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[damidu]

you know your bestie, is in a nutshell, neogaf -> interntet -> neogaf, right?

 

[Poppinfresh]

Those of us who grew up having complete experiences of a dizzying number of varieties, like those that could be found all the way up to the Xbox 360 era, have had nothing of interest to play for literally years now.

Speak for yourself.

I'm in my mid/late 40s, grew up on Atari, Nintendo, Sega, and PC gaming, and I am absolutely overwhelmed by the titles I want to play now, and as a rule, I don't play "indie" games.

 

[SomeNorseGuy]

Pack it up boys!

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

The idea that videogames are "slowly dying" or that "there's no talent left" is not supported by any serious industry data.
From a macroeconomic standpoint, the videogame industry continues to expand. Global revenues have surpassed $180–190 billion annually, and forecasts still point to long-term growth, not contraction. The player base now exceeds 3.2 billion people worldwide, a figure that has increased steadily over the past decade. An industry that is losing relevance does not gain hundreds of millions of new users.
Employment numbers tell the same story. The total number of developers, studios, and professionals working in games has grown significantly, especially in Asia, Europe, and emerging markets. At the same time, development budgets, production scope, and technical complexity have reached levels that were unthinkable even 10–15 years ago.

Platform data is equally clear:

PlayStation continues to break records in software revenue and engagement, with first-party titles regularly selling very well.
Nintendo has one of the most successful hardware/software ecosystems in history, with evergreen IPs generating sustained sales across generations.
PC gaming is at an all-time high in terms of active users, live-service revenue, and high-end hardware adoption.
Mobile gaming alone represents roughly 50% of global gaming revenue, driven by massive user bases and long-term monetization models.

The only segment showing structural weakness is dedicated Xbox home console hardware, which is a platform-specific issue, not an industry-wide one. Similar shifts have happened before; Sega is the obvious historical example, without implying the decline of videogames as a medium.
What has changed is audience perception. Many long-time players are experiencing fatigue, nostalgia bias, or diminishing novelty, and they confuse that personal feeling with an objective decline in quality or talent. But reduced emotional impact for an individual does not equal creative collapse.

Talent has not disappeared; it has spread across more genres, tools, and production scales. Today's industry supports:
Finally, the forward-looking picture matters. The 2025–2026 release pipeline includes major new IPs, long-awaited sequels, and substantial technological upgrades that will likely reset many narratives currently driven by cynicism rather than evidence.
In short, videogames are not dying.
What's growing instead is disenchantment in part of the audience, amplified by online discourse. The numbers, however, tell a very different story.

That ChatGPT screed in no way reflects the current apocalyptic reality. At all.

The industry has never been in a weaker position for as long as I've been alive.

Speak for yourself.

I'm in my mid/late 40s, grew up on Atari, Nintendo, Sega, and PC gaming, and I am absolutely overwhelmed by the titles I want to play now, and as a rule, I don't play "indie" games.

Oh, really? Such as?

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Cult-like desperation. I've really touched a nerve, haven't I?

Only thing I hate more than french people are fake ass concern trolls, yeah

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

Only thing I hate more than french people are fake ass concern trolls, yeah

It's a very good thing that your "hate" has no currency in this argument. I really couldn't care less.
If you want to refute my claims (beyond OMG, you're so dumb, etc.), then by all means. Otherwise:

 

[Soodanim]

W Walliwallipaloo what was the last great game

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

It's a very good thing that your "hate" has no currency in this argument. I really couldn't care less.

You've not enjoyed gaming, in your own admission, for years, yet here you are making an account on an enthusiast forum in 2025. Can you be any more fake?

 

[Caio]

That ChatGPT screed in no way reflects the current apocalyptic reality. At all.

The industry has never been in a weaker position for as long as I've been alive.



Oh, really? Such as?

Calling it "apocalyptic" doesn't make it true, it just avoids engaging with facts.
An industry generating around 190 billion dollars a year, serving over 3 billion players, with record software sales, engagement, and production budgets, is not in its weakest state. That's not how collapse looks.
What you're describing is a post-COVID correction after years of overexpansion. Layoffs and studio closures happened before in the '80s, the late '90s, and the PS3 era too. None of those periods killed videogames. They reset them.
Personal disappointment or burnout is not an objective measure of industry health. The medium didn't lose talent, it matured, diversified, and scaled. If this were truly an apocalypse, capital wouldn't still be flowing into new IP, new hardware, and a packed 2025–2026 release pipeline.
This isn't decline. It's cynicism being louder than data.
Anything else ?

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

You've not enjoyed gaming, in your own admission, for years, yet here you are making an account on an enthusiast forum in 2025. Can you be any more fake?

Being a videogame enthusiast does not mean having to suck down swill at the trough with a smile on one's face.

I'm hoping for a bounceback. That won't happen so long as we're sitting here with big smiles and faces stained with shit. If shit is enough to make us happy, that's precisely what the big-money companies are going to keep shoveling up for us.

By all means, keep spending money on "pulls" hoping to get your favorite anime waifu for the latest non-game gacha mess. Keep telling yourself that the industry has peaked.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Being a videogame enthusiast does not mean having to suck down swill at the trough with a smile on one's face.

I'm hoping for a bounceback. That won't happen so long as we're sitting here with big smiles and faces stained with shit. If shit is enough to make us happy, that's precisely what the big-money companies are going to keep shoveling up for us.

By all means, keep spending money on "pulls" hoping to get your favorite anime waifu for the latest non-game gacha mess. Keep telling yourself that the industry has peaked.

