The State of Games

This is something I've been thinking about for a while and the 3DS price cut is my trigger for writing this, although it is certainly much broader than just the 3DS, Nintendo, or portable gaming.

I recently read an article that said one of the most valuable video game companies (the most valuable?) is Zynga, the people who brought you Farmville. This led to the discussion that small cheap casual games are going to destroy the "hardcore" video game industry. The idea is that complex games like Mass Effect, Portal, Mario Galaxy cannot directly compete with games like Farmville and Angry Birds. The complex games require lots of expertise and money to make and therefore cost much more. The simpler games cost much less. Consumers flock to simple casual games instead of hardcore complex games.

While I think that's a factor, I do not think it is the sole reason for the industry shrinking. Regardless, I think the hardcore game developers need to take this time to get lean and clean up the clutter. If we're dividing gamers into two groups of "casual" and "hardcore," I'd place myself in the latter. I love games and play them fairly frequently. But I buy one new game year, maybe. Sometimes not even that. The reason is that video games are becoming far too expensive of a hobby for me. I'm assuming others feel the same. A new game costs $60. For me to pay that, it has to be something really special (if I can afford it at all). For $60 I could buy 3 new movies on DVD, 3-6 music albums, or several books. Or I can enjoy several used games (3 to 10). My point is, between other competing media (certainly not just casual games), I can get more enjoyment with my $60.

I'm not trying to argue that other things are better than video games. I'm trying to say that new video game software and hardware have simply become too expensive to be enjoyed as a casual hobby like watching movies or reading books. To survive, video game prices need to go down and to do this game developers to cut down on wasteful spending and perhaps accept less profit.

I say look at the music industry. It is struggling really hard right now. The big companies are cutting corners and still not much is working for them. If the big labels were our only option, the music industry would soon be dead. But I believe other smaller companies will change it and make the music business OK again. And it is not as though the small labels produce lesser quality music (many would argue it's much better). The big companies will reform with them or die out. This analogy only works for so far, but I hope a point is made.

I think the big developers are more flexible than the big record labels (I mean, they make games for three competing system standards -PS3, 360, Wii- and those completely change about every five years). They can make this change when they have to.

What are your thoughts? Where do you agree or disagree with me? Are video games to expensive for you? Do you think developers can cut wasteful spending enough to significantly lower prices?

Video Games are expensive when they're just released, yes. I typically only buy one or two full priced games a year. Most of my shopping comes a year or two later on eBay. I rarely spend more than $25 for a game. I'm planning on maybe buying one full priced title this year -- but I'll still wait on the reviews for Skyward Sword to see if it's worthwhile. I've got a bad feeling about that one.

And that's what really makes gaming sustainable for me. I'm a patient person. I can wait a few months for the brand new AAA game to come down in price. Gaming really isn't that expensive if you have some patience. I've bought 9 XBOX games since I bought my system last year. The only one I payed full price for was Halo Reach.

I find some issue with your point about "video games are becoming far too expensive of a hobby". They're no more expensive now than they were ten years ago, or even twenty. In fact, prices have come down. When the SEGA Saturn launched in the UK, it cost £500. When the Xbox 360 launched in 2005, it was £280.

Now, that £500 for the Saturn is 1995 money. Adjusted for inflation, that's £750 in today's money. Games have been £40 since the Dreamcast set that standard. I remember Mega Drive games costing £60 in the 90s. That's £97 in today's money. I suppose we now have premium DLC forced up our anuses, but other than that games have definitely gotten cheaper.

However, I tend to agree that the days of the 'console' are potentially numbered. I wouldn't red too much into the 3DS price-slash as some kind of 'sign of the times' or anything. I think Nintendo's original price was ridiculous. They raped anyone who bought it at that price. Really hard with a big black penis. Unsurprisingly, people with brains didn't buy one. Most people can sniff out a rip-off, and thus the 3DS performed badly. Because Nintendo overcharged for it so badly in the first place, they can just cut the price in half.

But I do tend to agree that 'gaming' as we know it is fading away. Good-riddance, I say. It's all getting a bit boring. The best stuff around at the moment is the weird things you get from XBL and PSN like Journey. Do I need another COD? Nope. Got three of them now, and I've had my fill. Do I need another Mario? Not really, he's always pretty good, but he hasn't managed to best himself since 1996. Do I need another Gran Turismo? Zelda? Hell no, that series hasn't changed at all. It's now utterly shit, in my eyes.

So yes, I can definitely see a massive change coming. Exactly what that is - fuck knows.

I don't find gaming an expensive hobby in general - this is due to good trade in systems from places like Gamestation (not Game), HMV and CEX. With one full price game I can near enough get another 4 or 5 full price games from that (if the game isn't worth keeping or I can get my worth out of it within a week) just by trading it in the week after (and getting bonus points on card), so suddenly that full price game goes to around £10 a pop.

