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Video Game Trends In 2008
Posted by
Soulskill
on Thu Dec 18, 2008 01:57 AM
from the not-enough-brrraaaiiiiinnnssss dept.
from the not-enough-brrraaaiiiiinnnssss dept.
Gamasutra is running a feature looking at some of the most important trends that have cropped up or become popular over last year in the gaming industry. Gamers' outrage over the DRM controversy built up a great deal of steam over the past year, and will likely remain strong in 2009. This year also saw downloadable content being used for new and varied purposes, and many developers are banking more heavily on user-generated content, as in LittleBigPlanet. They point out the increase in retro and neo-retro gaming after the success of Mega Man 9 and anticipation for the new Bionic Commando. What trends do you expect to see more of in the next year?
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Will DRM Exterminate Spore? 881 comments
AC Dude writes "Will an anti-DRM flash mob that's determined to give EA's latest sim game Spore a rock bottom rating on Amazon.com sink the game, or will Spore evolve and shed the DRM? Is this the beginning of the end for DRM-laden games?
'Over the past few years we've focused a lot on the music industry and how it has attempted to use DRM to control distribution. While DRM in this market segment has been unpopular, anti-DRM campaigns have largely fallen flat when it comes to attracting widespread public attention because of the fragmented nature of music. Games are a much easier target given the monolithic nature of their release — campaigners only need to spread the word on a handful of specific online outlets to reach a wide audience. A quick read through the Amazon reviews of Spore seems to suggest that the negative comments are already putting people off from buying the game.'"
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Are Neo-Retro Game Releases a Fad? 266 comments
With modern console technology making it easy to develop and distribute small games, more and more companies are taking advantage of gamers' nostalgia to re-release decades-old hits, and to create entirely new titles in older styles. Gamasutra takes a look at what the retro game fad has become, and where it can go from here. What old games or series do you think would translate well onto today's consoles?
"Many gamers who bought Mega Man 9 did so because of the game's inherent nostalgia, or because they never had a chance to enjoy the older games on the Nintendo Entertainment System when they were younger. Mega Man 9 is very much a product of its context. Its gameplay is fantastic, but it too is a product of the time period in which it reigned supreme. It suggests the question: can neo-retro games stand the test of time? Will games that mimic or lampoon the 8-bit era remain relevant and interesting to the masses long after its original audience has disappeared?"
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Vital Parts of Games As DLC? 446 comments
Epic Games president Michael Capps did an interview recently with GamesIndustry, and he had some interesting things to say about the future of downloadable content, and how it will affect the retail games market. He also discussed the trend toward social gaming, and Epic's plans in that regard. Quoting:
"I'm not sure how big it is here [in Europe], but the secondary market is a huge issue in the United States. Our primary retailer makes the majority of its money off of secondary sales, and so you're starting to see games taking proactive steps toward that by ... if you buy the retail version you get the unlock code. I've talked to some developers who are saying 'If you want to fight the final boss you go online and pay USD 20, but if you bought the retail version you got it for free.' We don't make any money when someone rents it, and we don't make any money when someone buys it used — way more than twice as many people played Gears than bought it."
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Eh (Score:2, Interesting)
The video game industry lost me a while ago... all I play now is old SNES games (emulated, of course), Guitar Hero, and a few open-source strategy games.
Lower prices on the consoles does a lot for me. 400 bucks is hard to justify for an entertainment, when that's a semester's worth of books... :\
50 bucks is a lot easier to justify.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Eh (Score:5, Funny)
The video game industry lost me a while ago...
Ah yes. The day the videogame industry lost Mewshi_nya's buisness was a dark day indeed. They still call it "The saddest monday ever." Miyamoto wrote on twitter that day "Today I let down Mewshi, had to up the prozac dosage :-(".
I personally wept for hours upon hearing the news.
Parent
netcraft confirms it: (Score:5, Funny)
Microsoft was wise to do a console. PC gaming was the largest source of MS apologists, next to business users (but more militant).
But PC gaming is dieing because of factors like DRM schemes, insane requirements and costs, laptop popularity, and Vista.
2008 was the year that built the coffin, 2009 will probably nail it shut. Linux for the PC, games for the console, mac for the spoiled Emo kids.
Re:netcraft confirms it: (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, those 11 million WoW players don't count. In THE YEAR 2009!!!1 they'll all use WINE to play WoW in Ubuntu :rollseyes:
The Orange Box sold very well [ign.com] on the PC, according to Valve's Doug Lombardi, surpassing 360 sales. I'm sure Valve wishes they never wasted money on that whole Steam thing; it's clearly going nowhere...
And I'm sure StarCraft II and Diablo 3 will flop. Blizzard may as well throw in the towel.
Someone better tell Stardock that making PC games is a bad idea.
I also heard that Dawn of War II and Empire Total War are being canceled and removed from Steam in anticipation of the great Linux migration of '09.
FYI: PC games would cease being made if they were unprofitable.
