Gaming is Dead, and Here's Why

[tatripp]

I disagree with almost everything from this article. What I agree with is the section on microtransactions on DLC. Those suck (most of the time). DLC should be used to fix glitches that were not caught and to add more content. DLC should not be used to fix incomplete games for extra money.
Microtransactions just shouldn't exist.

 

[XDel]

While I don't think that Nintendo is part of this problem, I do think that the problem really began to take hold with the 360 and PS3 when gaming began to become more main stream and began to market to different demographics than before.

 

[Reecey]

My personal view on it all is? I don't think there will ever be a day as when the NES was first released and the very lucky few ones out there could actually go out and afford to buy one and take it home and play Duck Hunt or Super Mario Bros on the little 12inch, those days have gone in my opinion!!!. Lucky enough for me back then I won a competition in the Daily Express news paper, back when the NES was first released and also had a TV thrown into the prize, now my Mum & Dad managed to keep the box away until Christmas day for me, undercover and when Christmas day came and I was totally convinced it had not arrived and I was so disappointed I was so upset my day was ruined but my parents sprang the surprise on me later on in that day and when me and my older brother set it up and played Super Mario Bros, first level for the first time, it was like WOW!!! and that moment in my mind will never be beaten and matched! Its a great little true story that I shall cherish for the rest of my life also just wanted to say, the magic part about it all, I have still got the Daily Express letter today!

 

[Flame]

gaming is dead, long live gaming.




you know what killed gaming for people?

life and greed... we want thing more and more these days.. the best looking chick, with that sports car with a 6 figure salary. in reality all we have is pokemon and our R4 clones.

 

[AkiraCast]

This current gen is pretty much an extension of last gen, PS4 is PS3.5 and Bone is Xbox 360.5, Wii U could be argued to be Wii.5 but It's not even a console about the motion control anymore. Imo the Wii U is the only current gen console worth getting, it's the only one with games that are still all about gameplay and also no one gave Wonderful 101 the time of day and it's a brand spanking new IP

 

[Saturosias]

I seriously don't understand all this hate for FFXIII --- there's so much flak given just because of its linearity, yet I don't see anyone pointing out other major flaws with it; the characters aren't really less "deep" than previous ones and the story is typical "save the world" like the other Final Fantasy games. The paradigm battle system was executed quite well. Likewise, I don't see why people keep saying that FFVII is the "best final fantasy of all time"... it has not aged gracefully, at all, and there have irrefutably been improvements on the franchise since those times.

People can complain all they want about the "just mash x and grind to win" but truthfully you could do that in any Final Fantasy games. Not living up to your expectations =/= "worst game ever".

... also, having "Reporter" status doesn't mean everything you write should be front-paged.

 

[Mariko]

Anyone that knows me knows that I’ve been unfortunately busy with my life to seriously game anymore, but lately I have been feeling that I haven’t been missing much in the gaming world. I feel like gaming that I have known for the past decade is dead

Even though I did read your rant, I feel that this quote is as far as anyone would need to read to get the gist of it. Why? Here's how I would interpret the quoted text: I've had more important things to do in my life, as games aren't number one any more, and when I had some time off and nothing better to do, I decided to go back to gaming. Whoops! Looks like I'm not ten years old any more, and since I've been there and done that, nothing really gets me going. Here's what's wrong with the world, because there sure as hell is nothing wrong with me.

This happens a lot. People blame the industry, because what's easier than blaming someone for something that's not their fault? Seasoned gamers ale like drug addicts. They've been mesmerized by their drug of choice, and ever since then, they've been chasing that first high. The only problem is, it never comes. You look at young kids, having a complete blast, playing something you'd classify as "the worst games ever", and you wonder if you'll ever be that way again. Tough bananas. You won't be.

People focus way too much on sales charts, financial reports, metascores and all that bullshit. Did you even care who made the damn games, when you were having the time of your life playing games as a child? I know I didn't. Who gives two shits about Nintendo's financial situation? Pick up a game and play it. If you feel that there aren't any games out there that you feel drawn to, newsflash, you don't like games the way you used to. You can try and convince me that turd muffins are delicious, but I would never ever try one. Turd muffins aren't for me, and this is how I know I'm not a turd muffin person. Losing interest in games, and feeling that none of them appeal to me, would mean I'm not a games person.

