WIRED: Gaming's Fall season ain't what it used to be.

[Mike O'War]

"What happened? Money, mostly. Most aspects of big-budget game creation has gotten more and more expensive over the past decade. Part of this is due to inflation, but the larger culprit is the publishers themselves, who have driven an ever-escalating arms race of technology and scale. These big games are bloated, immensely complicated machines now, built by hundreds of people in collaborative design efforts among multiple studios across continents. This scale creep means that fewer of these games can be economically produced, and each one has higher pressure on it to succeed, which in turn ratchets up marketing budgets to absurd amounts. In 2015, publishers spent over half a billion dollars on television advertising alone, and there's no way that number's gotten smaller since."

"So year after year, when fall rolls around, there's something unsettling about it in the videogame world. It's increasingly sparse and loud, a reminder year after year that the industry is as large but also as troubled as it's ever been, at least since the console market crashed in the '80s. And when Friday rolls around, and you buy one of the three big titles—or don't—it's worth remembering that the system that produces those games isn't going to be sustainable forever. Eventually, something is going to have to give. It'll be interesting to see what that something is.:

More here...
https://www.wired.com/story/gaming-fall-season-doldrums/

Makes me question the push for more powerful consoles if such few Pubs will be willing to put much costs/effort into making so few high end games... $500+ for mostly 4k indie games, huh?

 

[The Wolf King]

Oh look a not so subtle dig at a console coming next month

 

[Mike O'War]

Oh look a not so subtle dig at a console coming next month

No, that's for any new console coming out... The PS5 is rumored to be at least $500 or more

 

[Viktor]

I think part of the issue though is all of the damn games at once. For me, Evil Within 2, Destiny 2 (PC), Wolfenstein 2, and Super Mario all within a couple weeks of each other. Don't care for Ass Creed anymore but that is another huge game. I don't have time for all these games and even if I play one at a time it takes me several weeks just to play through it. I've already purchased Evil Within 2 although playing through the first again now so it will be a while, Destiny 2, and Super Mario. I might just buy Wolfenstein 2 at launch as well just to support them even if I don't get to it for a month.

Edit: to finish a lot of people aren't going to just throw money away buying games they won't get to right away, and wait until they are $10 or whatever, which obviously hurts the devs.

 

[Mike O'War]

While there are people who will buy most games, I'm far more selective... I hardly see much I want for the rest of the year.

Good thing early on, this year was great for me. I think this is the first Holiday Season where I see less high end SP games offered, and nothing I really want. It hasn't been that way for me since 1984

 

[Grimmy]

I use to buy almost every game, but as I get older and have less time; I've been way more selective. I still have a back log too. I've even switched to waiting almost 6 months to a year when purchasing those new games to get them cheaper and more stable. Only when it's multiplayer, do I get it on release.

 

[yankeessuck]

The first 3 months were better then the last 3 months of the year

 

[TeKPhaN]

"What happened? Money, mostly. Most aspects of big-budget game creation has gotten more and more expensive over the past decade. Part of this is due to inflation, but the larger culprit is the publishers themselves, who have driven an ever-escalating arms race of technology and scale. These big games are bloated, immensely complicated machines now, built by hundreds of people in collaborative design efforts among multiple studios across continents. This scale creep means that fewer of these games can be economically produced, and each one has higher pressure on it to succeed, which in turn ratchets up marketing budgets to absurd amounts. In 2015, publishers spent over half a billion dollars on television advertising alone, and there's no way that number's gotten smaller since."

"So year after year, when fall rolls around, there's something unsettling about it in the videogame world. It's increasingly sparse and loud, a reminder year after year that the industry is as large but also as troubled as it's ever been, at least since the console market crashed in the '80s. And when Friday rolls around, and you buy one of the three big titles—or don't—it's worth remembering that the system that produces those games isn't going to be sustainable forever. Eventually, something is going to have to give. It'll be interesting to see what that something is.:

More here...
https://www.wired.com/story/gaming-fall-season-doldrums/

Makes me question the push for more powerful consoles if such few Pubs will be willing to put much costs/effort into making so few high end games... $500+ for mostly 4k indie games, huh?

Somebody is stuck in last gen.

 

[Mike O'War]

As more AAA Devs go under, or get killed off by the big companies like EA (Bioware Montreal/Visceral) Microsoft (Lionhead) Sony(Evolution)... We will keep getting less & less high end games to choose from

 

[Cody32599]

Remember when Call of Duty knocked off Halo for the top spot......... good times.

 

[Mike O'War]

Even Destiny has beat out Halo... Sign of the times

[EDIT] Btw, seems like many devs are hurting this Gen... I heard Crytek isn't doing so good.

