While the title of this post is broad I'd like to focus mostly on gaming, and the game industry. I'd like to talk about the key points that would turn me away from gaming should they come to fruition. I'd also like to talk a little about the direction gaming is taking, and what this possibly means for the future of gaming itself ...
In the past several years we've seen mainstay creators in the gaming industry twist, and taint the entertainment offerings thereof in a variety of concerning ways. Both for gamers, and for the developers who create the content said gamers consume. We've witnessed Microsoft, and Sony start a console war in which they each released a few different versions of their new-gen console hardware while completely ignoring how it impacted early adopters, and the fact that it made useless consoles that in previous generations would have had a much longer lifespan where games were the focus instead of the consoles themselves. This race to win over the gaming crowd has cost these companies trust among the gaming community, and lost some dedicated service subscribers that would have possibly stuck around if it weren't for the poor decisions made.
Along with the console catastrophe that is the new generation we are also seeing games being sold as a service. An always online service in which the gamer pays the usual retail fee only to not own the game they paid for. These server based atrocities aren't meant to last as long as retail games once did, but still have the publishers/developers extending their reach for more money via microtransactions and DLC. It is greed incarnate. On top of this the industry is moving towards digital only game releases to further capitalize on their money making schemes. The gamer is losing out in light of this, and with limited console space even the hard drive creators are sticking their hands out asking for more money just for gamers to be able to have all that they bought on their favorite console's dashboard.
When it comes to greedy practices the train doesn't stop with paid for content, but also extends into the territory of unwarranted hype, and eSports focus. Hype, while sometimes good has been utilized as corrupted tool by many creators to help bank those day one sales. The "Call of Duty" money, as it were. They mislead the gamer through false advertising, and use their persuasion over certain journalistic outlets to fool gamers into buying into something that isn't worth buying into. Along with hype through heavily edited, and glamorized teaser trailers/reviews comes the competitive eSports cash cow which has been a detriment to the development of competitive gaming genres, and the studios that make those types of experiences. It has dumbed down once beloved game genres like fighting games to a casual level to appease a larger crowd that would have otherwise not appreciated what made the genre so great. It takes away the core competitive values, and replaces them with easy to use/abuse mechanics and features that do no favors for the long time fans or for the game series themselves. It is hand holding to the highest degree, and ultimately takes away true competitive aspects with a level playing ground focus.
With these concerns alone gaming is becoming vastly less appealing. At least to me. It showcases a lack of caring for the industry by the industry. The lingering question is, "At what point does this cause enough irreparable harm to destroy consumers' faith in gaming?". To that I say it's not far off. Gamers have shown that they are catching onto the greedy antics of the gaming industry. That they realize they are being offered less and less while being asked for more and more. Kind of like fast food chains shrinking the size of their burgers, but asking the same price as before or even more. I, myself have about reached the point where I'm not willing to buy a new era console due to the risk of it exhibiting more greedy features or that it in itself could be subject to becoming obsolete due to a newer model/version. There's definitely a lot to think about when it comes to supporting this now corrupted hobby. What do you think about the game industry in it's current state? Are you hesitant to buy into the latest game or console? If so why? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below. Just know i have to screen, and approve comments due to an overflow of spam.
In the past several years we've seen mainstay creators in the gaming industry twist, and taint the entertainment offerings thereof in a variety of concerning ways. Both for gamers, and for the developers who create the content said gamers consume. We've witnessed Microsoft, and Sony start a console war in which they each released a few different versions of their new-gen console hardware while completely ignoring how it impacted early adopters, and the fact that it made useless consoles that in previous generations would have had a much longer lifespan where games were the focus instead of the consoles themselves. This race to win over the gaming crowd has cost these companies trust among the gaming community, and lost some dedicated service subscribers that would have possibly stuck around if it weren't for the poor decisions made.
Along with the console catastrophe that is the new generation we are also seeing games being sold as a service. An always online service in which the gamer pays the usual retail fee only to not own the game they paid for. These server based atrocities aren't meant to last as long as retail games once did, but still have the publishers/developers extending their reach for more money via microtransactions and DLC. It is greed incarnate. On top of this the industry is moving towards digital only game releases to further capitalize on their money making schemes. The gamer is losing out in light of this, and with limited console space even the hard drive creators are sticking their hands out asking for more money just for gamers to be able to have all that they bought on their favorite console's dashboard.
When it comes to greedy practices the train doesn't stop with paid for content, but also extends into the territory of unwarranted hype, and eSports focus. Hype, while sometimes good has been utilized as corrupted tool by many creators to help bank those day one sales. The "Call of Duty" money, as it were. They mislead the gamer through false advertising, and use their persuasion over certain journalistic outlets to fool gamers into buying into something that isn't worth buying into. Along with hype through heavily edited, and glamorized teaser trailers/reviews comes the competitive eSports cash cow which has been a detriment to the development of competitive gaming genres, and the studios that make those types of experiences. It has dumbed down once beloved game genres like fighting games to a casual level to appease a larger crowd that would have otherwise not appreciated what made the genre so great. It takes away the core competitive values, and replaces them with easy to use/abuse mechanics and features that do no favors for the long time fans or for the game series themselves. It is hand holding to the highest degree, and ultimately takes away true competitive aspects with a level playing ground focus.
With these concerns alone gaming is becoming vastly less appealing. At least to me. It showcases a lack of caring for the industry by the industry. The lingering question is, "At what point does this cause enough irreparable harm to destroy consumers' faith in gaming?". To that I say it's not far off. Gamers have shown that they are catching onto the greedy antics of the gaming industry. That they realize they are being offered less and less while being asked for more and more. Kind of like fast food chains shrinking the size of their burgers, but asking the same price as before or even more. I, myself have about reached the point where I'm not willing to buy a new era console due to the risk of it exhibiting more greedy features or that it in itself could be subject to becoming obsolete due to a newer model/version. There's definitely a lot to think about when it comes to supporting this now corrupted hobby. What do you think about the game industry in it's current state? Are you hesitant to buy into the latest game or console? If so why? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below. Just know i have to screen, and approve comments due to an overflow of spam.
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