This is why I only play indie games (and Nintendo) at this point. Amazing, original games are still being made, just not by any of the big studios. Same goes for movies.
Yeah, the videogame industry has been on a weird spot the last decade and a half.
The console generation that got me into gaming was the PS3 / XBOX 360 era, because it had the game originality of the previous generation, with the technology of the next generation, a perfect sweetspot between the real and digital world, wich a lot of people have nostalgia today of the culture of the early 2000's.
What scares me is, what kind of new bussiness model big developers will create to get more money in the future? if games are designed purposefully to waste the people who play them, how is a game in the next decade gonna look like? i dont think that the philosophy of "fun first" is gonna be on their list.
Seeing how big developers are now pivoting to downscaling games, i think we will head into an era of free to play games, with a lot of less content, with a lot of even more predatory monetization (even wilder that we have today, or even, a whole new system created from scratch like a new version of the battlepasses of today, or lootboxes).
I always enjoy hearing your thoughts on vidya games, Luke. I recently played The Last of Us Part 2, and its linear, narrative-driven design was a refreshing change from all the open-world slop out there. If you haven't played it yet, I highly recommend it. I think it does pretty fascinating things with video game storytelling.
Go grab Silksong for 20 bucks, and restore your faith in feeling wonder at exploring a game's world. Truly magnificent slab of gaming art, and not a micro transaction in sight. ❤️
Thank you for this very insightful article. I feel like Origins was fine and the overall quality of the open world RPG formula started to worsen starting with Odyssee, only to reach its logical conclusion with Valhalla, which I agree was extremely tedious and bloated. Mirage was a nice break with a much smaller scope and it seems Ubi learned their lesson with Shadows. Its open world is huge but you have to uncover locations progressively and synchronizing doesn't unlock a plethora of interest points all at once, so it keeps the exploration somehow fresh I feel like. There's also no panoptical bird allowing you to scan places anymore. One of the two characters has X-ray vision, though. But overall it's less of a mental overload/real-life job like chore.
The Witcher games apparently have some depth beyond the chores (need to revisit, I found the combat/spell system too much to handle). RDR2 is great but that was a while ago. The bigger open world games just keep getting worse. I’m actually surprised that Madden hasn’t added commercials by now.
Lost was hardly a pioneer of that sort of bait and switch entertainment. I recognized all the signs early on without even watching any of it, avoided it during the height of its popularity, and was ultimately vindicated. I knew this because I’d been burned by lesser known shows following a similar formula a decade or more before Lost arrived.
Your main point is solid, though I think it’s mostly a AAA disease, and fairly specific to Western studios for now. It’s a good reason to take a closer look at AAs and Indie titles. Gamers have caught on; consider the massive success of Indie smash hit Hollow Knight 2.
I think games have been been in sort of a gilded age for a while; this year has especially highlighted the fact that, when it comes to AAA games, there are very few that end up critically acclaimed. Indies and AA have been keeping the "soul" of gaming afloat for quite a few years now. Nimble teams are capturing the attention and popularity of larger projects. There is also the fact that older games are more popular than ever. And what we've been observing for years is that big MBA CEOs chase a superficial and oversaturated market with an absolutely soulless approach to creating art. Instead, they choose to spend 300 million dollars on shoveling projects resembling half of a burnt steak and then put their hand out to sell us the other half.
I’ve actually never played it, though my brother is a fan. It looks pretty good though, and if people are still playing it so many years on I reckon that means it has a lot more going on in it than any AC game does.
This is why I only play indie games (and Nintendo) at this point. Amazing, original games are still being made, just not by any of the big studios. Same goes for movies.
Yeah, the videogame industry has been on a weird spot the last decade and a half.
The console generation that got me into gaming was the PS3 / XBOX 360 era, because it had the game originality of the previous generation, with the technology of the next generation, a perfect sweetspot between the real and digital world, wich a lot of people have nostalgia today of the culture of the early 2000's.
What scares me is, what kind of new bussiness model big developers will create to get more money in the future? if games are designed purposefully to waste the people who play them, how is a game in the next decade gonna look like? i dont think that the philosophy of "fun first" is gonna be on their list.
Seeing how big developers are now pivoting to downscaling games, i think we will head into an era of free to play games, with a lot of less content, with a lot of even more predatory monetization (even wilder that we have today, or even, a whole new system created from scratch like a new version of the battlepasses of today, or lootboxes).
But well, a man can dream of a better world...
I always enjoy hearing your thoughts on vidya games, Luke. I recently played The Last of Us Part 2, and its linear, narrative-driven design was a refreshing change from all the open-world slop out there. If you haven't played it yet, I highly recommend it. I think it does pretty fascinating things with video game storytelling.
Cheers. I know my brother is a fan as well, so I’m well past due when it comes to checking it out
Go grab Silksong for 20 bucks, and restore your faith in feeling wonder at exploring a game's world. Truly magnificent slab of gaming art, and not a micro transaction in sight. ❤️
Thank you for this very insightful article. I feel like Origins was fine and the overall quality of the open world RPG formula started to worsen starting with Odyssee, only to reach its logical conclusion with Valhalla, which I agree was extremely tedious and bloated. Mirage was a nice break with a much smaller scope and it seems Ubi learned their lesson with Shadows. Its open world is huge but you have to uncover locations progressively and synchronizing doesn't unlock a plethora of interest points all at once, so it keeps the exploration somehow fresh I feel like. There's also no panoptical bird allowing you to scan places anymore. One of the two characters has X-ray vision, though. But overall it's less of a mental overload/real-life job like chore.
The Witcher games apparently have some depth beyond the chores (need to revisit, I found the combat/spell system too much to handle). RDR2 is great but that was a while ago. The bigger open world games just keep getting worse. I’m actually surprised that Madden hasn’t added commercials by now.
Lost was hardly a pioneer of that sort of bait and switch entertainment. I recognized all the signs early on without even watching any of it, avoided it during the height of its popularity, and was ultimately vindicated. I knew this because I’d been burned by lesser known shows following a similar formula a decade or more before Lost arrived.
Your main point is solid, though I think it’s mostly a AAA disease, and fairly specific to Western studios for now. It’s a good reason to take a closer look at AAs and Indie titles. Gamers have caught on; consider the massive success of Indie smash hit Hollow Knight 2.
I think games have been been in sort of a gilded age for a while; this year has especially highlighted the fact that, when it comes to AAA games, there are very few that end up critically acclaimed. Indies and AA have been keeping the "soul" of gaming afloat for quite a few years now. Nimble teams are capturing the attention and popularity of larger projects. There is also the fact that older games are more popular than ever. And what we've been observing for years is that big MBA CEOs chase a superficial and oversaturated market with an absolutely soulless approach to creating art. Instead, they choose to spend 300 million dollars on shoveling projects resembling half of a burnt steak and then put their hand out to sell us the other half.
Very interesting - how do you feel about Skyrim?
I’ve actually never played it, though my brother is a fan. It looks pretty good though, and if people are still playing it so many years on I reckon that means it has a lot more going on in it than any AC game does.
Took you two decades