Support NeoGAF

[harmny]

Last time I checked most people bought the game on one of these two platforms:

Cyberpunk perfectly fits your description. What did they charge for it again? It's unfortunate.

So now F2P games from EA are the solution to the problem? It's an interesting transition, that's for sure.

Where did you check? Most people bought the game on PC. More than both consoles combined (56%)

Aren't you tired of being wrong?

The solution to what problem?

You might be going insane. You should get some help

 

[Tygeezy]

Press A to skip cutscene.

 

[LordBlodgett]

I don't buy that. It's because their strategy didn't depend on it. It's also why they could just delay halo by a whole year. Their strategy is to build gamepass subs even if that just means trying to get xbox one users to sub with xbox one games or releasing a cheap just about next gen console to get more users. They are catering to their subscription install base because that is their main strategy.

They bought several studios in 2018. It's been 3 years since . Not only didn't their recently acquired studios not output anything for Xbox Series release but the usual Turn 10 decided not to even release Forza Motorsport. A tentpole like clockwork biannual game that has released with most their new console since forever until this gen. So I don't believe that for a second. You have enough money to buy countless studios but your current first party can't release a game they always have due to money constraints?

It's because they don't need it. Their strategy is gamepass subs and GaaS games and they are focused on expanding that. Hence the lack of focus on next gen, the crossgen games, the concentraing on old games, the Halo reveal. Hence the coalition working on Operation packs since gears 5 in 2019 and saying they won't have a new game any time soon. Hence the MTX and DLC in Gears. Hence Rare having released nothing since early 2018 either because they are making money selling mtx for Sea of thieves. They started work on SoT near 2014-2015.

They simply don't see any reason to concentrate on next gen when their strategy is not that dependent on it. Their strategy is GaaS and gamepass. People have been asking to give Phil more time for almost 6 years since Mattrick left, this isn't an issue of time this is an issue of their main strategy for income much like EA.

This is a silly take. 375+ games on Gamepass, and only a handful are GAAS. I have played over 40 games in the last year on Gamepass, and exactly one has microtransactions (Forza Horizon 4) and you don't need to spend a dime on it if you don't want. You named literally the only major first party GAAS game that I know of on Gamepass, though it is true there are microtransactions on both Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4 if you want to spend money.

The studios they bought in 2018-2020 have been releasing their games as they finish them. Here are the studios they have purchased since 2018, what they have released, and what they are working on:
6/2018 - Compulsion games - Released "We Happy Few" in 2018, made DLC for the game. Now working on new unnamed project
6/2018 - Undead Labs - Released "State of Decay 2" in 2018. Currently working on State of Decay 3
6/2018 - PlayGround Games - Released "Forza Horizon 4" in 2018, worked on DLC and post release support. Currently working on Fable and Forza Horizon 5
6/2018 - Ninja Theory - Released 2 VR game in 2018, one VR game in 2019, Bleeding Edge in 2020. They are currently working on Hellblade 2 and Project Mara
11/2018 - InXile - Released Bards Tale IV in 2018, Bards Tale Remastered in 2019, Wasteland Remastered in 2020, and Wasteland 3 in 2020. Currently working on a new unannounced AAA RPG
11/2018 - Obsidian - Released Pillars of Eternity 2 in 2018, The Outer Worlds in 2019, Grounded (Early Access) in 2020. Currently working on Avowed and Grounded.
6/2019 - Double Fine - Released Rad in 2019. Currently working on Psychonauts 2 for release this year (2021)

When it comes to Bethesda its all too new, we have no idea what they are getting ready to release this year yet. Gamepass needs good games. Good singleplayer, good multiplayer, and good indie games if they are going to keep growing. If Gamepass didn't have single player games that people want to play then it wouldn't be at 23 million subscribers, I know I wouldn't be a subscriber.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

Videogames are evolving and changing

Yeah.

 

[Barakov]

Yikes.

That's the only thought you need.

 

[iHaunter]

 

[Arsic]

To be fair these two studios haven't had many banger AAA titles. Ubi at least had Valhalla but EA hasn't had a hit since maybe Inquisition for good sales.

They can move into F2P micros all they want, their current offerings in those categories suck ass anyway.

Interested how Sony does. Their AAA SP offering smashes sales.

 

[Three]

This is a silly take. 375+ games on Gamepass, and only a handful are GAAS. I have played over 40 games in the last year on Gamepass, and exactly one has microtransactions (Forza Horizon 4) and you don't need to spend a dime on it if you don't want. You named literally the only major first party GAAS game that I know of on Gamepass, though it is true there are microtransactions on both Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4 if you want to spend money.

