Toma said:
1. Price
Kinda obvious, but people should start to vote with their wallet. If the average big budget game costs $60 and we know through recent examples that day 1 reviews might not be the most reliable source, how about holding onto our wallets and buy an Indie Game for $0-$15 (depending on available funds) instead to pass the time until more reliable reports come in? We, as gamers, shouldnt give publishers our undying trust anymore. People got burned often enough, but if people still tend to buy all of these games on day 1, there is no reason for the publishers to overthink their business model. We dont want buggy games on day 1 for $60. We dont want shoehorned Day 1 DLC. We dont want Always Online DRM. We dont want Pay to Win Games. If you have the need to experience a new game, go visit a recent Indie Thread, ask for a recommendation and dive into something you wouldnt have done instead.
And they don't get burned by indies...? Toma, I don't think you thought this through...
As far as "AAA doesn't deserve my money." You're right, in that case I don't buy AAA games NOR indies. I'll play the titles I already have and enjoy them.
2. People are missing out on great games
And I mean seriously, there are probably more great Indie Games I can name that I am looking forward to than I can even think of 'AAA' releases. Here is a quick list made by 2 people:>>huge list<<
I got no interest in those. Just like I have no interest in Madden or sport AAA titles. So...?
5. Only playing big budget games is tainting us.
The biggest issue I see here, is that we are conforming ourselves to certain standards, which dont allow for any deviation of the norm. And if anyone deviates from said norm, it usually means failure. That is especially true for the big budget releases. Just compare the MP modes of all the big FPS games. Almost all of them play it safe, by offering similar modes and the same incentives to keep playing the games. Its not necessarily a bad thing to include a feature which has proven to be fun in another game or previous iteration of the series, but the serious lack of diversity is hurting everybody's gaming experiences. As I said waaay up above, big budget games shouldnt go away. They serve a purpose and players want them. But I sometimes get the impression that we need to "reeducate" ourselves how to play games out of our own comfort zone. I remember that I didnt question a recommendation by a friend a lot when he handed me a game. And its a real pity that so many people seem to have lost that willingness to explore other areas of gaming. Social gaming and dumbing down sequels are softening those barriers a bit (See SimCity), but that in the end still leaves us with games that mostly publishers want (especially in the social gaming scene) as endless cash grabs.
This is the only valid point you have in regards to your argument, IMO. And to go back earlier:
Quite apparently, the "Gaming Industry" cant keep up anymore. Features are being cut left and right, and games are being pushed out of the door in a state that no one wanted (SimCity, Aliens:CM, Dead Space 3..). There are still big budget games I have high hopes for, but there are SO MANY titles that get rushed or being thrown into a yearly release schedule, which basically doesnt allow for any major improvements to the formula (Assassins Creed, Madden), just to cash in on the current willingness of the customers to open their wallets.
This is a problem for the AAA industry that the indies can't solve. Indies would be in just as much shit if they rushed their titles out within 2 weeks to 6 months as AAA developers do within a year. Shorter dev cycles and higher dev costs are the problem there. I don't think it's a "feature being cut" but more "we have to ship something to make our budget deadlines!"
Conversely, "when it's done" also burns AAA developers. So it's a fine balance.
Tuco said:
So I was right with the second option: you DO have a problem of awareness.
How is it a problem of awareness if GAF brings these titles up in his view? I know of Frozen Synapse and Hotline Miami and Fez and...
...And the only title that interested me from those lists of indies is Frozen Synapse. And...
...It still doesn't hold a candle to the playtime I give to Battlefield 3/Bad Company 2, Street Fighter 4, BlazBlue, Guilty Gear, Persona/SMT, etc.
So, how is it "close-minded," to see these titles. Go "Yeah, that doesn't appeal to me" and go back to "AAA" titles that
do appeal to me? Answer me this.