What gacha money am I spending in KCD2, exactly? It's telling when you can only resort back to industry slime to make your point.

 

[Zathalus]

ChatGPT will literally agree with you on anything if you keep pressing it or listing similarities. All while calling your prompts "insightful" and "getting to the core of the issue".

So no, I doubt a crash is on the way.

 

[HRK69]

I mean, I don't know why you think you have a victory telling me that gaming isn't my thing anymore. I mean, it's not the "thing" of anyone who appreciated games up to the 360 era, which was sort of the whole crux of my argument.

Speak for yourself, dude. You don't respresent an entire generation.

Problem is, it's also not the "thing" of the talented creators who built the industry into a multi-million dollar juggernaut. That creative talent has moved on or has been forced out of the industry, resulting in the slopfest I am speaking of.

The sea of glow-up remakes and remasters goes to show the industry is floundering to replicate that creative output, and perhaps even to justify its own existence.



If every single panel on your car rusted and fell off, and all you have is some suspension and tires, do you still have a car?

You're mourning a golden age that, in your head, ended the second the credits rolled on your last 360 game.

Meanwhile the rest of us are playing the spiritual successors and outright better versions of those classics, made by people with the same passion but better tools and less corporate handcuffs

You are professionally miserable. Holy shit.

 

[Sephimoth]

AA, eastern AAA, and indies seem to be doing great. Maybe it's just western AAA that's headed for a crash:

- For Sony; Spiderman 2 and Ghost of Yotei didn't exactly set the world on fire.
- Concord (and it's similar upcoming clone bombas)
- New DOOM game came out, no one cares.
- Ubisoft cannot land a hit and are on the verge of collapse.
- Bethesda / Starfield (lol)
- Obsidian released two RPGs, Avowed has 741 playing right now on Steam, Outer Worlds 2 has 2k
- <probably loads more, add yours here>
- If any of these bullet points angered you, cope

 

[chromatic9]

Not a crash but an adjustment or cull if you like.

Then later on games will be like tap water due to how ai tools will advance

 

[yurinka]

The idea that videogames are "slowly dying" or that "there's no talent left" is not supported by any serious industry data.
From a macroeconomic standpoint, the videogame industry continues to expand. Global revenues have surpassed $180–190 billion annually, and forecasts still point to long-term growth, not contraction. The player base now exceeds 3.2 billion people worldwide, a figure that has increased steadily over the past decade. An industry that is losing relevance does not gain hundreds of millions of new users.
Employment numbers tell the same story. The total number of developers, studios, and professionals working in games has grown significantly, especially in Asia, Europe, and emerging markets. At the same time, development budgets, production scope, and technical complexity have reached levels that were unthinkable even 10–15 years ago.

Platform data is equally clear:

PlayStation continues to break records in software revenue and engagement, with first-party titles regularly selling very well.
Nintendo has one of the most successful hardware/software ecosystems in history, with evergreen IPs generating sustained sales across generations.
PC gaming is at an all-time high in terms of active users, live-service revenue, and high-end hardware adoption.
Mobile gaming alone represents roughly 50% of global gaming revenue, driven by massive user bases and long-term monetization models.

The only segment showing structural weakness is dedicated Xbox home console hardware, which is a platform-specific issue, not an industry-wide one. Similar shifts have happened before; Sega is the obvious historical example, without implying the decline of videogames as a medium.
What has changed is audience perception. Many long-time players are experiencing fatigue, nostalgia bias, or diminishing novelty, and they confuse that personal feeling with an objective decline in quality or talent. But reduced emotional impact for an individual does not equal creative collapse.

Talent has not disappeared; it has spread across more genres, tools, and production scales. Finally, the forward-looking picture matters. The 2025–2026 release pipeline includes major new IPs, long-awaited sequels, and substantial technological upgrades that will likely reset many narratives currently driven by cynicism rather than evidence.
In short, videogames are not dying.
What's growing instead is disenchantment in part of the audience, amplified by online discourse. The numbers, however, tell a very different story.

Yep, all the industry KPIs are improving.

Regarding games cancelled, studio closures or layoffs, they grew but perception gets amplified by the clickbaity media and social media. Who doesn't mention that the amount of studios opened is bigger than the ones closed, that there's more people hired than fired, that are more games started than cancelled+released.

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

Calling it "apocalyptic" doesn't make it true, it just avoids engaging with facts.
An industry generating around 190 billion dollars a year, serving over 3 billion players, with record software sales, engagement, and production budgets, is not in its weakest state. That's not how collapse looks.
What you're describing is a post-COVID correction after years of overexpansion. Layoffs and studio closures happened before in the '80s, the late '90s, and the PS3 era too. None of those periods killed videogames. They reset them.
Personal disappointment or burnout is not an objective measure of industry health. The medium didn't lose talent, it matured, diversified, and scaled. If this were truly an apocalypse, capital wouldn't still be flowing into new IP, new hardware, and a packed 2025–2026 release pipeline.
This isn't decline. It's cynicism being louder than data.
Anything else ?

I mean, this is literally the "This is Fine" dog in text form.
Studios cannot afford to make even the low-effort slop they've been shoveling. Huge names in the industry are folding. Embracer just bought up and then stupidly dashed to pieces vast chunks of videogame history. One of the big three has all but left the table after years of actual, factual incompetence. Nintendo isn't in the business of making games anymore - just suing people who don't want to pay a subscription to constantly have access to the games they grew up on 30 years ago. And Sony... um... exists, but only because the other companies are in a hurry to experience the most elaborate death-scene possible.