But I agree: idiotic DRM needs to go and publishers need to stop blaming piracy for their inability to make good games. I own a 360, Wii, and gaming PC (that dual-boots Ubuntu) and have plenty of great games for each platform. You're missing out if you write-off PC gaming.
Parent
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Games seem to be running towards short-and-crappy on consoles. Desktops do seem to be struggling all round, off the top of my head I can only think of 2 major releases to exclusively use this hardware: Spore, which sucked, and the WoW expansion, which isn't really a new game.
But then I prefer older games on my PC, which have stood the test of time and have been shown to be winners. I like to battle the game itself, and not some foul-mouthed 12 year old who kicks my butt by default 'cos his mom uses the Xbox
Re:netcraft confirms it: (Score:5, Interesting)
If you've played it for 10 hours you've seen the whole game, it literally has nothing else to offer you.
This is contrary to what was communicated (and subsequently overhyped) where spore would feature far deeper gameplay. In earlier version there weren't stats per se for your creature but rather function followed form. The actual shape and layout of your creature determined it's attributes. This got gut to a fairly superficial equipment-esque system.
I think it's going a bit far to say Spore sucked but it certainly wasn't the revolutionary experience that could have been.
Parent
Re:netcraft confirms it: (Score:4, Insightful)
But PC gaming is dieing because of factors like DRM schemes
Yeah, that sucks. That's why I support games like Sins of a Solar Empire, which don't do that BS. Insane requirements and costs: maybe if you want.
insane requirements and costs
Uh, if you have a compulsive need to run games at maximum settings, maybe. I get by just fine on hardware that isn't bleeding-edge, you can too.
laptop popularity
Huh? What exactly does this have to do with gaming, especially considering desktops still far outnumber laptops?
and Vista.
Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and throw down the BS flag here. Your intentions may be good, but you are at the least woefully misinformed. I game on Vista, and it's fine. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or has been lied to.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
insane requirements and costs
Uh, if you have a compulsive need to run games at maximum settings, maybe. I get by just fine on hardware that isn't bleeding-edge, you can too.
My laptop was 2k dollars 3 years ago. It barely runs Team Fortress 2 at all.
laptop popularity
Huh? What exactly does this have to do with gaming, especially considering desktops still far outnumber laptops?
Laptops outsell desktops, and are generally incapable of proper gaming. See my exmple above. The gaming companies seem to be target
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
About all I know for my part is, as long as I am working on a PC, use a PC and have a PC in my house, I will want a game to play on it.
Plus, consoles such as the Xbox 360 continues to lack a straightforward way to upgrade its graphics card, processor, memory, and run two screens with a browser on one side, and a game on the other. (I like to read while I respawn, what can I say?)
And once you can do all those things, why not just call it a computer that hooks up to your TV and uses a controller instead of mo
Re: (Score:2)
One of the great things about consoles (and one of the reasons I game almost exclusively on my Xbox360 now, when 5 years ago I refused to even consider a console) is that everybody has the same hardware. Except the TV of course.
and run two screens with a browser on one side, and a game on the other.
I always have my laptop on my table next to my couch while I'm gaming.
Re:netcraft confirms it: (Score:4, Insightful)
PC gaming is dieing because of factors like DRM schemes
You have this point exactly backwards. Game developers are moving to consoles precisely because those consoles offer stronger DRM.
Consoles are designed to prohibit the user from running any code not signed by Sony or MS. That's more onerous DRM than anything which exists in PC-space. Publishers perceive this as a strength, because it makes console games more complicated to "pirate."
If anything, gamers and publishers are running toward DRM schemes, not away from them.
Parent
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
The difference with console DRM is that it's transparent. I'm not saying that makes it more right, of course, but it makes it far more bearable.
I don't even think about DRM on my console but I'm afraid to put MUSIC CDs in a Windows computer. That says something.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Another problem with a shift to the console that's been getting a lot of press lately is the issue of used game sales.
While the problem of intrusive and or disruptive DRMs leaves players when they shift to the console, developers are being forced to take greater notice of the fact that consoles see a LOT of used game sales, which sees no profit what so ever going to them. Its never been uncommon for people to just wait for a game to go onto the used rack and get it rather than get it new. [it just requires
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't believe the GP was complaining about how DRM doesn't work on the PC but rather that it is invasive and alienates users in a way that console DRM does not.
Adventure games (Score:2)
2008 was a great year for adventure gamers, with lots of new titles coming out. This will continue in the next year. We will see the return of Chris Jones and Aaron Conners to the adventure genre with their new game Three Cards to Midnight. Also Jane Jensen will finally return to the scene with her new game Gray Matter. We will also see more episodal series emerging.
Hmm... 2008 (Score:5, Interesting)
A few observations:
* All three major consoles are competitive. This is good news, as a massively dominant player tends to get complacent (see Sony/PS2)
* Markets continue to open up. Now, smaller, casual, quirky, and retro games are available on all platforms, not just the PC.
