My opinion on the video game industry

[Taak Farst]

I am 15 years old and I have to say, I am enjoying gaming less and less, to the point where I don't really enjoy it at all. It is now purely to pass the time, not to actually have fun. Getting older might have something to do with it but I had a think, as I am not the only one. I think games are starting to fail because genres keep using the same old formula and/or dying totally.

The single player RPG is dying. This is because good single player RPG universes, such as the Elder Scrolls, are going the way of the MMO. The MMO appears to be a gold mine for developers, with everyone making one, but they are also failing, as they are using the same 'bog standard grind-quests with team based PvE and PvP endgame' formulas. Innovation isn't really anywhere to be found anymore, and many people are enjoying gaming less and less because of it.

Also, novelty. When World of WarCraft came out, there were not many MMOs of such quality around. Now, it's steadily losing subscribers. Why? Personally, I think it is the novelty of the MMO. The MMO is and was a new concept in the late 90s (I think?) and everyone loved the idea of it. But because we've had Everquest and Guild Wars and World of Warcraft for years, people are getting bored of them.

So, there is the influx of MMOs, which, looking at the bigger picture, are not all that great. This is a problem in itself.

There is also the lack of good game series' that people look forward to. E.g. Mass Effect is over. Gears of War is over. With this, what remains are various Shooter and Sports games. So, many people such as myself, who are not part of that audience, are losing interest in gaming.
So, MMOs and dead genres combined with no innovation/no 'novelty/new' things, I can honestly say I do not get excited about gaming as I used to. I don't enjoy gaming as I used to. To be honest, it all just seems like work now, if we're talking extremes.

I have sort of rambled with my own thought here, so if it reads incoherent, I apologise.

[LDR]

And that, my friend, is why I've returned to the KOTOR Modding Scene. It's also why I've started Role-Playing here, and (finally) beginning a Fic that's been inside my head for well over a year.

[Lynk Former]

I'm 27 and I play all kinds of video games on all kinds of systems/platforms. I am still having a hell of a lot of fun since playing Super Mario Bros. on my cousins Nintendo Entertainment System when I was 5.

Games have changed, but there are a lot more of them coming out from a lot of different places. There's so much good stuff going on in the industry, along with some bad things, though that's really how it's always been, no type of media industry is perfect but I definitely don't feel that "games aren't as good as they used to be" they're just fun for different reasons, but still fun nonetheless.

For me, I'm sitting back and laughing cause everything is all just so good.

[igyman]

It's very difficult to be original in this day and age. Whether we're talking about gameplay or story, whatever you think up, chances are that someone else thought of it already. That doesn't mean developers (or anyone who wants to create something) should just stop trying, but they should focus on original/unique renditions and adaptations of existing ideas and from that they (and us, the players) might end up with something quite interesting.

Now, in terms of losing interest in gaming, I guess it depends on what draws you to playing a video game in the first place and if and how it changes as you grow up. For example, when I was a kid I used to play games that had primarily fun gameplay (games like The Lost Vikings, The Incredible Machine, Wolfenstein 3D...), then I switched to primarily playing RTS games, Point and Click Adventures, Action Adventures and Shooters (Warcraft 2, Starcraft, Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, Soul Reaver, Max Payne...) - this is when I started getting interested in the story just as much as the gameplay. Nowadays I'm nearly 25 and I primarily play games that have an interesting story, whether they are RPGs, Action Adventures, Shooters, or whatever. I also play a fighting game every now and then, as well as a racing game. I'd say I'm excited about gaming as much as I've ever been, only the reasons have changed.

[Miltiades]

Games as a whole evolve, just like everything else. And like everything else, it can go very slowly or painfully fast. Genres stagnating are genres dying. I would argue that not only MMO's, but also FPS's and RPG's are in a rut, because they keep holding on to formulas that have been succesful in the past, but aren't as appealing to the new (and broader) gaming audience. I'm not advocating cutting out the stats and abilities system in RPG's, for example, but it needs to change, it needs to make sense in the modern era of gaming. If there is indeed one genre that needs an overhaul, then yes, it's the MMO. When I read how much is at stake with these kind of games, I wouldn't hold my breath, though.

But let's not take these bumps in the ride as an indication of the state of games as a whole. If we take a look at the Singleplayer RPG, it's not all as bad as it seems. Just look at The Witcher 2. Already being talked about as one of the best SPRPG's in recent history (and I still haven't played it, forgive me for this deadliest of sins). We've had a stealth FPS/RPG hybrid in Human Revolution and we had the fun, beautiful Indie RPG Bastion. Skyrim, Mass Effect 3, there's something for everyone in the genre. And with Wasteland 2 coming, there's something the nostalgic, diehard RPG fans can be excited for.