Don't worry, your hobby is fine. Look, we still have Minecraft, Fortnite, and Gacha Titties. Great. Terrific.

Who doesn't mention that the amount of studios opened is bigger than the ones closed, that there's more people hired than fired, that are more games started than cancelled+released.

I can't remember the exact numbers, but not too long ago there was an article about how more than a thousand games released on Steam this year which each made less than a hundred dollars.

A "studio" can be any chucklenuts (or even a shell). The fact that things are in fact being produced is neither indicative of quality or sustainability.

 

[Valonquar]

There won't be a crash, more like a slow and steady decline in overall quality and polish. We're happy when we get 3 GOTY candidates to fight about now as it is.

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

Not in my opinion as there's a bunch of awesome games coming in fact the games coming out in the next few years are better than the nearly the whole last decade.

We got at least three big Warhammer 40k games coming with Space Marine 3, Dawn of War 4, and now Total Wars Warhammer 40k.

We got Tides of Annihilation, Darksiders 4, and now even Stellar Blade 2 coming.

We got Half Life 3 which is 99% happening with their new Alyx engine.

We got big giants like GTA VI, Witcher 4, Elder Scrolls VI, and Fallout 5 coming.

We got Resident Evil 9 and more Remakes coming.

And more!

Games are better than ever, and could even be the best gaming upcoming spree since the perfect SNES to N64/PS1/PS2 days.

 

[PlayStaytion]

It's the opposite actually, lazy gamers are just patient hunters waiting for crazy deals to happen. It's not the economy, if you could convince someone to have 4 income streams, depends how many of them you could and if you succeeded to convince many, therefore, it's not the economy.

 

[Pop]

THese weekend threads are wild

Microsoft for obvious reasons is the main crash out but not only them. $70+ games is failing. When great games can release for $40, people start to question.

 

[Mengy]

I've been gaming since the early 80's and to me it seems like gaming (overall) today is better than ever, and its not even close.

Now, I do think its reasonable to expect the AAA/AAAA+ game industry to regress a bit and experience a sizeable crash soon. Costs and budgets have gotten far too big and its now at the point where many AAA games can't make a profit. That needs to change and I feel it will.

However, we have more indie / AA games today than ever, and so many of them are far better than what most of the AAA industry is creating. The sub AAA game industry is rolling strong like a runaway freight train, and I don't see that stopping or slowing anytime soon. So while a AAA+ crash will probably happen, said crash will probably only strengthen what's going on in the indie / AA space.

So, no I don't think a general games industry crash is coming, but rather a gaming revolution of sorts. The AAA industry needs to change, I don't think it can survive by what its currently doing, but the lower end of the game industry is growing and thriving, and I only see that getting better over time, not worse.

 

[yurinka]

- For Sony; Spiderman 2 and Ghost of Yotei didn't exactly set the world on fire
- Concord (and it's similar upcoming clone bombas)

Spider-Man 2 was their fastest selling game ever.

Yotei is performing pretty much exactly like Tsushima (which back then was their fastest selling new IP ever) but with a smaller console installbase.

Concord bombed, like any year since gaming started in the 70s many games bomb. But in this case regarding Sony GaaS, the previous two quarters GaaS made over 40% of their first party revenue, which is like twice as big as a generation ago.

- Ubisoft cannot land a hit and are on the verge of collapse

Not true, as a couple examples Assassin's Creed Shadows is one of the top selling games of the year in NA and EU, and Anno was one of the top selling games in Europe last month, when it released.

And they aren't on the verge of collaps at all, they are in a healthy finantial position.

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

W Walliwallipaloo what was the last great game

Trails in the Sky, 1st Chapter, which released this year. That's called an outlier, and it's a remake of an ancient Vita game. So don't go thumping your chest.

Seriously one of the only games released in the past 5 years that I would consider a great and memorable experience. The fact that it is a remake does not help.

 

[calico]

It depends how broad a definition of gaming we are talking about. I think the part we mostly concern ourselves with is well past its peak relevance. It's still in decent shape for enthusiasts though imo. I wouldn't view the reduced viability of AAA gaming to be the death of gaming; it may even be a good thing.

If we instead consider all forms of gaming and measure it by revenue, then I'm sure it will be just fine, as the industry has mastered getting people hooked and monetising that compulsion.

 

[HRK69]

Trails in the Sky, 1st Chapter, which released this year. That's called an outlier, and it's a remake of an ancient Vita game. So don't go thumping your chest.

Lmfoa this fucking dude

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Lmfoa this fucking dude

He's a fucking parody, has to be lmao

 

[Hohenheim]

Roll your eyes all you want - it's crashing right now. You could say it's a slow-motion crash.
Games suck now. The talent is gone. Interactive entertainment is too appealing a prospect for it to stay dead forever, so if society doesn't completely evaporate first, it'll come back. But not for a while.

Unlike some high on copium, I don't consider any of these live-service "games" as actual games - because they're not. Empty multiplayer slop, gamble-for-titties gacha "games," and "extraction shooters" are all the same blend of trash that only a small minority of gamers can actually feel any excitement for.

Those of us who grew up having complete experiences of a dizzying number of varieties, like those that could be found all the way up to the Xbox 360 era, have had nothing of interest to play for literally years now. The PS4 was arguably the last true gaming console, in terms of content, and games are being made for it like what, 10 years later?