The studios they bought in 2018-2020 have been releasing their games as they finish them. Here are the studios they have purchased since 2018, what they have released, and what they are working on:
6/2018 - Compulsion games - Released "We Happy Few" in 2018, made DLC for the game. Now working on new unnamed project
6/2018 - Undead Labs - Released "State of Decay 2" in 2018. Currently working on State of Decay 3
6/2018 - PlayGround Games - Released "Forza Horizon 4" in 2018, worked on DLC and post release support. Currently working on Fable and Forza Horizon 5
6/2018 - Ninja Theory - Released 2 VR game in 2018, one VR game in 2019, Bleeding Edge in 2020. They are currently working on Hellblade 2 and Project Mara
11/2018 - InXile - Released Bards Tale IV in 2018, Bards Tale Remastered in 2019, Wasteland Remastered in 2020, and Wasteland 3 in 2020. Currently working on a new unannounced AAA RPG
11/2018 - Obsidian - Released Pillars of Eternity 2 in 2018, The Outer Worlds in 2019, Grounded (Early Access) in 2020. Currently working on Avowed and Grounded.
6/2019 - Double Fine - Released Rad in 2019. Currently working on Psychonauts 2 for release this year (2021)

When it comes to Bethesda its all too new, we have no idea what they are getting ready to release this year yet. Gamepass needs good games. Good singleplayer, good multiplayer, and good indie games if they are going to keep growing. If Gamepass didn't have single player games that people want to play then it wouldn't be at 23 million subscribers, I know I wouldn't be a subscriber.

You mentioned FH4 has mtx already those are actually not that bad but you can't be serious that my take is off the mark with MS' strategy

Gears 5


Halo 5

To buy

Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves launches microtransaction store, includes £25 ship set

Pets have finally arrived in Sea of Thieves as part of this month's Smuggler's Fortune update, and with them comes the …

www.eurogamer.net

What AAA first party game from MS doesn't have microtransactions like this? These are MS's biggest franchises Forza, Halo, Gears all with mtxs. Rare was converted to a studio working on microtransaction avatars during 360 and now microtransaction GaaS games for game pass.

Why couldn't any of these studios you listed make a xbox Series console launch game?

Because they were not pushed to. Even if all these studios were too busy. Why couldn't MS hire an external dev studio to make a launch game knowing that they would be releasing a console. They don't care that's why. As phil said that's not their strategy.
They are concentrating on a platform agnostic game release and MS couldn't care less about what you play on just as long as you are paying the sub and spending in their games. EA access was also full of games without a focus on MTX initially but what do you think this model encourages after the initail building the library? Be honest.

Halo Infinite

Microsoft confirms Halo Infinite multiplayer will be free-to-play and up to 120fps

A separate leak suggests a battle pass system is on the way

www.theverge.com

The big publishers are moving to this model. EA has already, MS have already, Ubisoft is doing it.

 

[Roni]

How are MS going to save us? They haven't released anything for a long time and are following in EAs footsteps. They literally released a console without any games because they are getting thier 'live service' money like EA. Their biggest game this year was rumoured to be f2p. It won't be because they will try and milk subs from it but rest assured it will very likely have MTXs like almost every other MS game.

Well, one might point out the fact they're the only console currently allowing new people to get the biggest AAA single-player RPG currently out there...

 

[Animagic]

I’ve been playing games longer than most of you have been alive. I don’t really care what these corporate suits say, I’ll just keep playing the games I like.

 

[ramuh]

Farmville never left us, it just evolved.

 

[hroerekr]

If that is the future, they won't be having that revenue from me.

 

[Rikkori]

It's all good. In the end people get what they want, no more no less.

With all the tools available to creators for free, AA-like studios can now do more than ever before if they want to make a "traditional" game. It's on the players to actually buy & play them if they wish to see more of those developed. If most of the money goes into mtx & the like, then you can't complain about more of that being offered.

Money spend is the only expressed opinion that matters.

 

[sendit]

I hang out with my friends at the bar. Video games are something to do on your own.

Sounds like you are ashamed of your hobbies.

 

[Three]

Well, one might point out the fact they're the only console currently allowing new people to get the biggest AAA single-player RPG currently out there...

Not sure what you're referring to, Cyberpunk?

If so then I'm not sure why that's something MS have done if all they did is simply just not stop selling a buggy game. I wouldn't put that on my resume at least.

