakes over anything even
slightly resembling something new and unproven. And yes, the low
cost-of-entry for Indies means that we are seeing a lot of clones of
existing games.

Sequels that are online only, often mobile, and filled with MTX.  In that regard worse.  Diablo IV, Fallout '76, and others.
-Justisaur
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