The latest puerile indie-game release, be it some stupid game about girl slap fights, or some shallow memebait joke stretched into a two-button minigame sold as a full game, is nothing the rest of us can get excited about. I see people here and elsewhere hyping these...experiences... but I cannot see how anyone could look at this sea of almost-literal shit and feel anything but existential dread for their hobby and how far it's fallen.

Wow, I really disagree with a lot here.
Games suck now? No way! There's tons of great games every year, way too many to find time for them all.
This year has actually been a bit less filled for me personally, but I still have tons of games that I haven't gotten around to yet.
And 2026 looks absolutely insanely packed with great games.

I've been gaming since the early 90's, and I have never agreed with the doom and gloom.

 

[Mayar]

Trails in the Sky, 1st Chapter, which released this year. That's called an outlier, and it's a remake of an ancient Vita game. So don't go thumping your chest.

Seriously one of the only games released in the past 5 years that I would consider a great and memorable experience. The fact that it is a remake does not help.

Trails in the Sky - Was first released on PC in Japan in 2004. It was then ported to the PSP, and only after that to the PS3 and Vita.

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

"This fucking guy," etc. etc.
Are you done? All out?

Good.

Trails in the Sky - Was first released on PC in Japan in 2004. It was then ported to the PSP, and only after that to the PS3 and Vita.

ok

And 2026 looks absolutely insanely packed with great games.

With big names, sure. And it would be a first, regardless, because the entire hardware generation (Series and PS5) basically came and went like a ghost in a library. Only now is there a large number of releases ahead.

So you've (finally!) got the quantity. But the quality? That remains to be seen.

 

[Mengy]

Okay, pal, let me guess? Expedition 33? KCD2?

Those games aren't "great," by any stretch. What else?

You know why those games are loved so much? It is by simple virtue of actually resembling a proper videogame. They're not even particularly good, and yet they have a cult-like following just because they actually follow a comfortable and familiar structure of being complete experiences having a beginning, middle, and definite end unlike virtually everything else released in the past five years.

Same thing with Baldur's Gate 3. The game is truly nothing special, but Larian is all but worshipped for creating it, because there was - at the time - nothing else like it: a full-fledged AAA RPG that didn't look and feel like a throwback to the late nineties... because studios straight-up weren't making those kinds of games anymore, instead trying (at that time) to squeeze out arena shooters and open-world slop and nothing else.

Okay, um, that's just silly talk dude. Its fine if you don't like those styles of games but to say EX33 and BG3 and KCD2 aren't great games? What in the world WOULD be a great game to you then?!?!?

Maybe you just don't like video games anymore?

 

[Radical_3d]

I was chatting with my bestie earlier (ChatGPT) about the 80s videogame crash, and asked it for parallels with the scene today:



Can't help but see similarities.

Do you think it's likely we'll see a crash in the future?
What would a modern crash look like? What would be the first signs of one? A big publisher going under? (eg Ubi/Xbox)

With the state of western AAA, maybe a crash is best...

Not surprised that someone that has to ask an AI left the price situation out. I mean chat isn't as stupid as to blame itself but if something is going to break the bank is the entry price of the lower end systems in 2026.

 

[Caio]

I mean, this is literally the "This is Fine" dog in text form.
Studios cannot afford to make even the low-effort slop they've been shoveling. Huge names in the industry are folding. Embracer just bought up and then stupidly dashed to pieces vast chunks of videogame history. One of the big three has all but left the table after years of actual, factual incompetence. Nintendo isn't in the business of making games anymore - just suing people who don't want to pay a subscription to constantly have access to the games they grew up on 30 years ago. And Sony... um... exists, but only because the other companies are in a hurry to experience the most elaborate death-scene possible.

Don't worry, your hobby is fine. Look, we still have Minecraft, Fortnite, and Gacha Titties. Great. Terrific.



I can't remember the exact numbers, but not too long ago there was an article about how more than a thousand games released on Steam this year which each made less than a hundred dollars.

A "studio" can be any chucklenuts (or even a shell). The fact that things are in fact being produced is neither indicative of quality or sustainability.

From 2021 to 2025, this is what a "dying" videogame industry actually delivered...some of the games you call crap :

2021,
Returnal
It Takes Two
Deathloop
Metroid Dread
Forza Horizon 5
Halo Infinite
Resident Evil Village
Psychonauts 2


2022,
Elden Ring
God of War Ragnarök
Horizon Forbidden West
Gran Turismo 7
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Bayonetta 3
A Plague Tale Requiem
Tunic


2023,
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
Baldur's Gate 3
Alan Wake 2
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Super Mario Bros Wonder
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon
Dead Space Remake


2024,
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Helldivers 2
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown
Dragon's Dogma 2
Tekken 8
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth
Hades II
Black Myth Wukong


2025,
Monster Hunter Wilds
Death Stranding 2 On the Beach
Kingdom Come Deliverance II
Clair Obscur Expedition 33
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond
Hollow Knight Silksong
Warhammer 40,000


If someone still says videogames are dying after looking at this, the issue isn't the industry.
It's personal fatigue, nostalgia, or selective blindness.
The medium isn't collapsing, It's evolving without waiting for people who stopped paying attention.

 

[asdasdasdbb]

Video Games, no.

AAA, yes.

I hope you like GAAS.

 

[Poppinfresh]

Oh, really? Such as?