 

[Shmunter]

Game Over Man, Game Over.

Save us Sony.

 

[rapid32.5]

You know what to do people.You know you want it.

 

[Shadowstar39]

unpopular opinion.... too many young teens don't play or buy games and just watch them(antecdotal but I have seen it having with my kids friends), they all stick to fortnite or "Esports", plus game pass that people on here brag about.
All contribute to the demise of the games I play, sad.
I won't and don't play gaas f2p games. The mobile f2p type market is a race to the bottom and mediocrity. I don't mind paying a sub for a good mmo, but I am not doing this peice meal shit where 80% is locked behind
real money purchases. Mostly play single player anyway.

Personally they will not take more of my money if they all go GAAS, and multiplayer only. Why I don't play that shit.
So no single player no buy.

At least indies on steam and pc, as well as japanese based games, for now. If they all go this mobile bullshit market

 

[LordBlodgett]

You mentioned FH4 has mtx already those are actually not that bad but you can't be serious that my take is off the mark with MS' strategy

Gears 5


Halo 5

To buy

Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves launches microtransaction store, includes £25 ship set

Pets have finally arrived in Sea of Thieves as part of this month's Smuggler's Fortune update, and with them comes the …

www.eurogamer.net

What AAA first party game from MS doesn't have microtransactions like this? These are MS's biggest franchises Forza, Halo, Gears all with mtxs. Rare was converted to a studio working on microtransaction avatars during 360 and now microtransaction GaaS games for game pass.

Why couldn't any of these studios you listed make a xbox Series console launch game?

Because they were not pushed to. Even if all these studios were too busy. Why couldn't MS hire an external dev studio to make a launch game knowing that they would be releasing a console. They don't care that's why. As phil said that's not their strategy.
They are concentrating on a platform agnostic game release and MS couldn't care less about what you play on just as long as you are paying the sub and spending in their games. EA access was also full of games without a focus on MTX initially but what do you think this model encourages after the initail building the library? Be honest.

Halo Infinite

Microsoft confirms Halo Infinite multiplayer will be free-to-play and up to 120fps

A separate leak suggests a battle pass system is on the way

www.theverge.com

The big publishers are moving to this model. EA has already, MS have already, Ubisoft is doing it.

So you mean the multiplayer games? I agree that the multiplayer games have microtransactions if you want.

But these are not typical F2P games either or pay 2 win games. Gears of War 5 has a killer campaign and co-op campaign. I haven't even touched multiplayer on that game. Same with Forza Horizon 4. I played a ton of Halo 5 multiplayer and never spent a dime on in game currency.

I think you are going to find almost all multiplayer games from all publishers have microtransactions or DLC. Super Smash Brothers has 11 fighter packs at $6 a pop. Pokeman Sword & Shield have 2 fighter pack DLCs for $30 a pop. Mario Kart 8 has racer packs for $12 a piece. The Last of Us doesn't have in-game currency, but had like 40-50 little random cosmetic DLC you could buy for $1-3 for multiplayer. Uncharted 4 multiplayer sold in game gold or points which could be used to buy cosmetics. Again, if a game has multiplayer, it is going to have DLC, microtransactions or points, or gold, or cash, or whatever they can use to milk as much as they can from the whales.

If you think that any of the games I just listed are anywhere close to F2P crap like Fortnite, or Genshin Impact, or Destiny (Yep, its grindy shit which incentivizes purchases, don't care how AAA it is), etc......Then I don't know what to tell you. All of those above games are excellent, well done first party games, with all kinds of fun single player modes. They just happen to have multiplayer modes with extra DLC or microtransactions tacked on.

Ubisoft and EA are both shooting their subscriptions in the foot by focusing only on multiplayer or transaction riddled games. EA Access is dumb and hasn't become that big because almost all recent games on it are multiplayer or sport heavy with huge amounts of microtransactions, and yet they don't put the games on there until a huge portion of the userbase has already stopped playing. Ubisoft hasn't done well with subscriptions because it is pretty expensive and isn't available on consoles. If they move to more F2P games then their subscription makes even less sense.

To be honest I have to say thank God for the first parties. Activision and EA have long abandoned making quirky, interesting, and risky creative games to focus only on low risk casual games. Ubisoft may make somewhat generic cookie cutter games, but they still had decent single player experiences. Now with this F2P shift we shall see.

 

[Shmunter]

The begin of ending of videogames.

Mobile the gaming.

Gamepass has contributed to this. You pay far a sub that turns traditional games into f2p. Those traditional games will slowly mutate to be Mtx driven & never ending to keep engagement within their bubble and compete with the others out there.

