Overall, How do you feel about the State of Video games today?
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Bond007
Member
Poor- but not for any of the things listed. Games are games- everyone has their personal opinion and my awesome year may be your shit year. Also- i mean new releases don't dictate a good or bad year for me
My poor is in reference to current practices that are getting more and more invasive. Digital futures and loss of ownership, microtransactions, incomplete games, long dev times, a lot of dead genres because they arent AAA.
My poor is in reference to current practices that are getting more and more invasive. Digital futures and loss of ownership, microtransactions, incomplete games, long dev times, a lot of dead genres because they arent AAA.
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MSduderino
Member
so it's a 60-40 positive-negative split. I chalk it up to make sense of it with this being a gaming forum where people are excited about games, but gamers are a rather cynical bunch at the end of the day.
BbMajor7th
Member
I think in recent years it's hit a real low point due to so much money and opportunism filtering into the industry (the Fortnite effect). In 2025, I feel like we've hit a turning point, which has been in the offing for a while but seems to have crystallised with the launch of Expedition 33. Change is in the air: legacy studios have become bloated, risk-averse and creatively moribund, rehashing their previous successes over and over and doing little to push the medium forward. Leaner, less prestigious studios meanwhile, are cleaning up:
Balatro, Baldur's Gate 3, Kingdom Come Deliverance, Palworld, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Helldivers 2, Returnal, Hades, Hollow Knight, Disco Elysium. I think it signals a change, as big publishers struggle to recapture hearts and minds with worn-out IPs and unremarkable game design. It all points to an implosion of their own making and a new dawn for smaller, leaner, bolder developers.
Balatro, Baldur's Gate 3, Kingdom Come Deliverance, Palworld, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Helldivers 2, Returnal, Hades, Hollow Knight, Disco Elysium. I think it signals a change, as big publishers struggle to recapture hearts and minds with worn-out IPs and unremarkable game design. It all points to an implosion of their own making and a new dawn for smaller, leaner, bolder developers.
Sojiro
Member
Voted good, things could be better or get worse. Granted there have been many eras in gaming that were far better than what it currently is, but it's not quite at this horrendous point that some people make it out to be. I do think the AAA industry as a whole is pretty lackluster, and if that is primarily what you play then things definitely look more dire. Thankfully there are decades worth of retro games to enjoy so if modern games aren't doing it for you, there is a plethora of stuff to play still.
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Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
We have cutting-edge technology we couldn't imagine as children, plus a lifetime of classic videogames to still enjoy. Truly the best of times.
methane47
Member
agreed
ssringo
Member
Don't like all the price hiking going around at the top. But with all the lower priced games from smaller studios I can ignore more and more stuff coming out at the top.
If necessary I'll become a 1 or 2 big game purchaser a year and most of my time and money will go to smaller and/or older games.
If necessary I'll become a 1 or 2 big game purchaser a year and most of my time and money will go to smaller and/or older games.
MacReady13
Member
Makes me sad to see what Microsoft is doing to the Xbox brand, by trying to rebrand it as a games publisher now instead of just the console. The direction with going 3rd party instead of keeping their games exclusive to console and then using gamepass for day and date on all 1st party games (I mean really, what is 1st party now with Microsoft when they themselves are now 3rd party publishers) has just ruined what was once a fantastic console brand. Sad stuff.
Sony's 1st party offerings have been, on the whole, completely overblown and overrated (Spiderman 2, God of War, Last of Us 2, Uncharted 4 etc...). Spending FAR too much money and time to make 1st party games is a joke. Look and learn from Clair Obscur. Large budgets are not needed for brilliant game play and stories. Not everything needs to look like a fucking game that could only run on ultra settings on a 5090! Get back to game play please Sony! Fun games that aren't bogged down in boring stories. Give us more Returnal's and Ratchet and Clank's and FAR less God of War's and Last of Us remasters ffs.
Nintendo, whilst I most certainly do not agree with the price increases (which aren't as egregious here in Australia s they are in the USA) I still cannot wait to get my hands on Mario Kart World! Nintendo are the ONLY company that get me excited for anything in gaming today. I get it- they continue to release games with characters they created in the 80's, but now that GTA6 isn't out until next year, games like Mario Kart, Donkey Kong and Metroid Prime 4 are EASILY my most anticipated games of the year (along with indies like the new Terminator 2 retro game).
Overall, I'm really sad about what Microsoft is doing to the Xbox brand. What was once a really great console has been fucked up the ass by Phil and his minions of retards. Sony needs to go back releasing some exciting, fresh and original games that aren't fucking Horizon, Last of Us, Uncharted, God of War, Spiderman etc... (notice something about all of those Sony 1st party games I mentioned???). Go back to the PS1/2 days and see how great Sony were back then in the games they were releasing not only from 1st party but exclusive 2nd and 3rd party games! And being the hypocrite I am, Nintendo, just keep making brilliant games with amazing gameplay! I couldn't give a fuck if you release another Mario 2d platformer cause they are fucking brilliant!