You also have to come to terms with how much money your spending for how much entertainment you are getting. You buy a film for a tenner and that nets you two hours entertainment, and you may watch that film twice more in the year - 6 hours entertainment for a tenner. A game goes for around £30-40 new (and for good games) will net you 10+ hours of singleplayer interactive campaign + however many hours you spend playing multiplayer or replaying - when that is factored, the price seems much less - especially considering that games aren't a one off experience and that they get patches/fixes and free (on occasion e.g. Assassins Creed) DLC for a good year after. For example, I got Bad Company 2 for £35, completed the story mode twice and played over 160 hours of multiplayer, with fresh map packs coming out periodically to keep the gameplay fresh - and a small price for Vietnam - definitely worth it. You have to look at it in terms of enjoyment.

However, with the way things are going with the lower price point of 'casual' games, will we see the complex games get rolled out all together? - the industry will have to adapt to the new challenges. Gaming overall has gotten cheaper, but things like Onlive will shake up the formula again and push games cheaper, or become a subscription service similar to Netflix or LoveFilm.

The problem with games today though is:

I'm sick of seeing a new CoD, Fifa and various knock offs each year, we need more new ip's, its just a shame that whenever someone says 'gaming' to the majority of people they see CoD, Farmville, Fifa, Angry Birds etc in their mind.

I've been getting more and more tired of videogames in general the past 2 years. I hardly spend much money on games any more and I tend to buy very few games per year. I prefer to wait till most games come down in price, as well.

I still have a a big interest in them, but I just don't buy or play them as much any more.

That said, I do think videogames are moving into a different direction and that will become even more prominent over the next few years. As with all things, they have to move on and generations change. It's like old people saying they hate new music and such.



( Edited 29.07.2011 20:10 by Marzy )

Ok, this is what I think. Video games are falling heavily under capitalist tendencies. Music has gone down hard, with the only good music being underground or indie really. Films have plummeted too, with the only good movies being indie or a couple here and there that are nominated for best pictures at large events. In both these instances, the general public is continuously getting dumbed down with lackluster sequels of franchises, or number one hit singles that talk about nothing but partying. Once a brand has been established 99 percent of the time it's gonna get destroyed (there are exceptions like LotR of course, but generally this holds true). All that big labels and studios want to do is get the number one hit single on the radio, or get the box office weekend. And what's the easiest way to do this? Make something extremely easy to understand for the idiotic public. Video games are going down this path too. All we see is sequel after sequel just trying to get the big bucks. Honestly, when it comes to game design, indie games, and some Nintendo/Valve games are the only ones left that actually make great stuff. There are always exceptions, but this is happening to video games too. Disagree all you want, but this is my little rant on society and capitalism lol.

Martin_ said:
I find some issue with your point about "video games are becoming far too expensive of a hobby". They're no more expensive now than they were ten years ago, or even twenty. In fact, prices have come down. When the SEGA Saturn launched in the UK, it cost £500. When the Xbox 360 launched in 2005, it was £280.

Now, that £500 for the Saturn is 1995 money. Adjusted for inflation, that's £750 in today's money. Games have been £40 since the Dreamcast set that standard. I remember Mega Drive games costing £60 in the 90s. That's £97 in today's money. I suppose we now have premium DLC forced up our anuses, but other than that games have definitely gotten cheaper.

I think there's some truth to that. But growing up I've learned how expensive video games are. Movies are cheap. Most people have a TV already. You can buy a DVD player for $50 and new movies cost $20 a piece. Old or used, you can them for $5 or $10 a piece. That's it. You can invest in surround sound or a really nice TV or whatever, but that's completely up to you. To play video games you need at least one console (roughly $200, depending on what and when you buy), and games starting at $60 a piece, but going down to $20 or maybe even a bit lower if you buy cheap stuff used. That's the bare minimum. If you want to play with friends, you or they need to buy an extra controller, which costs around $40 or you can play online, which, if you play on Xbox Live, will cost $60 a year (and them as well). That's just for two people. After that, you can add luxury items to your gaming rig just as you can movies (surround sound, big TV, etc).

My point is, to enjoy gaming takes a much bigger investment that books or movies. Cost-wise it seems like a serious hobby, like taking martial classes or paintball. I love games, but these costs are hard for even me. I don't know how a more casual gamer can be expected to should these costs (and I'm talking about games on consoles and such, not the small little time wasters on smartphones).

Perhaps I'm just cheap. I'm in college, so money is tight. I rarely buy anything new anymore. I can't justify buying new entertainment when I can perhaps have just as much fun with older, used entertainment.

