Industry-Wide Layoffs and Studio Closures Continue as Gaming Audiences Lose Interest in New Releases

[Grimlakin]

And? Peter's article starts and ends with MP games. Skate, High Guard, and the abandoned GoW online game. Then ends with ARC Raiders and the upcoming, certain to flop. Horizon MP.


Thanks for understanding the point.

When you're responding to my post recognize that I was saying that Single player AAA games are still good and going strong. So the context of my post was in the theme of Single player games hence my response. I hope that helps it make more sense!

 

[Uvilla]

I too lost the plot in the discussion. Personally I think nothing of these ' trends' or whatever market gyrations. I dont mean the job losses, thats terrible and large companies really should steel themselves nintendo style and eat slow years while keeping their people, it would make them stronger long term, but long term is not a thing for many.
Anyway these gyrations mean nothing, they are a good thing as gaming is a very dynamic market, it has been since 80s, with its gluts and crashes and massive expansions and such.

 

[MadMummy76]

The point of this thread had shifted to examples of successful single player games... anyway...

That's exactly what I was responding to.

Thanks for understanding the point.

I thought you were listing examples of the "dime a dozen" good single player games. Sorry, I misunderstood.

what? That's like saying you aren't part of the economy if you're self employed.

They are part of the economy not the industry. I'm sorry I just can't think of indie developers or mompop businesses as "the industry".

 

[MadMummy76]

Anyway these gyrations mean nothing, they are a good thing as gaming is a very dynamic market, it has been since 80s, with its gluts and crashes and massive expansions and such.

I wouldn't call this a gyration. In my opinion the AAA gaming industry has been declining for at least 10 years, with fewer (SP) titles being released, and even fewer of those being great. Even if the sales don't reflect that decline, because sales are influenced by many outside factors as well. Like the 2020-2023 lockdowns being a huge artificial boost, that hid the decline.

I think the AAA industry instead of being to big to fail, is too big to succeed. In order to justify 200-300 million $ budgets they are trying to figure out how to appeal to everyone. Which is impossible, the more people you try to scoop up the more will escape between your fingers. Bring back more focused experiences make games for specific niches don't try to one size fits all it. Games that appeal to everyone aren't made, they happen, if you get my meaning.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Yeah the economics of AAA gaming appear to be a trainwreck in the current era.

Either you appeal to 50 million people or you're a flaming dumpster fire of a failure, cause the game cost a billion dollars to make for some reason despite good indie or AA devs getting 80-90% of the way there (in terms of quality) with their games on a much tighter budget.

Publishers/Devs keep their labor force compliant through regular hire/reshuffle/fire cycles to ensure there is always a large pool of slightly desperate workers willing to accept dogshit working conditions to put a meal on the table... While simultaneously preventing any sort of actual creative spark to come out of a team that has worked together for a while and really gelled.

 

[Uvilla]

I wouldn't call this a gyration. In my opinion the AAA gaming industry has been declining for at least 10 years, with fewer (SP) titles being released, and even fewer of those being great. Even if the sales don't reflect that decline, because sales are influenced by many outside factors as well. Like the 2020-2023 lockdowns being a huge artificial boost, that hid the decline.

I think the AAA industry instead of being to big to fail, is too big to succeed. In order to justify 200-300 million $ budgets they are trying to figure out how to appeal to everyone. Which is impossible, the more people you try to scoop up the more will escape between your fingers. Bring back more focused experiences make games for specific niches don't try to one size fits all it. Games that appeal to everyone aren't made, they happen, if you get my meaning.

I do get what you are saying, i think you are correct , in many aspects this market may be more akin to books, and less hollywood movies. But yes project cost ( unlike book) had them going for the hollywood approach too much.