 

[JinCA]

I didn't click the link but I scanned the quoted portion, fall releases may seem like they've thinned out a bit but that's mostly because a lot of games now get released in the spring which is a good thing IMO. If anyone wants proof that fall releases are overrated just look at Sony, the PS4 is by far the best selling console this gen and their biggest releases tend to come in the spring/summer, it hasn't hurt their business at all.

 

[lowdru2k]

I would say there are too many good games now days. My backlog is huge and I’m to the point I wait on getting new games so I can finish older games. Plus so many good sales throughout the year. I think it’s a great time to be a gamer. Just wish I had more time to play.

 

[Mike O'War]

Out of the last 3 generations... The games I've wanted/bought have gone way down

The PS2/XBOX/Gamecube Gen was full of great games. I bought at least 400+ games that Gen. We lost many great Devs Last Gen, and my game purchases went down to 200

This Gen I only have around 100 so far

 

[Andy]

There has been a dramatic decline in the number of AAA games released during the year, compared to about 7 years ago. It's a big decline -- roughly about 1/3 as many AAA games are released now vs. 7 or 8 years ago. It's for the reasons cited in the OP.

"But the larger culprit is the publishers themselves, who have driven an ever-escalating arms race of technology and scale. These big games are bloated, immensely complicated machines now, built by hundreds of people in collaborative design efforts among multiple studios across continents. This scale creep means that fewer of these games can be economically produced, and each one has higher pressure on it to succeed, which in turn ratchets up marketing budgets to absurd amounts."

Yup. And another consequence is that the massive budgets mean that the games become more mainstream, more conventional, less creative.

I've never been a big fan of AAA games, though, so none of this bothers me too much. I'm just sort of observing from a distance.

 

[The Wolf King]

Even Destiny has beat out Halo... Sign of the times

[EDIT] Btw, seems like many devs are hurting this Gen... I heard Crytek isn't doing so good.

Yeah because of piss poor management and nothing else.

 

[Kvally]

Even Destiny has beat out Halo

In what manner?

 

[menace-uk-]

"What happened? Money, mostly. Most aspects of big-budget game creation has gotten more and more expensive over the past decade. Part of this is due to inflation, but the larger culprit is the publishers themselves, who have driven an ever-escalating arms race of technology and scale. These big games are bloated, immensely complicated machines now, built by hundreds of people in collaborative design efforts among multiple studios across continents. This scale creep means that fewer of these games can be economically produced, and each one has higher pressure on it to succeed, which in turn ratchets up marketing budgets to absurd amounts. In 2015, publishers spent over half a billion dollars on television advertising alone, and there's no way that number's gotten smaller since."

"So year after year, when fall rolls around, there's something unsettling about it in the videogame world. It's increasingly sparse and loud, a reminder year after year that the industry is as large but also as troubled as it's ever been, at least since the console market crashed in the '80s. And when Friday rolls around, and you buy one of the three big titles—or don't—it's worth remembering that the system that produces those games isn't going to be sustainable forever. Eventually, something is going to have to give. It'll be interesting to see what that something is.:

More here...
https://www.wired.com/story/gaming-fall-season-doldrums/

Makes me question the push for more powerful consoles if such few Pubs will be willing to put much costs/effort into making so few high end games... $500+ for mostly 4k indie games, huh?

Are those games really a showcase of big budget gaming? I don't think so. If anything they represent the big issues surrounding big budget games, namely creativity.

If cost is to blame for the diminshing fall lineup then why are the big companies, who make billions from other revenues, produce some of the most lackluster and uncreative games?

It all just seems like horses*** to me.

 

[Sasquatch Montana]

Games is games. You gotta keep your games flowing and dev times short and chock full of multiplayer.

Spent 5 years on a singleplayer only game? Buhbye.

 

[menace-uk-]

I didn't click the link but I scanned the quoted portion, fall releases may seem like they've thinned out a bit but that's mostly because a lot of games now get released in the spring which is a good thing IMO. If anyone wants proof that fall releases are overrated just look at Sony, the PS4 is by far the best selling console this gen and their biggest releases tend to come in the spring/summer, it hasn't hurt their business at all.

That is after they get announced for the fall and then get delayed

 

[Kerosene31]

At my funeral someone will look through my games and comment "he never even got to start up many of them".

I'd love to know the secret for having the money to buy the various platforms and still find the time to play them all. I can afford all the cool toys, but the time is the kicker.

 

[menace-uk-]

Even Destiny has beat out Halo... Sign of the times

[EDIT] Btw, seems like many devs are hurting this Gen... I heard Crytek isn't doing so good.

Crytek isn't doing good because of their dumbass leadership.

Destiny besat out Halo? How. I assume you don't mean sales, popularity cause, well, obvious reasons.

 

[Sasquatch Montana]

Metascore. Destiny 2 got an 85, Halo Wars 2 got an 81. Plz dont make any other compares.