I can't remember how much quality RPG's were released around the timeframe of the first KotOR, but was it really that much better a time for RPG's than what we've got now? I'm not sure. By the way, make no illusions: game series like KotOR and Mass Effect are far and few between. It's like having seen the Star Wars trilogy and wondering if there's ever going to be something that'll match it. You'll look for it, but you might have a hard time finding it.

Lastly, there are times when I'm a bit sick of games, as well. At one point, I only played one or two games in a year. But there's still so much to discover, I think you'll find that there will always be something that'll draw you back in. Games rule, yo!

[Taak Farst]

Hm. I must be the only person I know that thought the Witcher 2 totally sucked :L

But I don't know. I think the main reason I don't enjoy gaming as much is the fact that it is purely just repetition of the same stuff.

[Mav]

So stop playing games.

[mimartin]

Originally Posted by Mav

So stop playing games.

NO, U.


I'm older than dirt and games today are way better than when I was a kid.

Pong got a little boring after the first 60 hours.

[Boba Rhett]

Originally Posted by Taak Farst

Hm. I must be the only person I know that thought the Witcher 2 totally sucked :L

But I don't know. I think the main reason I don't enjoy gaming as much is the fact that it is purely just repetition of the same stuff.

I thought The Witcher 2 was so bad that I was angry after having "played" it and turned my console off in disgust.

Also, I just turned 28 and I'm still loving me some vidya gaems.

[Canderis]

I just turned 17 and ive had the same problem as you. Im not exactly sure when i lost interest in games but it was somewhere between 14 and 16. Since then ive played 3 games: minecraft, swtor and skyrim and lost interest in em all faster then most. Sometimes i would stare at the main menu of a game trying to bring myself to play it, but i just couldnt do it. So i picked up a guitar and now i have 3 bands im playing for, so im to busy to stare at the launcher anymore.

[Ping]

I will admit, most of the new games I've seen I have not played (Mass Effect is probably the most notable), and I guess it's because I got turned off after playing Halo: CE; that was the most overrated piece of junk I have ever played. It wasn't anything I hadn't seen before, and around that time was when Modern Warfare came out. I didn't bother getting it since I found Halo that bad; I really didn't want to waste money on another shooter. That's probably why I've been playing mostly old games right now; I just got turned off by the industry doing the same thing over and over again. Unfortunately for me, I've decided to try playing F-Zero GX, which is beyond hard.

[Blix]

If I didn't enjoy retro gaming or playing videogames that aren't "trendy" then I probably wouldn't be much of a gamer at all. These days I tend to replay KOTOR & TSL as well as the 3 Fable games, and of course Nintendo classics like Eartbound, A link to the Past and Ocarina of Time. There are a lot of newer games that (imho) are too easy to beat and lose its replay value as a result.

[jedi_consular16]

@ Ping

Just because I am a Halo fanboy, I have to point out some errors in your post.

Halo CE: released in 2001.

CoD Modern Warfare (assuming you mean the first MW, call of duty 4): released 2007.

A 6 year gap does not constitute around the same time, especially in the video game industry. Halo CE is often credited as being one of the first of the new brand of shooters that came out in the early and mid 2000s.

Sorry, just had to say it. No harm no foul. Your "most overrated piece of junk I have ever played" stings, but as it is your opinion I shall leave it go.

As to OP: I wouldn't worry too much Taak Farst, I went through a stage like that myself a few years ago. It forced me to branch out in to different games and genres, and it broadened my horizons as a gamer. I'm not sure how extensive your game library is, but I would recommend skimming sites like gameinformer or gamestop, and just try to find something a game, series, or even developer that you have never had experience with before (that has received mid to high ratings). You might be surprised at what you find and latch onto a new game with the same vigor you had before.

To one of your points: yes there is going to be an MMO of Elder Scrolls, but it is being developed by a company other than Bethesda, so I wouldn't worry about that either. The keepers of the Scrolls so to speak will still likely make more single player ES games.

[Sabretooth]

Originally Posted by Taak Farst

The single player RPG is dying. This is because good single player RPG universes, such as the Elder Scrolls, are going the way of the MMO. The MMO appears to be a gold mine for developers, with everyone making one, but they are also failing, as they are using the same 'bog standard grind-quests with team based PvE and PvP endgame' formulas. Innovation isn't really anywhere to be found anymore, and many people are enjoying gaming less and less because of it.