Now:
POE 2
Stalker 2
A.I. Limit
Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road
Ninja Gaiden 4
Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader
Metroid Prime 4

January:
Nioh 3
Code Vein 2
Trails Beyond the Horizon

Coming later in 2026:
Romeo is Dead Man
Lords of the Fallen 2
Yakuza 3 Remake
Resident Evil
Crimson Desert
Saros
007: First Light

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

I get looking back on the past with rose-colored glasses, but there's literally never been a better time to be a gamer than right now.

 

[HRK69]

Trails in the Sky, 1st Chapter, which released this year. That's called an outlier, and it's a remake of an ancient Vita game. So don't go thumping your chest.

Seriously one of the only games released in the past 5 years that I would consider a great and memorable experience. The fact that it is a remake does not help.

What are you even doing still playing or discussing video games?

It's painfully obvious you don't actually like them anymore, haven't for years, by your own admission

The industry's dropping masterpiece after masterpiece, and all you do is whine about how nothing measures up to your sacred 360 era

Log off, sell whatever you are playing on, and find a hobby you don't hate

 

[geary]

What are talking about. Its the best time with the amount of AA and indies that are released.

 

[Topher]

Can't help but see similarities.

I see more differences than similarities.

 

[calico]

Pointing out the health of AA and below -while absolutely true- is also quite telling.

 

[StereoVsn]

If one can't find a good game that has released during the last couple of years, it's not that their standards are too high, it's that they should quit gaming.

We have had KCD2 which has great interactivity, almost immersive sim approach to quests, good writing and deep RPG systems.

We have E33 (not my cup of tea) which has some great points with a lot of people loving it.

New Mafia game is very good and harkens back to the 360/PS3 era of games.

Ton of racing games, new flight sims, resurgence of building games.

A whole metric ton of good strategy games from variety of publishers.

Great CRPGs from Larian and Owlcat.

Tainted Grail is a very good action RPG.

We have a ton of actually decent to good "Soulslike" games.

Metric ton of good indie games of variety of genres (Chained Echoes is my favorite perhaps over last few years, but you have a LOT of others).

And the above is a drop in a bucket. Name a genre and there are probably multiple good to great games that have been released over last few years.

All the doom and gloom is kind of ridiculous. Yes, there is a slowdown in hardware due to terrible economic circumstances worldwide. Yes, big publishers like Activison, Bethesda, Ubi, EA mostly suck. But there are thousands of games released every year outside these few publishers.

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

2021,
Returnal - Crap. Low effort game design - the early days of pushing roguelike slop.
It Takes Two - I mean, whatever, I guess
Deathloop - Yep, it's crap. Its gameplay "loop" left much to be desired. I don't think this resonated with anybody.
Metroid Dread - It was fine. Kind of short, and didn't leave a huge impression. But fine.
Forza Horizon 5 - I mean, car go vroom I guess. But it's also a live service, and so will disappear from history eventually. Sure, it's fun. It's a game. I've got nothing bad to say except to repeat the unfortunate live-service inevitable-death thing. Which for me, means: why buy it?
Halo Infinite - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Everything is wrong with this game. There is nothing right.
Resident Evil Village - No.
Psychonauts 2 - Who gives a shit? No one. No one actually gives a damn about anything Double Fine has ever produced. The sales reflect that. A studio cannot live on vibes alone.


2022,
Elden Ring - This game is a total piece of shit, hyped only by desperate, rabid FromSoft addicts. It's one of the worst games I have ever played in 30 years.
God of War Ragnarök - Bland and insipid AAA shovelware. It's a game, I guess, but not a very good one.
Horizon Forbidden West - I can't knock it. Never tried it. Thought the first game was okay. Seems the consensus is that the first one was better. That's okay. These things happen.
Gran Turismo 7 - It felt unfinished and empty, and curiously unfulfilling. Yes, I still prefer Gran Turismo 3, all these years later.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - I do not much care for this style of JRPG, but that doesn't mean I'll write it off. So, for this one, no comment.
Bayonetta 3 - Platinum is overrated.
A Plague Tale Requiem - Uh... not for me. But again, that's not a knock to its quality.
Tunic - Bland and boring.


2023,
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom - Stale and derivative. Should have been a DLC.
Baldur's Gate 3 - What else can be said that hasn't been said already? Heavily front-loaded to get investor interest. Solid enough gameplay-wise. A perfectly average experience elevated to godhood because of a general dearth of quality RPG content elsewhere.
Alan Wake 2 - God, no, not this piece of shit.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Great, I guess, if you like comic book stuff. I hear that opinions are actually all over the place with this one. It's not for me, one way or another, so I won't knock it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake - The death of the RE franchise, now in glorious high-definition! Fannntastic.
Super Mario Bros Wonder - Hmm, okay? Whatever. I gave up on Nintendo around '22.
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon - Cool! One of my favorite franchises makes a comeback! Finally! And it's a Dark Souls boss rush now. Oh. Great. Wonderful.
Dead Space Remake - I mean, I played this game already. It was good then. I'm sure it's good now. I don't really know what to do with this. You know, remakes really shouldn't even count here.

2024,
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Oh, boy.
Helldivers 2 - Friendslop.
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown - Uh? I can't think of anyone who cares. I know I don't!
Dragon's Dogma 2 - By all accounts, this game was a pale retread of the first game, feeling distinctly unfinished, and very polarizing. It's a shame. The first game is one of my favorites.
Tekken 8 - Fuck Tekken. Seriously.
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth - Fuck Yakuza. Seriously.
Hades II - It certainly is a game. Which is more than can be said for many.
Black Myth Wukong - Like this garbage spectacle-based boss rush, for example.