 

[menace-uk-]

There has been a dramatic decline in the number of AAA games released during the year, compared to about 7 years ago. It's a big decline -- roughly about 1/3 as many AAA games are released now vs. 7 or 8 years ago. It's for the reasons cited in the OP.

"But the larger culprit is the publishers themselves, who have driven an ever-escalating arms race of technology and scale. These big games are bloated, immensely complicated machines now, built by hundreds of people in collaborative design efforts among multiple studios across continents. This scale creep means that fewer of these games can be economically produced, and each one has higher pressure on it to succeed, which in turn ratchets up marketing budgets to absurd amounts."

Yup. And another consequence is that the massive budgets mean that the games become more mainstream, more conventional, less creative.

I've never been a big fan of AAA games, though, so none of this bothers me too much. I'm just sort of observing from a distance.

And yet very small studios are able to match and sometimes surpass the scale of these big budget games.

Not too mention costs get offset by other revenue streams, DLC, m'transactions, partership deals, digital sales(which they mske more money from), sequels that use the same and often more efficient technology, aswell as reusing a huge chunk of assets which minimizes required workload.

 

[Frozpot]

Crytek isn't doing good because of their dumbass leadership.

Destiny besat out Halo? How. I assume you don't mean sales, popularity cause, well, obvious reasons.

I do know that despite being 2 years old, Halo 5 still has an active MP community. I suspect it will right up until Halo 6. There is a very dedicated fan base. Destiny has no soul. It is popular though, I guess, but you don't have to be the most popular to still be relevant, and the whole binary of if it's not the top, then it's nothing drives me crazy.

 

[menace-uk-]

I do know that despite being 2 years old, Halo 5 still has an active MP community. I suspect it will right up until Halo 6. There is a very dedicated fan base. Destiny has no soul. It is popular though, I guess, but you don't have to be the most popular to still be relevant, and the whole binary of if it's not the top, then it's nothing drives me crazy.

Most big shooters have a dedicated fanbase, though. Even games as old as Battlefield 1942 still have an active dedicated userbase.

I just don't understand how you accurately measure for Destiny beating out Halo to a degree that you make it an objective statement over a subjective opinion.

 

[JinCA]

I would say there are too many good games now days. My backlog is huge and I’m to the point I wait on getting new games so I can finish older games. Plus so many good sales throughout the year. I think it’s a great time to be a gamer. Just wish I had more time to play.

I've always been someone who buys a lot of games, usually between 10-12 full priced games a year, this gen that average has gone up. I have over 70 games on my external HDD for PS4 and that's still not every game I've purchased so far this gen so I have a hard time accepting the premise of this article that the number of big games being released has diminished, the focus is just shifting away from the fall.

 

[menace-uk-]

I've always been someone who buys a lot of games, usually between 10-12 full priced games a year, this gen that average has gone up. I have over 70 games on my external HDD for PS4 and that's still not every game I've purchased so far this gen so I have a hard time accepting the premise of this article that the number of big games being released has diminished, the focus is just shifting away from the fall.

So none of those over 70 were bought in a sale or are indie or more niche games or medium budget titles?

 

[Mike O'War]

Crytek has made some bad moves, and their games haven't set sales on fire along with their bad management.

Halo is not what it once was... It's declined since Halo 3, and Destiny has far more people who want to play it over Halo

Crazy to think there are more high end games now than Gens prior to this one when there are far less Devs who make AAA games... Many Devs have gone under due to that AAA mindset by getting a big budget, releasing piss poor quality, a game not many asked for/wanted, bad timing, or little to no marketing.

There is no way that more AAA games have released this Gen over prior Generations... That is way too hard for me to believe with less high end Devs making games, and Dev time being much longer now.

Like I said, my high end game purchases have gone way down each Gen since the PS2/XBOX/Gamecube era.

 

[menace-uk-]

Crytek has made some bad moves, and their games haven't set sales on fire along with their bad management.

Halo is not what it once was... It's declined since Halo 3, and Destiny has far more people who want to play it over Halo

Crazy to think there are more high end games now than Gens prior to this one when there are far less Devs who make AAA games... Many Devs have gone under due to that AAA mindset by getting a big budget, releasing piss poor quality, a game not many asked for/wanted, bad timing, or little to no marketing.

There is no way that more AAA games have released this Gen over prior Generations... That is way too hard for me to believe with less high end Devs making games, and Dev time being much longer now.

Like I said, my high end game purchases have gone way down each Gen since the PS2/XBOX/Gamecube era.

1. Crytek - lol. Understatement.

2. Halo/Destiny - How on earth did you come to that conclusion?

3. Actally, a lot of the studios that have closed have been AA devs, not AAA devs. Also, there have been news devs come in too...like Playground games and The Coalition.

4. Your purchases have gone down, fine, but other factors could be at play here...like shifting interests, lack of creativity, etc.