Sony's 1st party offerings have been, on the whole, completely overblown and overrated (Spiderman 2, God of War, Last of Us 2, Uncharted 4 etc...). Spending FAR too much money and time to make 1st party games is a joke. Look and learn from Clair Obscur. Large budgets are not needed for brilliant game play and stories. Not everything needs to look like a fucking game that could only run on ultra settings on a 5090! Get back to game play please Sony! Fun games that aren't bogged down in boring stories. Give us more Returnal's and Ratchet and Clank's and FAR less God of War's and Last of Us remasters ffs.
Nintendo, whilst I most certainly do not agree with the price increases (which aren't as egregious here in Australia s they are in the USA) I still cannot wait to get my hands on Mario Kart World! Nintendo are the ONLY company that get me excited for anything in gaming today. I get it- they continue to release games with characters they created in the 80's, but now that GTA6 isn't out until next year, games like Mario Kart, Donkey Kong and Metroid Prime 4 are EASILY my most anticipated games of the year (along with indies like the new Terminator 2 retro game).
Overall, I'm really sad about what Microsoft is doing to the Xbox brand. What was once a really great console has been fucked up the ass by Phil and his minions of retards. Sony needs to go back releasing some exciting, fresh and original games that aren't fucking Horizon, Last of Us, Uncharted, God of War, Spiderman etc... (notice something about all of those Sony 1st party games I mentioned???). Go back to the PS1/2 days and see how great Sony were back then in the games they were releasing not only from 1st party but exclusive 2nd and 3rd party games! And being the hypocrite I am, Nintendo, just keep making brilliant games with amazing gameplay! I couldn't give a fuck if you release another Mario 2d platformer cause they are fucking brilliant!
Plague Doctor
Member
I mean we are in a Renaissance with respect to Indies, AAs, and Non-western AAA. Lots of great shit out. Lots of great shit on deck. If you like those types of games, no better time to be in the hobby.
Western AAA is mostly a slop wasteland. I am so happy I stopped giving a fuck about those games or I'd be actively depressed.
Western AAA is mostly a slop wasteland. I am so happy I stopped giving a fuck about those games or I'd be actively depressed.
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StreetsofBeige
Member
It's ok.
The best time for gaming innovation was the 90s IMO. Problem is consoles and PC specs couldnt handle all the crazy 3D games they tried to make. So you got performance issues, long loading times, some games had too much FMV cut scenes etc.... For you younger gamers who didnt play back then playing a game could range anywhere from "wow it runs pretty good, to fuck it's a slideshow".
The dumb thing is modern specs provide good graphics, audio, loading times, crossplay, game size and internal storage arent an issue etc.... Just about everything is tidied up.
But you dont see the crazy cool games and IPs (good or bad) like back then unless you skim indie games coming out.
The best time for gaming innovation was the 90s IMO. Problem is consoles and PC specs couldnt handle all the crazy 3D games they tried to make. So you got performance issues, long loading times, some games had too much FMV cut scenes etc.... For you younger gamers who didnt play back then playing a game could range anywhere from "wow it runs pretty good, to fuck it's a slideshow".
The dumb thing is modern specs provide good graphics, audio, loading times, crossplay, game size and internal storage arent an issue etc.... Just about everything is tidied up.
But you dont see the crazy cool games and IPs (good or bad) like back then unless you skim indie games coming out.
S0ULZB0URNE
Member
Great! Haven't pre-ordered a gaming device with multiple games and accessories in a long time.
Thx Nintendo!
Thx Nintendo!
Hideous Snake
Gold Member
Says the people that don't play games...Define hipster: "Shit! Most Modern releases are Shit! Prices increases while Quality decreases"
23.9%
Hypereides
Member
After doing some digging, and scouring the landscape in recent years, I'd say its better than I believed it initially to be. Pretty alright overall. Some things could improve, sure, but overall there is a lot of interesting stuff out there still being made by people who care and put some emotion into it. AA and indies are the real saving grace and whats really keeping it fresh imo.
Communication of lesser known titles could be better too. There's a lot of games that unjustly go under the radar without proper exposure of word of mouth. I'd honestly encourage more folks to dig through the piles instead off hinging of getting news delivered to them through the traditional ways/channels.
Communication of lesser known titles could be better too. There's a lot of games that unjustly go under the radar without proper exposure of word of mouth. I'd honestly encourage more folks to dig through the piles instead off hinging of getting news delivered to them through the traditional ways/channels.
daninthemix
Member
They're fine. For me the most exciting eras were PS1 and Xbox 360, but that is just as likely to speak to my own situation as the industry at that time.
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