2025,
Monster Hunter Wilds - This game is panned everywhere. I wouldn't know for sure, because it's not my cup of tea. No comment.
Death Stranding 2 On the Beach - Pfffft hahahahahahahah no.
Kingdom Come Deliverance II - Overrated trash. Vaguely resembles an Elder Scrolls game, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 - Overrated trash. Vaguely--- no, overtly resembles FFX, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond - Embarrassing flop. Talked about for all the wrong reasons.
Hollow Knight Silksong - I've got nothing against it, but at the same time, I've never understood the appeal. I played the first one, thought "ho-hum," and never finished it. However well-drawn it objectively is, I find the visual style repellant and the world deeply uninteresting.
Warhammer 40,000 - I just can't comment on this franchise. Any of it.

So, in summation, not a great few years.

The industry's dropping masterpiece after masterpiece

This is objectively false, bro. You can have your panties in a wedge all you want, but this "games are better than ever!" thing is just not right at all.

They're doing such a great job, they keep shutting down studios, laying people off, and downsizing operations across the board! I mean... MAKE IT MAKE SENSE

 

[Poppinfresh]

Elden Ring - This game is a total piece of shit, hyped only by desperate, rabid FromSoft addicts. It's one of the worst games I have ever played in 30 years.

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth - Fuck Yakuza. Seriously.

Black Myth Wukong - Like this garbage spectacle-based boss rush, for example.

Kingdom Come Deliverance II - Overrated trash. Vaguely resembles an Elder Scrolls game, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.

I think we can all agree that this dude isn't worth listening to anymore, except to make fun of, right?

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

2021,
Returnal - Crap. Low effort game design - the early days of pushing roguelike slop.
It Takes Two - I mean, whatever, I guess
Deathloop - Yep, it's crap. Its gameplay "loop" left much to be desired. I don't think this resonated with anybody.
Metroid Dread - It was fine. Kind of short, and didn't leave a huge impression. But fine.
Forza Horizon 5 - I mean, car go vroom I guess. But it's also a live service, and so will disappear from history eventually. Sure, it's fun. It's a game. I've got nothing bad to say except to repeat the unfortunate live-service inevitable-death thing. Which for me, means: why buy it?
Halo Infinite - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Everything is wrong with this game. There is nothing right.
Resident Evil Village - No.
Psychonauts 2 - Who gives a shit? No one. No one actually gives a damn about anything Double Fine has ever produced. The sales reflect that. A studio cannot live on vibes alone.


2022,
Elden Ring - This game is a total piece of shit, hyped only by desperate, rabid FromSoft addicts. It's one of the worst games I have ever played in 30 years.
God of War Ragnarök - Bland and insipid AAA shovelware. It's a game, I guess, but not a very good one.
Horizon Forbidden West - I can't knock it. Never tried it. Thought the first game was okay. Seems the consensus is that the first one was better. That's okay. These things happen.
Gran Turismo 7 - It felt unfinished and empty, and curiously unfulfilling. Yes, I still prefer Gran Turismo 3, all these years later.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - I do not much care for this style of JRPG, but that doesn't mean I'll write it off. So, for this one, no comment.
Bayonetta 3 - Platinum is overrated.
A Plague Tale Requiem - Uh... not for me. But again, that's not a knock to its quality.
Tunic - Bland and boring.


2023,
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom - Stale and derivative. Should have been a DLC.
Baldur's Gate 3 - What else can be said that hasn't been said already? Heavily front-loaded to get investor interest. Solid enough gameplay-wise. A perfectly average experience elevated to godhood because of a general dearth of quality RPG content elsewhere.
Alan Wake 2 - God, no, not this piece of shit.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Great, I guess, if you like comic book stuff. I hear that opinions are actually all over the place with this one. It's not for me, one way or another, so I won't knock it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake - The death of the RE franchise, now in glorious high-definition! Fannntastic.
Super Mario Bros Wonder - Hmm, okay? Whatever. I gave up on Nintendo around '22.
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon - Cool! One of my favorite franchises makes a comeback! Finally! And it's a Dark Souls boss rush now. Oh. Great. Wonderful.
Dead Space Remake - I mean, I played this game already. It was good then. I'm sure it's good now. I don't really know what to do with this. You know, remakes really shouldn't even count here.

2024,
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Oh, boy.
Helldivers 2 - Friendslop.
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown - Uh? I can't think of anyone who cares. I know I don't!
Dragon's Dogma 2 - By all accounts, this game was a pale retread of the first game, feeling distinctly unfinished, and very polarizing. It's a shame. The first game is one of my favorites.
Tekken 8 - Fuck Tekken. Seriously.
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth - Fuck Yakuza. Seriously.
Hades II - It certainly is a game. Which is more than can be said for many.
Black Myth Wukong - Like this garbage spectacle-based boss rush, for example.


2025,
Monster Hunter Wilds - This game is panned everywhere. I wouldn't know for sure, because it's not my cup of tea. No comment.
Death Stranding 2 On the Beach - Pfffft hahahahahahahah no.
Kingdom Come Deliverance II - Overrated trash. Vaguely resembles an Elder Scrolls game, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 - Overrated trash. Vaguely--- no, overtly resembles FFX, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond - Embarrassing flop. Talked about for all the wrong reasons.
Hollow Knight Silksong - I've got nothing against it, but at the same time, I've never understood the appeal. I played the first one, thought "ho-hum," and never finished it. However well-drawn it objectively is, I find the visual style repellant and the world deeply uninteresting.
Warhammer 40,000 - I just can't comment on this franchise. Any of it.

