The Stagnation Of Gaming

[Alex]

So I recently watched a video talking about how gaming has become stagnated

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/bt/the-sage/wow/28167-ep-06-stagnation-of-gaming

And I fully agreed with it. Most games nowadays are very similar in concept and there are very few new ideas. You either have a generic First Person Shooter, a generic Third Person Shooter or a generic Action/Adventure.

There are games out there that try different ideas (No More Heroes etc) but they're few and far between.

I think what solidifies it for me is the still right at the end and Sage (the video narrator) gives you three choices from where it's from and the answer... none of them it was from a totally different game, but you'd be hard pressed to have known the screen shot came from that particular game.

And this just shows how generic and similar most games have become.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

I don't know if I would saw gaming is becoming stagnate because it could be argued that with each passing year video games become more mainstream and the stigma associated with video games is slowly being removed. There are alot of good games being released each year, but the problem is that game developers are afraid to take risk.

Because video games today cost more money to make today, the investments are that much bigger, and the risks are that much smaller, in order to protect those investments. The lack of risk-taking is focing game developers to abandon a potentially innovative gameplay mechanic (for example), and attempt to repeat a known success from another developer. For example, look at the growing list of cookie-cutter First Person Shooters being released, or the amount of music rhythm games littering store shelves, and most likely your own game collection.

 

[Alex]

I guess we are living in a recession era, and video game developers are playing it safe by releasing games that have a tried and tested formula to sell. But this shouldn't stop people from trying something new, even a minor change or tweak is still a different idea.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

As gamers, we don't help the situation at all. In fact, we might be promoting it.

Like you mentioned the economy is in a tough place right now, many of us are struggling to hold on to the jobs we have. Money isn't cheap, and with the high cost in developing video games, neither are the games that we like to buy.

Because a game can (and often is for the Xbox 306 and Playstation 3) cost anywhere from sixty to seventy dollars at initial launch, gamers would like to know that they are getting a game that they know they would like. If you like Modern Warfare, here's five other generic shooters that feel the same.

No one would spend sixty dollars on a game that they aren't one hundred percent convinced they think they will enjoy.

I think that is part of the reason why game apps sales for the Iphone are doing really well. There is a much lower cost for purchase the game, and because development cost are down, developers are not afraid to take the risk that they wouldn't take on major consoles.

 

[Arkham Noir]

As gamers, we don't help the situation at all. In fact, we might be promoting it.

Like you mentioned the economy is in a tough place right now, many of us are struggling to hold on to the jobs we have. Money isn't cheap, and with the high cost in developing video games, neither are the games that we like to buy.

Because a game can (and often is for the Xbox 306 and Playstation 3) cost anywhere from sixty to seventy dollars at initial launch, gamers would like to know that they are getting a game that they know they would like. If you like Modern Warfare, here's five other generic shooters that feel the same.

No one would spend sixty dollars on a game that they aren't one hundred percent convinced they think they will enjoy.

I think that is part of the reason why game apps sales for the Iphone are doing really well. There is a much lower cost for purchase the game, and because development cost are down, developers are not afraid to take the risk that they wouldn't take on major consoles.

I think that's really what it boils down to. When it takes so much time and money to make a game, most developers don't want it all to go to waste on a game that won't sell. So they just go with what works and will easily make their money and can move on.

It's not hard to see why the developers don't aim for something new anyways, gamers aren't exactly protesting. Look at the Halo franchise. Each one sold like mad. How many people you think are out there that own all of them? Tons.

But for the whole, I do agree with the OP, there are alot of similar games out there . But if people are enjoying/buying them....

 

[Blade]

I disagree. To say Shooting Action games have basically become the major genre in the games industry is really short sighted. They're just the most mainstream games, mindless crap geared towards morons. It doesn't mean that the games industry has become stagnated, it just means you have to put in a little more effort to find games that are worth playing. Every form of industry has a big, mainstream genre that has utterly generic installments. Films have the romantic comedies, Music has pop. It's nothing new in entertainment.

But just like people who don't like RomCom movies or Pop music, if you don't like Shooter/Action games, you have to look a little deeper. Ignore them if you want, but don't bullshit about the state of the games industry because of them. There's quite a few games that are unique out there. Heavy Rain? Mad World? Not to mention games that aren't totally unique, but still have heart and are still fantastic in their own right, like Mass Effect, Fable, Fallout etc. What's wrong with any of those games? Nothing. Many great, non-generic games still exist.

There's no need to freak out about the generic Shooter game epidemic that has swept the gaming world over the last decade. It's something that happens in every entertainment form, you just have to dig a little deeper to find the good stuff.

 

[Alex]

You say to look a bit deeper for games that would appeal to me, but this isn't music, its a lot harder to make a game with various combat mechanics, most people can only create a 2D platformer/arcade shooter fair enough if you don't mind playing an internet game for a while but its very limited, XBLA have a indie section, but these also use the 2D based outline, you need money which these indie developers don't have to create a proper 3D game.