The only hope is that it will create a void to be filled by studios that specialise in sp for those still wanting that type of experience.

 

[DinoD]

anyone that's the great thing about it. when you get bored you go to the next one because they're free. and when you do find one that you really like you can play it for longer. if you play with your friends you have fun even if the game is bad

Apex, Path of exile. Paladins. Rogue company, Dauntless. Conqueror's blade is a great one although i haven't played that one for a while, warframe, heroes of the storm, whatever. even the mostly unkown garbage. when a new f2p game is released we play it for a while and we chat while we play

what a effin' cheapskate you are

 

[jakinov]

I don't think single player games are going to go anywhere. It's just that these big players are going to go where the money is at and use what resources they have to do it.

There's always going to be some demand for single player AAA games it, so other people will come in and try to build high budget AAA games because that's the only money they can get and there's a gap/void in the market to be filled by you complainers. Maybe even one of the big publishers will fail to adapt and will just stick with what they've been doing.

AAA single player just isn't as lucrative and people are raising and already have standards while not willing to pay more. People whining about the first price increase in a long time, people upset that games don't look "next-gen enough", people mad at developers for making DLC, for day-one patches, for simply just having microtransactions (cosmetic or not), not caring much for reducing used-game market, expecting digital to be considerably cheaper than retail because you don't get $2 worth of plastic, whining about developers trying to reduce piracy, complaining about product placement, and advertisements. It's fine to not like or to not want these things. But somethings gotta give. It's either your wallet or you have to deal with the stuff you don't like.

Online F2P games are cheaper and have higher reward. Low risk, and high reward. Fail fast and try again. Ubisoft's failed F2P game took less developers and only took two years to make. They can fail multiple times and have one gem and because of ,the reward potential of games that succeed it can be worth it. And when you find one that succeeds you gradually grow the game instead of building a new game every X years to start collecting revenue again. I think of it like the TV show model where they'll keep creating TV shows, cancel them and move on to next project, in the end the shows that succeed outweigh all the failed shows. When you have a lot of successful shows on your slate, you just keep putting money into them and create less new projects until your current ones are in decline.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Fanboys shit on Sony, but they are keeping the beacon of single-player games alive with AAA big blockbuster SP games. And Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, and Insomniac are at the forefront of that.




That's why I paid full price for Returnal and will pay full price for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. These games need to be supported, or we won't have games like these 10 years later. Our kids will be playing F2P micro-transaction riddled games!!

 

[Krizalidx11]

The Genshin "impact"

 

[Shadowstar39]

anyone that's the great thing about it. when you get bored you go to the next one because they're free. and when you do find one that you really like you can play it for longer. if you play with your friends you have fun even if the game is bad

Apex, Path of exile. Paladins. Rogue company, Dauntless. Conqueror's blade is a great one although i haven't played that one for a while, warframe, heroes of the storm, whatever. even the mostly unkown garbage. when a new f2p game is released we play it for a while and we chat while we play

This is exactly what i hate about mutiplayer gaming. I spend all day talking to people at work. 10 hour shifts solving peoples bullshit problems. I don't want to talk to people. I want to escape into a fantasy realm, a different world even for a bit. It doesn't happen when i hear some young kid screaming into a mic or some asshole blasting there crappy gen z rap-pop or cardi b nonsense. I don't want to hear some douchebag bragging about frags and how no one is pulling their weight.

I also don't like chatting over a game, especially one with lore and reading. Nothing is more annoying to me when i am trying to explore or read a lore text or figure something out and in a multiplayer game everyone is chatting making dick jokes and pushing forward instead of relishing in what is there. I like the journey and the escapism, and multiplayer doesn't get me there.
Even games I would like path of exile, from what i hear now all the stuff you get from mobs is trash and you have to trade with real people... No, I don't wan't to interact with more real people.

F2P makes all that worse as now you have to grind out shit or pay real money. I see people bragging on here about spending 400 in one game. for what some cosmetic hat.
I want everything included in one purchase price, not some over $100 insanity. There is only a handful of games I play on the phones too because of this, almost all are ports or roguelikes that don't have micros.

Call me old all you want, call me a "boomer" Idgaf! I like what I like.
When i was a kid i played mostly platformers, action adventure , jrpgs, rpgs, fighters, turnbased strategy, real time strategy, city builders, roguelikes, etc..All single player.
When i played a lot of multiplayer it was during the start of real time 3d acceleration on pc -
unreal tournament 99 and 2004, Quake 3, RTCW, medieval total war 2, quake wars, battlefield 2, and tons of strategy games. ( i still played all those great single player games of the era and the jrpgpolloza which was ps1) .