Enh, one is profitable the other isn't. Besides, creating a proper, competitive RPG is one of the most expensive projects as far as singleplayer games go. There's a reason even BioWare had to partner with EA to make Mass Effect and Dragon Age. CD Projekt RED had piles of cash after The Witcher 1 and Gog.com's profits. Creating an RPG that can stand against these franchises is a very uphill task for a fresh developer.

Originally Posted by Taak Farst

Also, novelty. When World of WarCraft came out, there were not many MMOs of such quality around. Now, it's steadily losing subscribers. Why? Personally, I think it is the novelty of the MMO. The MMO is and was a new concept in the late 90s (I think?) and everyone loved the idea of it. But because we've had Everquest and Guild Wars and World of Warcraft for years, people are getting bored of them.

TBH, I don't think it's so much the idea of an MMO that is bad - it's great, it's what everyone expected games to evolve into back in the 90s. The problem is that MMOs have to be handled in a super-safe, formulaic way, like they're chunks of uranium or something.

On the other hand, the mod DayZ for ArmA II uses many MMO concepts like a persistent world, player tracking, etc. but is gaining more and more popularity, because it actually seems to be taking advantage of the online element to add something special to the gameplay, rather than just creating a social RPG.

Originally Posted by Taak Farst

There is also the lack of good game series' that people look forward to. E.g. Mass Effect is over. Gears of War is over. With this, what remains are various Shooter and Sports games. So, many people such as myself, who are not part of that audience, are losing interest in gaming.
So, MMOs and dead genres combined with no innovation/no 'novelty/new' things, I can honestly say I do not get excited about gaming as I used to. I don't enjoy gaming as I used to. To be honest, it all just seems like work now, if we're talking extremes.

Ah, M. Farst, you forget that ME and GoW were both born with the beginning of the current console generation, which is in itself, nearing an end. The next-gen consoles will be releases either this or the next year, and there will be a whole new slew of franchises full of space marines and blue aliens!

[Lynk Former]

I think some people are just playing a very narrow band of games and taking that narrow band thinking it represents where the entire industry is headed.

Play more games.

[Red Hessian]

Originally Posted by Taak Farst

Hm. I must be the only person I know that thought the Witcher 2 totally sucked :L

Originally Posted by Boba Rhett

I thought The Witcher 2 was so bad that I was angry after having "played" it and turned my console off in disgust.

Your problem, gentlemen, is that you played a PC game that was ported to the consoles. Now you know how PC gamers feel about most of today's "video games" a.k.a. console ports.

I agree with Taak Farst about the single player RPG genre dying out. It wouldn't surprise me if this was perhaps the last generation of solid, quality SPRPG's (Skyrim, Witcher 2, etc.). Although I'll wait untill they announce Witcher 3.

[Titanius Anglesmith]

I'll be turning 21 in the summer, and I still love games as much as I ever have, if not more so. As Sabretooth said, you may change your tune once the next generation of consoles is at hand.

One thing I can say is that I don't enjoy the multiplayer side of games nearly as much as I used to, though I think that may have more to do with the people who play the games rather than the games themselves.

[Alexrd]

I've been playing less and less videogames thanks to the now prevalent obligatory online activation/account-based DRM. I disregard a lot of games that come with that. It's a deal breaker.

[Rogue15]

like lynk said....play more games!!!!!

I've been playing The Old Republic. Star Wars MMORPGs keep my attention the longest, as well as keep my bank account from draining away at the bar.

[Taak Farst]

Originally Posted by Mav

So stop playing games.

Where's the need in this. The point of a forum is to discuss. I am discussing my opinion on what the industry is becoming, and letting others voice their opinion or perhaps solutions to help me enjoy gaming more. There is absolutely no reason for the attitude.

In terms of the thread - I think Sabretooth is right that maybe it's not as good (for me) in terms of good series' because the consoles are nearing the end of their life span. At least I hope he is. But most of you have all made good, valid points

For the record, I personally liked Halo:CE but thought it was a tad overrated.

[Ping]

Originally Posted by jedi_consular16

@ Ping

Just because I am a Halo fanboy, I have to point out some errors in your post.

Halo CE: released in 2001.

CoD Modern Warfare (assuming you mean the first MW, call of duty 4): released 2007.

A 6 year gap does not constitute around the same time, especially in the video game industry. Halo CE is often credited as being one of the first of the new brand of shooters that came out in the early and mid 2000s.

Sorry, just had to say it. No harm no foul. Your "most overrated piece of junk I have ever played" stings, but as it is your opinion I shall leave it go.