How do you guys feel about digital downloads or "cloud gaming" like Gaikai and OnLive? Potentially, I see this as a way to cut down costs a lot. There's no printing discs, boxes, and manuals. You need few accessories, if any, for cloud gaming. You could play in your browser. As it develops more I believe you could buy a simple box for your TV or computer that will let you hook up console-like controllers or Kinect-like peripherals. The big hurdles are household internet speeds still being too slow and bandwidth caps.

I'm kind of old fashioned, but I really like my possessions taking up physical space. I still buy almost all of my music on CD and I prefer paper books to digital. Aside from that, I hate oppressive DRM and buying only a "service" as opposed to owning a "product." This is already present in physical games, but I see it only getting worse with digital downloads.

Also, how would you feel to see consoles die? I would be sad to see the day that Nintendo consoles are only a thing of the past. But if cloud computing becomes a viable way to play for the large majority of the market, I don't really see the two coexisting for very long. Or maybe, with the integration of computers and TVs, consoles will die but computers will still give a very console-like experience.

Oh, and Echoes, I liked that video about pre-production. My call to cut clutter was really vague. This is a specific and realistic way to be more efficient. Thanks.

Good discussion guys

TAG Said:Oh, and Echoes, I liked that video about pre-production. My call to cut clutter was really vague. This is a specific and realistic way to be more efficient. Thanks.

Marzy said:
I've been getting more and more tired of videogames in general the past 2 years.

TAG Said:
How do you guys feel about digital downloads or "cloud gaming" like Gaikai and OnLive?

I'm kind of old fashioned, but I really like my possessions taking up physical space. I still buy almost all of my music on CD and I prefer paper books to digital

In terms of consoles dying out, they may do, but as they have been going, they have been turning more and more into all in ones. Capability of doing everything - even TV's have started doing this with Youtube etc. And when that happens, the price of the 'box' may not be so bad because it becomes your main media centre.

( Edited 30.07.2011 02:30 by Echoes221 )

Hmm, I've been thinking about the whole console dying out thing. I don't see home consoles going anywhere soon, but I honestly think that the 3DS/Vita will be either the last gen of handheld gaming (in terms of the big 3 video game companies), or the second to last gen. Most people would rather play games on smartphones as they're quick and simple, and everything else you need is already on the phone. If Nintendo or Sony really want to get profits back from handheld gaming, then they'll have to make something that has what a standard smartphone has, or else it's too late. I mean, I enjoy portable gaming, but the vast majority of people would rather want to play Angry Birds than Ocarina of Time.

Martin_ said:
I find some issue with your point about "video games are becoming far too expensive of a hobby". They're no more expensive now than they were ten years ago, or even twenty. In fact, prices have come down. When the SEGA Saturn launched in the UK, it cost £500. When the Xbox 360 launched in 2005, it was £280.

It's not the price to the consumer which is the big issue regarding games and cost. The cost of the games to make is where the big issue lies.

The advent of current technologies has been a big problem in certain aspects. The issue is that companies now simply can't afford to take risks. The amount of manpower required in order to create a game these days has all but killed small studios in the traditional industy. And the bigger companies are more interested in guaranteeing a return. however...

But I do tend to agree that 'gaming' as we know it is fading away. Good-riddance, I say. It's all getting a bit boring. The best stuff around at the moment is the weird things you get from XBL and PSN like Journey. Do I need another COD? Nope. Got three of them now, and I've had my fill. Do I need another Mario? Not really, he's always pretty good, but he hasn't managed to best himself since 1996. Do I need another Gran Turismo? Zelda? Hell no, that series hasn't changed at all. It's now utterly shit, in my eyes.

And you've hit the nail on the head right here, it's the small indie markets which are having the breakthroughs. If I look at my 360 now at what I've been playing recently, there is...

Super Meat Boy
Sonic 4
Bomberman Battlefest
Rez HD
Beyond Good and Evil
Mirrors Edge

If we look at these, I see two things. Firstly I like platformers too much (there'd be Braid on there two if I had the spare moolah to buy it,) and secondly, with the exception of one game Mirrors Edge, they all cost less than ten pounds, and they're all on the XBLA, with BG&E being a port (which I wish would stop crashing) and everything else being made for XBLA/PSN. They're all good games in their own right (although I know milage varies on Sonic 4), they all were both cheap to make (except BG&E and Mirrors Edge) It's the Download market where the innovation is, where the risks are.

TAG said:
The reason is that video games are becoming far too expensive of a hobby for me. I'm assuming others feel the same.

Whilst I was writing the last statement something occured to me. I'm 22, I'm assuming most people are as well, give or take 5 years. When the earlier consoles came out, I had no real outgoings and a lot of things were bought for me, compare and contrast to today, where I have a home, band and lifestyle to fund as well as a gaming habit. I imagine this is true for a lot of us.