The state of the industry - according to Teh Nihilist
- Thread starter Tinman
- Start date
jasong
New member
Well.. I'm not sure that the state of gaming is as bad as all that. Look, the last few years' aggregated critical reviews have been higher than any other time in history. Games like RDR, Bayonetta, Mario Galaxy 2, Mass Effect 2 - some of them are sequels, but they're still pushing the envelope in terms of gameplay innovation and production quality. And then you have a thriving independent scene driven by content delivery systems like Xbox live, PSN, Steam, Wiiware, iPhone OS - smaller devs are able to make a decent enough income on avant-garde experimental stuff - and if you want something aside from another Modern Warfare, that's where you have to look. Not to mention the modding scene being alive and kicking. All in all it's a very healthy outlook. The only area where I feel there is some cause for concern is in the PC hardcore games - devs are just vanishing from the PC.
tehNihilist
New member
I think the industry has moved passed some of us. They are now making games for a younger audience who want their games fast an furious - launching Abombs from their asses every second. There was SO much more I wanted to touch on in the article, like the indie titles, but lacked the space.
As for the list you mention jasong I agree with games like Mario Galaxy 2, but not so much for the rest. The other games offer little more than refinement of what has been done, topped with a nice cherry of high production values. They are certainly fun, but it seems these kinds of games is all I get to choose from now.
Handhelds I wish I could comment on, and I agree, they seem to be getting some nice titles on them. It is like all the Asian devs decided instead of going this gen (PS3 360 Wii). They then stayed with last gen tech and pushed it into the handhelds just to be ahead of the game. I have seen some great JRPGs on them. And highly considering PSP or DS.
"Here sir, we have on the menu - Action game with light RPG elements, drizzled with a lot of talking (GOOD/BAD Choice), with some awkward s3x on the side".
"And over here. Our special is a Western Themed dish, it looks like there's a lot to the dish, but it is all hollow calories. Eat as much as you want".
But you get the idea.
As for Indie games, some really seem to show great potential, but will they ever be allowed to take that originality forward into a AAA title? Not sure about that.
Right now the majority of gamers want one thing - ACTION! EXPLOSHIONS! And friends to skip along with while High-Five-ing each other.
The industry make a large jump from previous gen games to the state it is in now. It seems for the masses they hit the nail on the head, but there are some of us left wondering what to do now. Personally I just carry on, no real biggy. I carry on complaining every so often and still getting enjoyment out of games. Just not at the level many do these days.
*Note* Don't write replies when you are on a sleeping pill. So I apologize for mistakes and the like.
As for the list you mention jasong I agree with games like Mario Galaxy 2, but not so much for the rest. The other games offer little more than refinement of what has been done, topped with a nice cherry of high production values. They are certainly fun, but it seems these kinds of games is all I get to choose from now.
Handhelds I wish I could comment on, and I agree, they seem to be getting some nice titles on them. It is like all the Asian devs decided instead of going this gen (PS3 360 Wii). They then stayed with last gen tech and pushed it into the handhelds just to be ahead of the game. I have seen some great JRPGs on them. And highly considering PSP or DS.
"Here sir, we have on the menu - Action game with light RPG elements, drizzled with a lot of talking (GOOD/BAD Choice), with some awkward s3x on the side".
"And over here. Our special is a Western Themed dish, it looks like there's a lot to the dish, but it is all hollow calories. Eat as much as you want".
But you get the idea.
As for Indie games, some really seem to show great potential, but will they ever be allowed to take that originality forward into a AAA title? Not sure about that.
Right now the majority of gamers want one thing - ACTION! EXPLOSHIONS! And friends to skip along with while High-Five-ing each other.
The industry make a large jump from previous gen games to the state it is in now. It seems for the masses they hit the nail on the head, but there are some of us left wondering what to do now. Personally I just carry on, no real biggy. I carry on complaining every so often and still getting enjoyment out of games. Just not at the level many do these days.
*Note* Don't write replies when you are on a sleeping pill. So I apologize for mistakes and the like.
Last edited:
Strifehart
New member
Mostly agree with the article.
Gaming has become such a chore for me as of late. It's like the core "fun" of the games are missing. Sure I absolutely LOVED God of War 3, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2, etc. However I'm simply not left with that "lingering" sense of satisfaction I had when I was younger. Perhaps it's just a side effect of being a working class hero, perhaps not.
More and more I'm playing games because I "have" to, not because I want to. I dunno, perhaps it's just to also have a say in the general conversation that's going on these days. Perhaps it's just to have the experience, I honestly don't know what my motivations are these days.
I picked up the missus' NDS 2 nights ago and started playing some New Super Mario Bros. Mentally it's about as challenging as breathing, but you know what ... I'm actually having a blast.
It's almost like gaming in general has become too "srs bizniz" and a lot less fun.
Gaming has become such a chore for me as of late. It's like the core "fun" of the games are missing. Sure I absolutely LOVED God of War 3, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2, etc. However I'm simply not left with that "lingering" sense of satisfaction I had when I was younger. Perhaps it's just a side effect of being a working class hero, perhaps not.
More and more I'm playing games because I "have" to, not because I want to. I dunno, perhaps it's just to also have a say in the general conversation that's going on these days. Perhaps it's just to have the experience, I honestly don't know what my motivations are these days.
I picked up the missus' NDS 2 nights ago and started playing some New Super Mario Bros. Mentally it's about as challenging as breathing, but you know what ... I'm actually having a blast.
It's almost like gaming in general has become too "srs bizniz" and a lot less fun.