The fact that you're 21 doesn't mean a thing. Maybe you've just experienced enough to start feeling the way you do about games? It's not the DLC, and it's not the console prices. It must be you, and it is you. Besides, you're obviously not the target audience, anyway. Neither are most of us. People keep saying Transformers movies are shit, but we're on a fourth one, and they've made millions upon millions of dollars. How did your favorite underground movie do? The one you feel deserves way more attention, because it more important than some CG robots. Exactly. Thank you. Good night.

 

[CathyRina]

I seriously don't understand all this hate for FFXIII --- there's so much flak given just because of its linearity, yet I don't see anyone pointing out other major flaws with it; the characters aren't really less "deep" than previous ones and the story is typical "save the world" like the other Final Fantasy games. The paradigm battle system was executed quite well. Likewise, I don't see why people keep saying that FFVII is the "best final fantasy of all time"... it has not aged gracefully, at all, and there have irrefutably been improvements on the franchise since those times.

People can complain all they want about the "just mash x and grind to win" but truthfully you could do that in any Final Fantasy games. Not living up to your expectations =/= "worst game ever".

It's not the worst game ever there is some quality value to it. The game looks pretty as fuck and those facial animations are really neato. unless we speak of the sequels of course, these don't even have the positives from XIII.
But the plot is really dumb. Our group of protagonists doesn't know what to do for about 60 Hours of the game and for the rest 20 hours decide to save the world by doing exactly what the enemy wanted them to do which leads cocoon to fall and some deus ex machina ragnarok bullshit turning into a crystal pillar. Characters like Hope and Sazh finished their tiny character development midgame and characters like Lightning, Fang, Vanille and Snow never had development to begin with. And in FFXIII the gameplay literally does everything for you. This could've been fixed if they only adding the "auto-choose" button on lower difficulties, but they didn't. They didn't even in the sequels. Because the game does give you the option to select manually. And if it was any other franchise people wouldn't care as much but we are talking about a big title like FF that sold well even though it's not great. And like with phill fish people probably only hate this game for its popularity.

 

[WiiCube_2013]

I've not lost all hope for the 8th generation consoles as they have physical games and potential to be great, although in terms of great games they are quite scarce unfortunately.

As it stands right now all my interest are on the games released for the Wii U and for what it's worth they're not really many, but they do provide hours of fun. I'm really hoping that in 2015/16 there'll be a must own game for me that's a PS4/XO exclusive.

Exclusives for me are what make a console worth owning.

 

[Steena]

Problem is always popularity. Once a thing goes mainstream, and the general public gets an interest to it just to bandwagon onto the new cool thing, that's where the exploiting and the bullshitting starts to become a core part of the industry.

The aforementioned category is also much easier to exploit on every level. Most non-enthusiasts just care about being 'in' and exclusively play what is popular, which must mean is an indication of universal quality; they don't want to dedicate the time to do research or acquire a taste of their own through playing a multitude of titles across several systems. They just grab the skyrim and the cod because gamestop advertised them the day they went in, and call it a day.

What you need to do is just look for developers who aren't out there to scam people or think about profit first, and quality later. Infact, I'm betting that a lot of people who claim "gaming is dead" don't even touch certain games because of petty reasons such as poor marketing, poor exposition, no handholding, harsh difficulty, or poor polycount.

 

[Foxi4]

The music industry made huge strides in the digital switch and these days most people download their music - if they buy discs then it's either for the sake of collecting or using them in obsolete car radios. The same can be said about the movie industry which is gradually putting more and more emphasis on streaming rather than physical releases. Games will obviously follow - the trend is pretty plainly visible with services like Steam breaking sales records.

I still think fondly of collecting physical releases, but these days most of my games are digital downloads and that's not necessarily a bad thing - I'm not paying the "Retailer Ransom", I enjoy a myriad of sales, I have all my games available at the touch of a button without even having to get up to switch discs or cartridges and I don't have to pay extra for the physical medium and all the costs involved in making and distributing it.

Whether we like it or not, digital distribution is the future and perhaps we should embrace it rather than fear it - at the end of the day, no physical disc drive or cartridge slot equals cheaper systems - every little helps in that regard. The trade-off are "used games", but perhaps a system of trading digital purchases easily could be worked out eventually.