So, in summation, not a great few years.

 

[reinking]

Crash? No. What would a crash even look like these days? Probably the corrections that we are currently seeing with cancelled projects and studio closures. Worst case scenario, I have a phone.

 

[T4keD0wN]

Is this what being old and bitter is like? I hope to never end up like this.

I would describe the 2020- video game industry as the golden age for every party involved and it seems to only be getting better aside from pricing for consumers.

 

[Clear]

Roll your eyes all you want - it's crashing right now. You could say it's a slow-motion crash.

So, not a crash then LOL.

Games suck now.

Your opinion is not relevant. Period.

Not being mean by saying this, just pointing out that for a "crash" to occur there would need to be a massive contraction in sales and hence investment.

Just because the stuff you personally like isn't the primary driver for sales/investment anymore... its neither here nor there. Fashions change, and product that was once super popular can fall out of favour.

For a crash to happen everything would need to be suffering the same way, and the plain fact is that's simply not the case.

 

[Kacho]

2021,
Returnal - Crap. Low effort game design - the early days of pushing roguelike slop.
It Takes Two - I mean, whatever, I guess
Deathloop - Yep, it's crap. Its gameplay "loop" left much to be desired. I don't think this resonated with anybody.
Metroid Dread - It was fine. Kind of short, and didn't leave a huge impression. But fine.
Forza Horizon 5 - I mean, car go vroom I guess. But it's also a live service, and so will disappear from history eventually. Sure, it's fun. It's a game. I've got nothing bad to say except to repeat the unfortunate live-service inevitable-death thing. Which for me, means: why buy it?
Halo Infinite - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Everything is wrong with this game. There is nothing right.
Resident Evil Village - No.
Psychonauts 2 - Who gives a shit? No one. No one actually gives a damn about anything Double Fine has ever produced. The sales reflect that. A studio cannot live on vibes alone.


2022,
Elden Ring - This game is a total piece of shit, hyped only by desperate, rabid FromSoft addicts. It's one of the worst games I have ever played in 30 years.
God of War Ragnarök - Bland and insipid AAA shovelware. It's a game, I guess, but not a very good one.
Horizon Forbidden West - I can't knock it. Never tried it. Thought the first game was okay. Seems the consensus is that the first one was better. That's okay. These things happen.
Gran Turismo 7 - It felt unfinished and empty, and curiously unfulfilling. Yes, I still prefer Gran Turismo 3, all these years later.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - I do not much care for this style of JRPG, but that doesn't mean I'll write it off. So, for this one, no comment.
Bayonetta 3 - Platinum is overrated.
A Plague Tale Requiem - Uh... not for me. But again, that's not a knock to its quality.
Tunic - Bland and boring.


2023,
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom - Stale and derivative. Should have been a DLC.
Baldur's Gate 3 - What else can be said that hasn't been said already? Heavily front-loaded to get investor interest. Solid enough gameplay-wise. A perfectly average experience elevated to godhood because of a general dearth of quality RPG content elsewhere.
Alan Wake 2 - God, no, not this piece of shit.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Great, I guess, if you like comic book stuff. I hear that opinions are actually all over the place with this one. It's not for me, one way or another, so I won't knock it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake - The death of the RE franchise, now in glorious high-definition! Fannntastic.
Super Mario Bros Wonder - Hmm, okay? Whatever. I gave up on Nintendo around '22.
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon - Cool! One of my favorite franchises makes a comeback! Finally! And it's a Dark Souls boss rush now. Oh. Great. Wonderful.
Dead Space Remake - I mean, I played this game already. It was good then. I'm sure it's good now. I don't really know what to do with this. You know, remakes really shouldn't even count here.

2024,
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Oh, boy.
Helldivers 2 - Friendslop.
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown - Uh? I can't think of anyone who cares. I know I don't!
Dragon's Dogma 2 - By all accounts, this game was a pale retread of the first game, feeling distinctly unfinished, and very polarizing. It's a shame. The first game is one of my favorites.
Tekken 8 - Fuck Tekken. Seriously.
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth - Fuck Yakuza. Seriously.
Hades II - It certainly is a game. Which is more than can be said for many.
Black Myth Wukong - Like this garbage spectacle-based boss rush, for example.


2025,
Monster Hunter Wilds - This game is panned everywhere. I wouldn't know for sure, because it's not my cup of tea. No comment.
Death Stranding 2 On the Beach - Pfffft hahahahahahahah no.
Kingdom Come Deliverance II - Overrated trash. Vaguely resembles an Elder Scrolls game, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 - Overrated trash. Vaguely--- no, overtly resembles FFX, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond - Embarrassing flop. Talked about for all the wrong reasons.
Hollow Knight Silksong - I've got nothing against it, but at the same time, I've never understood the appeal. I played the first one, thought "ho-hum," and never finished it. However well-drawn it objectively is, I find the visual style repellant and the world deeply uninteresting.
Warhammer 40,000 - I just can't comment on this franchise. Any of it.

So, in summation, not a great few years.



This is objectively false, bro. You can have your panties in a wedge all you want, but this "games are better than ever!" thing is just not right at all.