Mass Effect uses a third person shooter style for combat because at this point in time its popular, and while Fallout has been around for a while, 3 decided to use an FPS style for combat because they thought it would increase sales from the turn based combat of the previous two games. (and it did) If they were to have come out eight years ago, these games might have had a possibility of a different playing style.

 

[ABMorales787]

But just like people who don't like RomCom movies or Pop music, if you don't like Shooter/Action games, you have to look a little deeper. Ignore them if you want, but don't bullshit about the state of the games industry because of them. There's quite a few games that are unique out there. Heavy Rain? Mad World? Not to mention games that aren't totally unique, but still have heart and are still fantastic in their own right, like Mass Effect, Fable, Fallout etc. What's wrong with any of those games? Nothing. Many great, non-generic games still exist.

There's no need to freak out about the generic Shooter game epidemic that has swept the gaming world over the last decade. It's something that happens in every entertainment form, you just have to dig a little deeper to find the good stuff.

That's something I don't really like. Why do I have to look deeper to find a videogame to my liking? What happened to the days when you talked about Star Fox 64 for a minute then you were talking about Tomb Raider 3? Nowadays only a few games get the attention as opposed to most. You used to have as much hype build for Legend Of Zelda as you would for Final Fantasy or Gran Turismo. Now it's different. now it's about the company. If Microsoft want's it pushed because they made it, that's hwo it goes. Same for Sony. Which is why you see little hype for Wii game's unless they are you typical gimmick workout game.

I don't like that. The gaming genre wasn't monopolized like this back in the day. Why should it be now?

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

I disagree. To say Shooting Action games have basically become the major genre in the games industry is really short sighted.

Not really. If you take a look at the top played games on Xbox Live and on the Playstation Network, I'd guess that consistantly games such as Call of Duty and Halo etc. are always near the top if not number one.

I think it is safe to say that shooters are the biggest selling genre of video games today.

They're just the most mainstream games, mindless crap geared towards morons.

It is unfortunate that shooters have become what they are today in the sense that it's clear that the main focus during the games development is on the online multiplayer portion of the game rather than the signal player campaign. Or at least an equal split between the two.

Sometime it is fun to just play "mindless crap" but I wouldn't say that its geared towards morons. I enjoy a good shooter. Would I like to see more inovation in a shooter? Absolutely. But in the mean time I have no issue is putting in Call of Duty and just playing.

It doesn't mean that the games industry has become stagnated, it just means you have to put in a little more effort to find games that are worth playing. Every form of industry has a big, mainstream genre that has utterly generic installments. Films have the romantic comedies, Music has pop. It's nothing new in entertainment.

But just like people who don't like RomCom movies or Pop music, if you don't like Shooter/Action games, you have to look a little deeper. Ignore them if you want, but don't bullshit about the state of the games industry because of them. There's quite a few games that are unique out there. Heavy Rain? Mad World? Not to mention games that aren't totally unique, but still have heart and are still fantastic in their own right, like Mass Effect, Fable, Fallout etc. What's wrong with any of those games? Nothing. Many great, non-generic games still exist.

There's no need to freak out about the generic Shooter game epidemic that has swept the gaming world over the last decade. It's something that happens in every entertainment form, you just have to dig a little deeper to find the good stuff.

No one is claiming that there isn't alot of gold beneath the shooter dirt. But my point is that if a game developer had the support it needed to take risk, then they would have the option to create an innovated, non-shooter game much like Heavy Rain.

I remember reading an interview from the creator of Heavy Rain, in it he said that neither he or Sony expected Heavy Rain to sell nearly as good as it did. But Sony took a risk, and it paid off.

I think it is safe to say that the shooter genre is the most finacially successful genre in video games. With the cost of developing any game being so high, a developing company is less likely to take a risk and creating something that is innovative, but might not do well on the market rather than develope a game that is suited for where the money is.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The problem with there being "no new ideas" is that people do not always accept new ideas. Legend of Dragoon tried a new type of battle system, and that created its very divided fanbase. Some loved the game despite the battle system, some loved the game and embraced the gameplay, while others hated it because of the gameplay. That's not the only example. So many people are afraid of change. That is why so few new ideas come out. Platformer games were "Mario Bros with a different character", adventure games are often "Zelda clones", fighter games that resemble Street Fighter too much.... and the ever popular argument that RPG's are knockoffs of either Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior. Gaming companies are too concerned with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Eventually doing the same thing over and over again WILL break the concept. People will get sick of playing the same game over and over again. Even the hardcore fanboys that have the games memorized. Games will continue to stagnate a bit until someone breaks through with a new idea AND the majority of gamers accept it because people get bored with seeing the same stuff all the time, yet they complain that there's never anything new. Anyone else see the problem here?