Are You Worried About the State of the Gaming Industry?

[vampko]

So they're focusing on children just because they don't have a deep plot? Seems kind of unfair. Deep plots have their place, but sometimes a deep plot isn't needed.

[stealth20k]

square is doing fine.......

Correction: Their Eidos division is doing fine. The actual Square Enix in Japan seems to be struggling to find their place in today's market.

actually its kinda the opposite

[ZekeFreek]

actually its kinda the opposite

Sir, you seem terribly misinformed.

If you want me to take you seriously, start explaining your views instead of stating them as facts and assuming everyone will automatically agree with you.

[Clephas]

So they're focusing on children just because they don't have a deep plot? Seems kind of unfair. Deep plots have their place, but sometimes a deep plot isn't needed.

Let me clarify... I don't necessarily require a Xenogears, Tactics Ogre, or Suikoden II level plot to satisfy me... but I'd at least like to see the stories somewhere around the range of Lufia II (the original, not the crappy remake) or Wild Arms. Neither was incredibly deep but each had a strong story nonetheless. It's not cliches that bother me, its poor execution of those cliches or a focus on grinding because the writers aren't good enough to keep the attention of a person of average intelligence. The greatest value of jrpgs has never been their gameplay or visuals but in the ability to tell a story that draws you in and causes you to invest emotionally in the characters and/or the events of the story itself. I primarily bewail the vanishing of the deep stories like the Suikoden (main series) and Xenogears types, but I also bewail the vanishing of the Wild Arms (the first two) and the Grandias (again, the first two) of the jrpg industry.

[Rednal]

It's pretty rare for me to desperately lust after a game these days...

I just desperately lust after Coc- I-I mean, uh, y'know, niche developers like NIS and Compile Heart are still putting out the kinds of games I enjoy playing. I wish I could have more adventure-y games like Skies of Arcadia Legends, but I'm pretty much satisfied with what's currently available.

[Prinapocalypse]

It's pretty rare for me to desperately lust after a game these days...

I just desperately lust after Coc- I-I mean, uh, y'know, niche developers like NIS and Compile Heart are still putting out the kinds of games I enjoy playing.

+1 respect to you for putting a grin on my face.

[stealth20k]

everyone should be worried

[Chestnut Bowl]

I'm worried about the game industry moving towards social gaming, casual games on tablets and smartphones, and increasing development costs. I'm always worried about Diablo III-style DRM, making people play single-player games online or tethered to some kind of internet service.

[Rednal]

I hate internet connection requirements for single-player games. It's why I won't get Diablo III. XD; For one, the games are tied to particular servers... so when they shut down, you can't play the game ever again. I mean, it's one thing if you pay for timed access to the game; monthly or yearly subscriptions, for example. But selling a customer a game that "you can only play what you bought until we decide you can't anymore"? I just don't like that. >.<

But hey, I still play console games a lot, and there's less worry there. XD; For now.

[stealth20k]

less overall games, thats for sure

[SegaValkyrian]

I am worried for small time publishers like Atlus and NIS.If they ever make too much money then a larger publisher will buy them up and dissolve the staff.

[bldudas]

I'm worried about the game industry moving towards social gaming, casual games on tablets and smartphones, and increasing development costs. I'm always worried about Diablo III-style DRM, making people play single-player games online or tethered to some kind of internet service.

I'm worried about this plus DLC. Developers/publisher take advantage of DLC and put less on the disk to begin with. We are getting less what we pay for. Also, most genres' games are getting shorter.

[stealth20k]

I am worried for small time publishers like Atlus and NIS.If they ever make too much money then a larger publisher will buy them up and dissolve the staff.

then dont get purchased

[DoomKvlt]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but I don't want a new gen of consoles to release anytime soon due to production cost. Financing a game is a hefty task within itself currently, and I can't imagine the production cost of the next gen. LA Noire for example was a financial success but still managed to bankrupt Team Bondi with all the money put into the facial technology.

[ZekeFreek]

I am worried for small time publishers like Atlus and NIS.If they ever make too much money then a larger publisher will buy them up and dissolve the staff.

I can potentially see Atlus buying up NISA, but someone like Activision buying them? No way. That doesn't happen, in fact, I doubt anyone at Activision knows of NISA's existence.