Sure some times i would play with friends but it wasn't that often as most of us have adult lives with responsibilities, kids, jobs, schedules.

Now I play basically platformers, action adventure, jrpgs, rpgs, fighters, turnbased strategy, real time strategy, city builders, roguelikes, etc.. IT's gone full circle.

So I guess only PC indies and strategy, VR games, Sony, Nintendo, Eastern Europe and Japanese devs, and indies will get my money... well i was already leaning that way due to the woke crap infesting some western devs too, so be it.

The good news is I have a 2 miles long backlog on multiple systems. Problems come when some of those systems die and there isn't backwards compatiblity (whatever nintendos next thing scares me as my switch colleciton is massive and that battery will eventually die).

 

[mansoor1980]

based on revenue figures from UBISOFT and EA?

 

[MistBreeze]

actually I don't care about ubisoft and ea

as long as sony, nintindo, from software, square and capcom keep doing what they are doing Im satisfied

remedy, IO and Koei Tecmo too

there is sega with atlus and platinum games

most japanese and some western studios are doing quality games

I will support them

I will only buy a quality game AAA or AA

F2P with mTx is not for me

 

[Haggard]

well, aside from Battlefield I haven`t bough any EA or Ubisoft products in....10 years?

They could stop making games alltogether tomorrow and I´d barely notice. There always are and will be enough independent developers to produce great games for every niche and taste.

 

[jaysius]

People that thinking Sony isn't going to evolve to stay on trend are really sniffing some pretty good glue, or have licked some pretty awesome stamps lately.

You know all those things you're angry about Jim Ryan for.... well get ready.

Also Nintendo, Nintendo has more than a toe in shitty F2P P2W trash games with their Mario Kart mobile and a few other notable titles. Only a matter of time until that shit comes to Switch.

Gaming isn't going anywhere good.

I've said it a ton of times. Gaming and other creative mediums should never be run like traditional businesses, they can't function on the same cycle, they need creativity to keep them fresh and moving forward.

This might be the start of the next big gaming crash.

EA IT'S IN THE GAME*



*when you pay the monthly fee.

 

[ZywyPL]

Well obviously, back in the days the publishers earned for example 100M on nothing but the copies sold, but now they earn the same 100M plus additional 200M on the add-ons. Or just 200M from add-ons if the game is F2P. Thank you for pointing out the obvious Geoff.

 

[N1tr0sOx1d3]

I hang out with my friends at the bar. Video games are something to do on your own.

I play video games on my own. Drinking at a bar is something you do with your friends.

 

[Godot25]

Since I'm not buying games from Ubisoft and EA in most cases...
...then nothing is changing from me

I guess...

 

[namekuseijin]

 

[GymWolf]

Future is bleak.

 

[Rolla]

Ubisoft and EA are the two most egregious when it comes to games filled with Microtransactions. I couldn't give a shit about them or their loot boxes.

 

[Yoboman]

Well, one might point out the fact they're the only console currently allowing new people to get the biggest AAA single-player RPG currently out there...

You mean Bethesda? The first major publisher to ever do microtransactions on consoles - brought to you by the console manufacturer who invented the method for micro transactions to exist on consoles

 

[Heisenberg007]

You mean Bethesda? The first major publisher to ever do microtransactions on consoles - brought to you by the console manufacturer who invented the method for micro transactions to exist on consoles

+ many of their upcoming games seem to be live-service GaaS (Forza) or multiplayer (IOI collaboration is also rumored to be a multiplayer game) or F2P (Halo multiplayer) in the same veins with similar monetization methods.

 

[Dream-Knife]

It's all about you continuously paying.

As a consumer, you should fight against this as much as you can.

 

[Fredrik]

Only if you believe indie games are not games. There will be people like me who want to ship finished games and not services.

This is the way!

 

[Three]

So you mean the multiplayer games? I agree that the multiplayer games have microtransactions if you want.

But these are not typical F2P games either or pay 2 win games. Gears of War 5 has a killer campaign and co-op campaign. I haven't even touched multiplayer on that game. Same with Forza Horizon 4. I played a ton of Halo 5 multiplayer and never spent a dime on in game currency.