 

[CathyRina]

The music industry made huge strides in the digital switch and these days most people download their music - if they buy discs then it's either for the sake of collecting or using them in obsolete car radios.

But in case of music in my opinion the benefit of switching to digital was that you can choose which song to buy. Why pay 15€ for a entire album if you only like 3 songs from it that cost 2€ individually?
Don't get me wrong I like digital distribution but I don't want physical to go away entirely. After all in steam you don't get to meet random people while purchasing a game and start a conversation about it and have social interactions.

 

[Foxi4]

But in case of music in my opinion the benefit of switching to digital was that you can choose which song to buy. Why pay 15€ for a entire album if you only like 3 songs from it that cost 2€ individually?
Don't get me wrong I like digital distribution but I don't want physical to go away entirely. After all in steam you don't get to meet random people while purchasing a game and start a conversation about it and have social interactions.

To many people this is actually another benefit of digital distribution - they don't have to interact with anyone to get what they want. No having to go to the store to grab games, no standing in queue behind a dozen sweaty people in line who are as impatient and irritated as you are, no getting pissed off at the cashier for taking a hundred thousand hours chatting with one of his/her gaming friends at the register instead of serving you, everything available right there from your couch and playable within minutes (since both the Xbox One and PS4 support playing games as they download). It's dreamy, really. If I want to socialize with people, I go to a pub, not a video game store.

 

[CathyRina]

To many people this is actually another benefit of digital distribution - they don't have to interact with anyone to get what they want. No having to go to the store to grab games, no standing in queue behind a dozen sweaty people in line who are as impatient and irritated as you are, no getting pissed off at the cashier for taking a hundred thousand hours chatting with one of his/her gaming friends at the register instead of serving you, everything available right there from your couch and playable within minutes (since both the Xbox One and PS4 support playing games as they download). It's dreamy, really. If I want to socialize with people, I go to a pub, not a video game store.

I'm a anti alcoholic so you'll never see me in pubs.

 

[Social_Outlaw]

To many people this is actually another benefit of digital distribution - they don't have to interact withanyone to get what they want. No having to go to the store to grab games, no standing in queue behind a dozen sweaty people in line who are as impatient and irritated as you are, no getting pissed off at the cashier for taking a hundred thousand hours chatting with one of his/her gaming friends at the register instead of serving you, everything available right there from your couch and playable within minutes (since both the Xbox One and PS4 support playing games as they download). It's dreamy, really. If I want to socialize with people, I go to a pub, not a video game store.

I hope physical releases stay for a long time because what if some people don't have the options we have like to get online and stuff? Also while I do agree on digital is the future, we still need to keep physical releases as a secondary option.

 

[Foxi4]

I'm a anti alcoholic so you'll never see me in pubs.

Bowling alley then. I don't know, a restaurant. Some place designed for social interaction, not necessarily a store. When was the last time you called up your friends and said "hey, let's go hang out in a store!" - probably never. A mall, maybe - malls have attractions and you can window shop all day, but a video game store? There's only so much you can see in one. I suppose RPG stores are an exception here since some have dedicated tables if you want to play a round or two, but that's not video games, so...

I hope physical releases stay for a long time because what if some people don't have the options we have like to get online and stuff? Also while I do agree on digital is the future, we still need to keep physical releases as a secondary option.

It should definitely stick around for all those players who like to collect physical releases, but I think the shift towards digital will continue to be as strong as ever simply because of the convenience.

 

[Taleweaver]

Let me start with the most important thing here...

Ryukouki: happy birthday, man. Hope you have a great one.


Now...as to the article...

I also wanted to link to that gaming theory video. It's pretty unfair to say you dislike the lack of innovation in one face while pointing out the innovation current generation does bring as a shortcoming. I've gotta say it: I like the wiiu controller. And while that kinect or the PS4's touchscreenbarthingy isn't my cup of tea, they still hold somewhat of a potential (okay, the kinect not so much). But the real innovation is on mobiles. In retrospect, a hit like angry birds was bound to happen sooner or later (hint: it used the touchscreen and the limited time players had to its full potential).