They're doing such a great job, they keep shutting down studios, laying people off, and downsizing operations across the board! I mean... MAKE IT MAKE SENSE

 

[StereoVsn]

2021,
Returnal - Crap. Low effort game design - the early days of pushing roguelike slop.
It Takes Two - I mean, whatever, I guess
Deathloop - Yep, it's crap. Its gameplay "loop" left much to be desired. I don't think this resonated with anybody.
Metroid Dread - It was fine. Kind of short, and didn't leave a huge impression. But fine.
Forza Horizon 5 - I mean, car go vroom I guess. But it's also a live service, and so will disappear from history eventually. Sure, it's fun. It's a game. I've got nothing bad to say except to repeat the unfortunate live-service inevitable-death thing. Which for me, means: why buy it?
Halo Infinite - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Everything is wrong with this game. There is nothing right.
Resident Evil Village - No.
Psychonauts 2 - Who gives a shit? No one. No one actually gives a damn about anything Double Fine has ever produced. The sales reflect that. A studio cannot live on vibes alone.


2022,
Elden Ring - This game is a total piece of shit, hyped only by desperate, rabid FromSoft addicts. It's one of the worst games I have ever played in 30 years.
God of War Ragnarök - Bland and insipid AAA shovelware. It's a game, I guess, but not a very good one.
Horizon Forbidden West - I can't knock it. Never tried it. Thought the first game was okay. Seems the consensus is that the first one was better. That's okay. These things happen.
Gran Turismo 7 - It felt unfinished and empty, and curiously unfulfilling. Yes, I still prefer Gran Turismo 3, all these years later.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - I do not much care for this style of JRPG, but that doesn't mean I'll write it off. So, for this one, no comment.
Bayonetta 3 - Platinum is overrated.
A Plague Tale Requiem - Uh... not for me. But again, that's not a knock to its quality.
Tunic - Bland and boring.


2023,
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom - Stale and derivative. Should have been a DLC.
Baldur's Gate 3 - What else can be said that hasn't been said already? Heavily front-loaded to get investor interest. Solid enough gameplay-wise. A perfectly average experience elevated to godhood because of a general dearth of quality RPG content elsewhere.
Alan Wake 2 - God, no, not this piece of shit.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Great, I guess, if you like comic book stuff. I hear that opinions are actually all over the place with this one. It's not for me, one way or another, so I won't knock it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake - The death of the RE franchise, now in glorious high-definition! Fannntastic.
Super Mario Bros Wonder - Hmm, okay? Whatever. I gave up on Nintendo around '22.
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon - Cool! One of my favorite franchises makes a comeback! Finally! And it's a Dark Souls boss rush now. Oh. Great. Wonderful.
Dead Space Remake - I mean, I played this game already. It was good then. I'm sure it's good now. I don't really know what to do with this. You know, remakes really shouldn't even count here.

2024,
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Oh, boy.
Helldivers 2 - Friendslop.
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown - Uh? I can't think of anyone who cares. I know I don't!
Dragon's Dogma 2 - By all accounts, this game was a pale retread of the first game, feeling distinctly unfinished, and very polarizing. It's a shame. The first game is one of my favorites.
Tekken 8 - Fuck Tekken. Seriously.
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth - Fuck Yakuza. Seriously.
Hades II - It certainly is a game. Which is more than can be said for many.
Black Myth Wukong - Like this garbage spectacle-based boss rush, for example.


2025,
Monster Hunter Wilds - This game is panned everywhere. I wouldn't know for sure, because it's not my cup of tea. No comment.
Death Stranding 2 On the Beach - Pfffft hahahahahahahah no.
Kingdom Come Deliverance II - Overrated trash. Vaguely resembles an Elder Scrolls game, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 - Overrated trash. Vaguely--- no, overtly resembles FFX, and hence everyone is obsessed with it.
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond - Embarrassing flop. Talked about for all the wrong reasons.
Hollow Knight Silksong - I've got nothing against it, but at the same time, I've never understood the appeal. I played the first one, thought "ho-hum," and never finished it. However well-drawn it objectively is, I find the visual style repellant and the world deeply uninteresting.
Warhammer 40,000 - I just can't comment on this franchise. Any of it.

So, in summation, not a great few years.



This is objectively false, bro. You can have your panties in a wedge all you want, but this "games are better than ever!" thing is just not right at all.

They're doing such a great job, they keep shutting down studios, laying people off, and downsizing operations across the board! I mean... MAKE IT MAKE SENSE

What a miserable outlook on life. Damn, dude, just take up another hobby.

 

[Walliwallipaloo]

Crash? No. What would a crash even look like these days? Probably the corrections that we are currently seeing with cancelled projects and studio closures. Worst case scenario, I have a phone.

You're seeing what a crash looks like: long-standing talent leaves industry due to being creatively stifled, or being forced out due to layoffs, and the only devs left are the new-gen. Soy-boys who make games for YouTube steamers, or "me-too!" gimmick chasers who just run to copy the latest fan part-and-parcel (and sometimes, even literally word-for-word) to the detriment and eventual closing of their studio (see: Concord, and, soon to be, Highguard or whatever it was called).

That's what this crash looks like. It's happening right now. No creativity, no innovation. Just about three overall live-service "genres," and the minor variations of phenotype released within those three low-effort bubbles.

It's not like the crash looks like a scene from a Hollywood disaster movie. Gaming is far more entrenched than it was back in the Atari days. This shit won't just disappear. But what you are seeing is studio closure after studio closure - and what few creatives remain being supplanted (and eventually replaced) by so-called "AI."

 

[calico]

I reacted to this like Glados reacting to Cave Johnson's lemons speech. Apart from the Exp33 slander, that was too far.