As stated in the article, the problem is that with increasing cost, publishers aren't going to take any chances. Risk is something they will be more allergic to when the costs increase.

Maybe there are "indie" gamers in the form of CS players (maybe not CS:S as much), in the sense that glitz doesn't play a real factor anymore - that game is so old and it's still nr. 1 (I think) when it comes to online gameplay. But he refines his definition in his second article :|

It's interesting to see what happened when (for example) Quake 4 came out: looks great but horrible fps due to less then state of the art PC's. For MP that is a problem (for SP it is not as much so). How to solve it? Tweak the config until it looks worse then Quake 3 (so the glitz is gone) and only the gameplay is left. It's different at best, compared to it's predecessor.

Good article, but it "only" reflects on the aspects from a marketing/developing point of view.
I'm missing this, and many said it before: communication between community and developers is getting more important. (Hm.. after reading both articles I think this is mainly for big selling games). I'm waiting for the moment players start to say "looks good yada yada, where is the gameplay?" not only a few, but all of them, before anything will change (from the consumer side).

The alternative business/publishing model he is suggesting sounds like an option but consumers need to get accustomed to it. This is no real problem I guess, revenues for online shopping increase every year.

Someone is bound to fill in the gap, and offer a site where alternative games are discussed, creating competition for the established online sales sites. It will have to be a real "big" site to pull this off (and then the business side tends to take over and we're back to square one...).

Re-engineering the customer is a long process, I wouldn't want to buy a game just to be "hip", the slogans sound alright though

Young Turks > old farts

P.S. Who is still playing EF  

Wow.   Thanks very much for pointing me here, it really opened my eyes! I mean, I already can see just as easily as anyone else can that games are so mainstream but we're seeing alot of same games again and again and again. And I sound old when I talk about the classic PC glory days, but its really true, and for consoles too!  It just seems like games are so superficial these days. Its all about sharper textures, more polys, better effects - so what?  I want more innovative games.  It looking great should be a compliment to the whole overall experience, but not the main aspect by any means.


Actually this really scares me, since I want to get into the industry, and I DON'T want to do it just for the money - jeez any other job could be good for that and without so much risk and so you wish you could explore. I have creative ideas and I want to see them become products one day and I want to be able to buy and play great games.  We're still seeing plenty of good games, but as he said, they innovate very incrementily.  In fact it just breaks my heart to see the likes of Sega producing average products, its not like they used to be at all!  Sonic Riders? Oh ok I'm supposed to care because these characters are hoverboarding now? Yay.....*rolls eyes* Jeez I had plenty of ideas for a more innovative Sonic R2, and even ideas for my own games, but anyways....

One thing I do not agree with him is killing the retailers. I mean, it sounds about right since they are really greedy. But you know, I wouldn't want to just download games.... That feels so thrifty to me, ugh.... I like to get a cool box with nice art on it, and, the manual too.  Seeing that fresh box, opening it, checking out the manual and all, and having discs to keep for later if you remove the game (if its for PC) - all great, all part of the experience for me.  Like for instance, I'm really excited about Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence coming out - I'm gonna make sure to get the limited edition AND the preorder DVD. Its about the art, the presentation, and how your eyes light up when you see it and take it home, ya know?

Not only that but, lol, I guess I'm so much of a shy person that shopping is really the only thing I get out of the house for. So take my games shops away from me, and I won't be interacting with people enough, or getting a chance to meet other gamers....I know its pathetic and I need to work on that, but as much as I love technology, I hate the idea of more and more things just being able to download. Sure, lets all sit on our ass glued to the computer EVEN MORE. Thats a great idea...     Well no sir, I don't like it.

It's really sad that its all about the business and not as much about the devotion. I really want this industry to change for the better. Everything gets corrupted by a need for money.

So is there anything us gamers are supposed to do to help or what? I mean theres alot of us, lol


Oh and Spookimineer, I haven't played EF in a couple years I think, but its STILL on my harddrive! That counts for something right? lol. Maybe I could play it again ^^

I agree that the publishing model is in more need of an overhaul than the consumer, but I don't think the consumer can remain the way he is (typically, anyway) and expect the industry to change.  It's because the consumer doesn't demand more quality product that publishers think they can get away with quantity instead.  

For the "hardcore", like most of us here, quality is absolutely more important, and we will generally educate ourselves about a product before we purchase it (via demos, reviews, etc).  But it's the more "casual" gamer that is really hurting the industry more than anything, IMHO.  Because they don't care to educate themselves, at least not much.  All that they really care about is the box art and if the screenshots are flashy.  I can't tell you how many times I've talked to (and observed) so-called "gamers" who dismiss a title because it isn't flashy or in possession of the greatest box art.  In fact, I'd be willing to bet that half of the sales on an average day (at retail, mind you) are due to someone simply looking at the box and saying, "Hmm, this looks cool/interesting."  These customers don't ask employees if a game is good or not (which is part of why we're there), they don't know anything about it, other than that they like the box art.

I admit, even I have times when I make an impulse purchase - its usually a combination of being an excellent price, and that I've actually heard about the product and thought about it for a while that I eventually decide to buy it. But even some other times I buy a game that I dont know anything about, because the box (the back that is) looks like it might be a promising game. Sometimes I do that because, as said, sometimes you gotta make that impulse buy if theres just one copy left. but then I'll make sure to read some reviews about it and ask some opinions from friends before I actually OPEN it.

I wouldn't want games to get all thrifty and download only. But yeah I like the idea of still getting to order full package games through their website.

I also think that casual gamers are hurting the industry. I mean, yes and no. Cause for one thing, they are making more attention on it, and making it more profitable, but these gamers are too easy to please, and too superficial, so more focus is being put on flashy graphics and more of the same.
Its really frustrating for all!

And..... about what he said that they're trying to make games like sports games where a new one comes out each year thats not that much different, and its like you buy the same thing again and again, we're already seeing that starting!  Games like Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, Splinter Cell - I can't keep up with these freakin games!  Its really too bad for the developers, but yay for me. They're so fast to make a new game that I'm still working on an earlier one, and by the time I'm ready for the next one, its like a third of the price  

I also think its sad they only make a profit in the first 2 weeks? its true they get 80% of their profit in the first 2 weeks? I thought it was ATLEAST for a month! Their profit time frame should last longer than two weeks.Cause I have to say for MOST games I 'wait and see' how its gonna be like before I actually decide on it myself, so that I dont waste my money. I guess by the time I buy most games, they dont make much profit anymore. Am I even supporting this industry? Cause I dont know if I am....

Things gotta change, thats for d@mn sure!