Gatt9 wrote...
LPPrince wrote...
Others, on the other hand, are claiming its doom for us all. THOSE are the ones I say are blind hating, because that's exactly what they're doing.
Actually, for the most part, that's what is happening. If you'll allow me...
As I commented in another thread, the gaming industry has become a blockbuster driven industry. If it isn't going to sell vast numbers of units, the publishers don't want to hear about it.
The problem is, this is the path to stagnation. Game X sold 10 million units, so lots of people must want X, so the next game must be just like X. Never mind that there's 3 million people who would buy Idea Y, that's not 10 million, so it's not good enough.
This is what's been occuring since the early 2000's. A number of games sold fairly well, like Evil Genius, or Shattered Union, but didn't get follow ups, because they didn't sell well enough. Meanwhile, Fallout and Mass Effect get coverted to shooters, because shooters sell.
So what ends up happening is that we ultimately only get a few variations of a tiny number of games. Doom, Starcraft, and GTA. Everything else goes by the wayside. So variety becomes virtually nill. Which is pretty much where we are today. Dang near everything at E3 was one of those games, the vast majority a sequel, and a good percentage has a pretty big number after it.
Hollywood knows this is the recipe for disaster, which is why they budget appropriately and support all genres. Horror isn't traditionally a major seller, not compared to Action, yet Hollywood makes sure it's supported. Same thing with Fantasy. Prior to Lord of the Rings, Fantasy was a B movie subject, but Hollywood took a chance, and it paid off huge. Comic Books were the same prior to X-men. Now we get Iron Man, who truthfully was probably a mystery to the majority who walked into the theater.
So Gaming drives headlong on the Blockbuster kick, losing more and more variety by the year. Thing is, you can't keep selling the same thing over and over, eventually people grow tired of it.
Which is *very* likely the reason behind the major drops in sales this year. In fact, I'd bet if you cut out the music game sales out of the past few years, you'd find the same trend for a couple years now.
End result's going to be a crash, and it's coming sooner rather than later. There isn't a studio left that can survive a bad year safely now, except Microsoft and Sony. Activision could, but they'd have to make massive layoffs to do it and live on WoW for awhile. EA definitely cannot, they made a massive error in the early 2000's by trying to switch to mostly MMO gaming and eating 5 failures(Earth and Beyond, Need For Speed Online, and at least 3 known attempts at a Ultima Online sequel).
So yes, Doom's coming, it has to.
(Historical note: If one researches gaming history, one will find this is actually a component of a repetitive cycle. After the Atari crash, the C64 became the gaming platform, until it stagnated by released a multitude of clones. Then the NES rose, took over, and was replaced by the Genesis and SNES. These were characterized primarily by Super Mario clones and a oft-repeated RPG formula. They crashed in the early 90's to be replaced by PC's. Which were succeeded by the PSx and later X-box. These platforms are dominated by Shooters and GTA clones. They're due and overdue to repeat the cycle and crash on their inability to provide variety. The penduluem will again swing to PC gaming, especially with Moore's Law failing providing longevity.)
Well said Gatts, but its lost on who you replying to. He she it thinks DA:O 3.5 million sales were bad sales and thats why the changes coming! Its words, not mine.
The fact DA:O outsold ME2 is lost on the person.
Your dead right on the preceived sales figures and I do see a crash coming. Sooner then later.
I know im getting ALOT more picky with how I spend my entertainment dollars, and im not alone!
I have already decided I wont be buying ME3 because of how ME2 was handled and im pretty close to writing off DA2 as well to be honest! Cant get a straight answer to a simple question it seems no matter how nicely and politely I word the question while poster that blindly gush about a product they know equally little about with but praise anyways without thinking do get answers. Not impressed at all.
Personally, if I had a title that I could count on 3.5 million sales, as a businessman Id be happier then a pig in dodo, compared to doing rabip sweeping changes and hoping I could get 5 million but at the real chance of doing less then the projected 3.5 mill.
I just dont get the mind set here but what ever, I am but a peon in the grand scheme of things.
I hope those that are openly cheering previous customers deptartures are ready to buy 2 or 3 copies each to replace those lost sales.
Anyways, good post. If I was in charge id be creating for the 3.5 mill base and making smaller changes that been actually suggested by the bulk of the player base to improve my products to grow sales that way!
You know, mind numbing moves like making the DLC 1 hour for every dollar charged so players getting their money worth! Make the money by quanity downloading it. You know 1 mill and $1.00/per hour rather then 25,000 at $3.00/per hour ration! But stuff like that just doesnt seem to connect with anyone sadly!
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