The downfall of video games?

[BeardyHat]

Eh, its a forum there's no character limit

Except when other posters are so sick of my blovating they skip right on by!

 

[DXCHASE]

Diablo 4 just added a bundle thats 65 usd. The original game is 70, and the collectors edition was 100. For 65 dollars you get 1. Horse armor and 7800 platinum (should get you maybe 2 armor sets?). This coming from a company that was just purchased by MS. Thats gaming in a nutshell to me nowadays and it wont get any better. People are willing to pay so they will keep doing this.

 

[MrStr0ng]

With companies like Tencent, Embracer Group, Microsoft, EA, Sony & Ubisoft getting a larger slice of the game studios, could we possibly get a market oversaturated with mediocre games and eventually see more developing studios owned by them crumbling to dust?

I have started to become more and more skeptical seeing how many of the games released nowadays do not seem to get the best of reviews, and being more and more infested with everything from PTW-marketed elements like skins/weapons, cut content, which version gives you best cosmetics/loot, loot boxes, and heavily focus on in-game stores...to mention a slice of the rabbit hole. Having an Oligopoly (few own the rest) is obviously not just bad, and I think Microsoft as an example is doing something good with its Game Pass which makes it easier for us consumers to try out different games from different studios.

But, I have a sneaking suspicion that these oligopolies are not really interested in us as consumers, but more interested in how they can get our money. Yeah, shocking, I know. But, there is something different though, something I think we should take into consideration.

Having more and more games being spewed out from the BIG companies, also means that we consumers have more games to choose from which also means companies like Microsoft have to think about how they can get their hands on us before their competitors. This means probably not only more focus on stuff like microtransactions but also much more pressure on the developers to push their products and make more of them, regardless of quality. I'm not sure if it is the best example of this, but I think Arkane Studio's Redfall flop can be seen as an example of this pressure.

So, where am I getting with all this? I am wondering how the industry is going to be looking in 10-15 years or so. In a worst-case scenario, we'll see a lot of studios not being able to deliver quality products and since they have someone to answer for, they will one by one have their staff cut (which again will probably not be a good thing concerning the quality of the games) or shutting down completely. I guess much of this can be prevented with a good business model with a safety net and whatnot, but I dunno man, I'm not liking what I am seeing.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe the industry is at its best (it sure does generate a lot of money) and I'm just being overly paranoid or there is something to it. What it is your thoughts about this and how could we potentially prevent such a future outcome in the first place if that is even a possibility?

I believe this is truly a downfall. Just look at these terrible AAA-projects!!!