The sequels and ports...meh. I would understand complaints if this was at the cost of other games, but that's hardly the case. Yes, I'm aware that square enix has a lot of franchises they don't utilise, but I was actually talking about the FLOOD of indie games that come out. Even if the majority of those are clones and wonky ideas, there are some real gems in those (I recently discovered rogue legacy. It's awesome. And I can already name so many of those that I'm starting to wonder if I would even miss AAA studio games if they didn't released games anymore).
(besides...if it wasn't for me knowing and loving the incredible machines, I would probably never have given contraption maker a second glance)

Same goes for the price, by the way. And really...that is only a complaint because gaming is a luxury item in a global crisis. Gaming used to be much more expensive. And even then: nowadays, launch day is about the only day that a game goes at full price.

DLC and microtransactions...yeah. so? Just don't buy those games. There are still plenty of games that don't follow that model, of where the game isn't crippled without it.

Big gaming conventions...erm...I've never quite followed those, to be honest. E3 is a fun period, but I often only play games from them years later. It's certainly changing in favor of social media, but I think this is also caused by devs shooting themselves in the foot. You can only sell the sky so many times without people noticing something's wrong. In other words: too many developpers created a hype (or let the people do it) for a game that wasn't that great. The end result is...who or why would even want to know about games those first seconds? What's so special about the first one knowing about a game when it's hardly minutes before the rest of the world does?

I don't get the part where developers spend the resources on the wrong things. Or rather: I WOULD get that part if it wasn't for kickstarter.

PC gaming...erm...I've got to say I've got a double feeling with all those sales and giveaways. Gaming is certainly in a crisis right now, and devs certainly feel it. The transition into mobile gaming is sort of an outcome of that: it's easy to develop for and has a MASSIVE market. So yes, that part of the market is more likely to survive than the AAA-studios (no, I'm not kidding here).
The thing is: WHY is flappy bird making the huge money?
I haven't played it, but from what I see, it takes games back to its roots. And that could be the future of gaming. To explore what can be done with a tight or minimal budget that is yet fun to play.

 

[CathyRina]

Bowling alley then. I don't know, a restaurant. Some place designed for social interaction, not necessarily a store. When was the last time you called up your friends and said "hey, let's go hang out in a store!" - probably never. A mall, maybe - malls have attractions and you can window shop all day, but a video game store? There's only so much you can see in one. I suppose RPG stores are an exception here since some have dedicated tables if you want to play a round or two, but that's not video games, so...

I was talking about meeting new people not meeting with friends. Going to bowling alleys and restaurants alone to meet new people is like wearing a forever alone shirt. I wouldn't like if a random dude would show up and asked me if he can join in unless it's a female.

 

[Foxi4]

I was talking about meeting new people not meeting with friends. Going to bowling alleys and restaurants alone to meet new people is like wearing a forever alone shirt. I wouldn't like if a random dude would show up and asked me if he can join in unless it's a female.

Y'know, with the contemporary trend to include social functionality into games, chances are that you don't even need to leave your house to find people with common interests. I mean, even the 3DS and the PSVita log other 3DS and PSVita systems once you pass by them - you can literally amass a list of friends that live near you just by walking around town.

I mean, I see your point, it's just that whenever I shop, other people butting into my business are annoying me rather than pleasing me with their presence. I even find it irritating when the shop assistants ask me if I'm "looking for something in particular" or if they can "help me" - the answers are invariably "I'm browsing (as you can plainly see)" and "No, thank you (unless you mean help by leaving, in which case yes, you can)" - I just want to shop in peace!

To conclude, I like being in video game stores because y'know, I'm surrounded with games, but I don't necessarily want to be approached by anyone.

 

[CathyRina]

Y'know, with the contemporary trend to include social functionality into games, chances are that you don't even need to leave your house to find people with common interests. I mean, even the 3DS and the PSVita log other 3DS and PSVita systems once you pass by them - you can literally amass a list of friends that live near you just by walking around town. I mean, I see your point, it's just that every single time I shopped in a store, other people butting into my business were irritating me rather than pleasing me. I want to shop in peace!

Oh yeah, the street pass function with hyper realistic Mii's that will tell you who from the hundreds of people I walked past today has a 3DS. I mean I meet Godot from Ace Attorney on a regular basis yet still I haven't seen anyone with weird goggles, white hair and a fetish for coffee. And on Vita they don't even use avatars and I doubt I'll ever meet someone named Killeraffe (Killermonkey). But at least Vita allows sending friend requests and messages to these random people, 3DS doesn't.