What I meant to say was that I bought Halo: CE around the same time CoD 4 came out. Why I hate it so much is because they make you go back through the same places you already went through in the first half of the game. I honestly felt like I had been ripped off.

[Taak Farst]

Originally Posted by Red Hessian

Your problem, gentlemen, is that you played a PC game that was ported to the consoles. Now you know how PC gamers feel about most of today's "video games" a.k.a. console ports.

I agree with Taak Farst about the single player RPG genre dying out. It wouldn't surprise me if this was perhaps the last generation of solid, quality SPRPG's (Skyrim, Witcher 2, etc.). Although I'll wait untill they announce Witcher 3.

Didn't catch this post, but gameplay was horrible, I thought. While this can be blamed on the port, I think the TRUE let down was the story, and Geralt. Namely, in the fact he showed absolutely no emotion throughout the game. Geralt changing his tone of voice was quite a rare thing. Noone even cares about the Assassin of Kings post-Flotsam really too. Or at least you dont feel it

[MsFicwriter]

I can remember the exact point at which I began to be horribly disappointed in the current crop of games: Mass Effect 2. I LOVED the first Mass Effect, and slogged through the awkward Mako vehicle sections on my PC countless times just so I could find out the secret of Sovereign again and again (and pair with a certain asari scientist again and again). I had to have Charm and Intimidation skills to get the dialogue options I wanted, and went full-bore on both. Then Mass Effect 2 came along--and tossed all of that in the garbage!!!

No Persuade Checks. Just 3 options: Hero, Neutral, and Anus-Hole. Fantastic.

Right now, I'm replaying Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. I LOVE that game. The graphics are early Cro-Magnon, but the dialogue is simply phenomenal. It's also one of the few games where you get to beat the final boss through persuasion if you have the right stats (very difficult to get!)

Now...*sigh* Even if you're a roleplayer, break out the heavy artillery...

I once read an article that said today's gamers (meaning kids and teens) don't read the text when they play games, or even listen to the NPC dialogue. I do, but then again, I'm 32 years old and prefer my characters to have options for conversations besides "Yeah", "Maybe" and "No Way, Jose". Also, what's with all these awesome games (like the adventure title Hard Rain) NOT being for PC? That makes me so mad! I could have had so much fun playing it...

When's the next die-hard RPG coming out?

[Alexrd]

Originally Posted by MsFicwriter

I do, but then again, I'm 32 years old and prefer my characters to have options for conversations besides "Yeah", "Maybe" and "No Way, Jose".

I've recently played The Old Republic (my first BioWare game with the famous dialogue wheel) and had the same feeling.

[Totenkopf]

Originally Posted by mimartin

NO, U.


I'm older than dirt and games today are way better than when I was a kid.

Pong got a little boring after the first 60 hours.

60 hours, eh? That's a sure sign of commitment. Seriously, though, I completely agree that the games have gotten better, at least visually if nothing else.

Originally Posted by MsFicwriter

I do, but then again, I'm 32 years old and prefer my characters to have options for conversations besides "Yeah", "Maybe" and "No Way, Jose".

Never really played RPG style games before Kotor, but understand completely where you're coming from. Part of the problem w/ME3 was that in spite of 40000 +/- lines of dlg, not enough actual conversations between main charachters.

[purifier]

Originally Posted by Totenkopf

60 hours, eh? That's a sure sign of commitment. Seriously, though, I completely agree that the games have gotten better, at least visually if nothing else.

^Yeah the animation in today's games looks so fringin' real. Big difference from the games I played when I was a kid. Definite better animation above anything else.



As far as my opinion on the video game industry is concerned, well nothing they've put out so far has made me want to quit buying and playing games. I think the games keep getting better IMO, of course I'm into everything except MMOs. So maybe that's why I don't get tired or lose interest in them.

[mur'phon]

I'm not sure there is anything disastrously wrong with the gaming industry, or at least nothing that isn't being fixed. For a long while I thought the increasing cost of making games was killing innovation (if you have to sell a million to make a profit, you don't take risks), but digital distribution seems to be taking care of that. If you have a good idea for a game and is willing to spend evenings after work making that game, digital distribution gives you a way to sell it. Sure, we probably won't go back to the time were risky ideas got turned into games with top of the line graphics and polish, but that's a small price to pay (in my opinion) for the sheer number of games and ideas being produced right now. I don't think games have ever been filled with more innovation than now, it just isn't in the AAA titles.

There's plenty of RPG's out now that innovative: Din's Curse, Mount&Blade, Hinterlands etc
Sure, they aren't AAA, but they are fun, and hopefully their game mechanicswill be pinched by AAA developers once they are proven to work.