* Despite predictions of doom, the PC remains strong in the online gaming (MMO and FPS) and casual markets.
* Hardcore PC games no longer hold the dominant market position, but it's hyperbole to say it's dead. Fewer PC games from big publishers leaves more room for smaller developers.
* Linux still isn't a popular gaming platform, but still enjoys support (directly or indirectly) from some developers.
* Most games are still DirectX9/10 switchable (and will be for years to come), thanks to a bone-headed move by MS to limit DX10 to Vista.
* Co-operative gaming seems to be having something of a resurgence. I really missed co-op gaming from my Doom II days. Gears of War II reminded me of the fun that can be had in a co-op game with a friend.
Predictions for 2009?
* Sony@Home will flop, but Playstation 3 sales will still likely eat away at Microsoft's lead.
* Playstation 2 sales and games will finally start to fall off more seriously near the end of the year.
* The Xbox will still dominate among console games with an online component of any sort.
* The Wii will remain strong, but sales will probably sag just a bit relative to the other two consoles.
* More developers will finally start figuring out how to make games that take good advantage of the Wii's controllers.
* Online gaming and interactivity will be the topic of discussion in the press, as a slew of new MMOs are released or are close to release by 2010.
* More PC games than ever will be reliant on some online component (some MMOs, some with an integrated online component), in order to combat the effects illegal copying.
* Details will be leaked about Microsoft's next console, codenamed "NoMoreScrewupsDamnit"
Re: (Score:2)
Interesting predictions, which are mostly plausible. As making predictions is always a fun game to play here are a few of my own, broken down by platform...
First, the PC:
* The relatively long lead time on game development will see one or two big PC releases in the back half of the year whose system spec requirements wipe away the upper limit set by Crysis. These games will turn out to be expensive flops (nobody will be buying top-end PCs) and potentially fatal for the companies responsible.
* Pretty much eve
Re: (Score:2)
Steam is actually close to doing this already. If you ignore the games that are repackaged for Steam (games like Bioshock, Fallout 3) but focus only on the made-for-Steam games, they all have achievements (well, those released after Achievements wer
Trends 2009 (Score:5, Insightful)
More DRM, more publishers strong arming the used games market.
More angry comsumers switching to consoles as a result.
Online registrations for console games because they are sold used more than PC games.
More buggy releases for consoles, justified with downloadable content (patches) once you have registered online (see above sentence).
Once consoles really catch on, they will experience the same hardships as PC gaming.
Re: (Score:2)
More DRM, more publishers strong arming the used games market.
More angry comsumers switching to consoles as a result.
I've been wondering for a while what portion of gamers actually care about DRM even in the most draconian forms. The consensus on /. seems to be that any DRM is a boycottable offense. The consensus on gamefaqs on the other hand seems to be "n00b! LOL!"
I get the sense that most of the migration to consoles is driven by not knowing how to use a computer/laziness and fewer games being released on the PC, not anything so high minded as getting fed up with DRM.
Online registrations for console games because they are sold used more than PC games.
More buggy releases for consoles, justified with downloadable content (patches) once you have registered online (see above sentence).
Once consoles really catch on, they will experience the same hardships as PC gaming.
Sure, and I think once cars really catch on, they
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
I'm one of the people who moved to console partly due to DRM. Not due to any high-minded ideological reason, but simply because the locked-down nature of consoles mean that the DRM system is standardized and designed for. There's no super-duper untested new version that might have incompatibilities with something else, and even if it did the only job of my 360 is to play games.
On Windows, there's no guarantee that the latest Starforce variant isn't going to have a fight with the latest SecuROM variant over
Will 2009 be the turning point? (Score:2)
A game can be purchased much before it's released. Based on videos made without a single in-game image, previews and interviews with the designers, people are ready to spend money on a still non existing game.
Will 2009 see the turning point between "Pay to be sure to have your copy as soon as it's out and get some little extra" and "Pay so the game is made"?
I would advance money on many games like Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, Anything that ends in (Total War), etc.
Maybe not everyone can do it at first, just as no
Disagree on the user generated content (Score:2)
"and many developers are banking more heavily on user-generated content, as in LittleBigPlanet."
I understand LittleBigPlanet is very good but I do not see how one game defines it as a trend. Quake series, Half-Life series even Farcry series on consoles have had strong support for user generated content so it really doesn't seem to be something new, nor does one or two games make it a specific trend when one or two games per year realistically seems to be the norm for this type of thing.
I'm not even convince
Retrogaming (Score:2)
I'm hopeful retrogaming's popularity will continue to increase. There's something more in retrogaming than just nostalgia, something that could be also linked to the tremendous success of the Nintendo DS. It's the simplicity, the attractiveness and efficiency of straightforward 2D gameplay with clear 2D graphics. The 360 and the PS3 haven't been unanimously adopted so far; it's because technological achievement isn't everything, people don't buy new games like they buy new computers, based on the performanc