I think you are going to find almost all multiplayer games from all publishers have microtransactions or DLC. Super Smash Brothers has 11 fighter packs at $6 a pop. Pokeman Sword & Shield have 2 fighter pack DLCs for $30 a pop. Mario Kart 8 has racer packs for $12 a piece. The Last of Us doesn't have in-game currency, but had like 40-50 little random cosmetic DLC you could buy for $1-3 for multiplayer. Uncharted 4 multiplayer sold in game gold or points which could be used to buy cosmetics. Again, if a game has multiplayer, it is going to have DLC, microtransactions or points, or gold, or cash, or whatever they can use to milk as much as they can from the whales.

If you think that any of the games I just listed are anywhere close to F2P crap like Fortnite, or Genshin Impact, or Destiny (Yep, its grindy shit which incentivizes purchases, don't care how AAA it is), etc......Then I don't know what to tell you. All of those above games are excellent, well done first party games, with all kinds of fun single player modes. They just happen to have multiplayer modes with extra DLC or microtransactions tacked on.

Ubisoft and EA are both shooting their subscriptions in the foot by focusing only on multiplayer or transaction riddled games. EA Access is dumb and hasn't become that big because almost all recent games on it are multiplayer or sport heavy with huge amounts of microtransactions, and yet they don't put the games on there until a huge portion of the userbase has already stopped playing. Ubisoft hasn't done well with subscriptions because it is pretty expensive and isn't available on consoles. If they move to more F2P games then their subscription makes even less sense.

To be honest I have to say thank God for the first parties. Activision and EA have long abandoned making quirky, interesting, and risky creative games to focus only on low risk casual games. Ubisoft may make somewhat generic cookie cutter games, but they still had decent single player experiences. Now with this F2P shift we shall see.

EAs games have single player too. That's not what the problem is. All EAs Star wars games have single player, Battlefield V has single player. Titanfall has single player, even Fifa. The issue is that game releases are clearly not the focus anymore when game sales are not whats driving your income. It's about GaaS and monetising through multiplayer.
Halo 5 released in 2015. GTA 5 has a massive single player campaign too but the last GTA game is from 2013. 8 years ago and 3 gens. GTA online is making too much money. Game releases aren't that far up the list for these companies anymore. GaaS is. MS literally released nothing for their console and concentrated on their current services, Gamepass and pumping out content packs for their GaaS games from last gen.

 

[mancstheps5fanboy]

need smaller , inventive , hard working , none directed by marketing, indie companies, for these big corps of games , are like a tesco and wallmart ,to what was once, cake shop , grocers, butchers.

catch my esoterica drift.

 

[Ozzie666]

I hate micro transactions. I hate developers who make obstacles in their games, only to offer a monetary solution. It's plagued game development for several AAA developers.

DLC is the only extras I can really get behind, if they are meaningful and not just stripped out of the original project. But using DLC is tied to a decent AAA release.

The success of fornite and other similar games has companies chasing the easy money.

 

[Zeroing]

If gaming companies stopped giving absurd levels of money to CEOs they wouldn’t need to be doing that. You know that something is wrong where they get huge amounts of money even if the games fail.
Examples CD projekt red and Activision.

And here we are, the gaming industry, where everyone gets away with shitty ways to make money yet companies want more money while saying it’s not enough.

 

[Bojanglez]

I would be happy with Ubisoft limiting the frequency of their AAA games and allowed them to go all in (GTA style) on a massive single player (with depth and polish) and a live service component (if it makes sense).

So give an Assassin's Creed every 5 years, A Division every 5 years, A Far Cry every 5 years, A Watch Dogs every 5 years, allow each of those time to breathe and then flesh out your catalogue with more experimental new IPs (like Immortals Fenyx Rising) that may one day warrant AAA expansion, but could also find a niche at the lower tier.

Also allow each game to feel unique rather than the cookie cutter collectathon that they have been somewhat guilty of in the past.

With R* games I am excited, but I suffer from franchise fatigue for almost all Ubisoft games and end up skipping them even if they review pretty well, eventually playing them if they end up on PS+, PSNow or Gamepass. This to me is sad because they are all franchisees that I was excited by at one point in time.

 

[Griffon]

They already figured that out years ago. Big AAA games are here to make a strong IP, and then the mobile spinoffs and DLCs are what truly make money off the IP.
AAAs are still needed for this whole process to work. Otherwise the IP wouldn't be strong enough and the secondary market wouldn't sell as much.

 

[UnNamed]

AAA games are simply unsustainable.

Even big publishers can't risk anymore for a game which should sell 4M copies to cover the costs since they must sell at the same price they had in 1998.

No wonder they often rely on DLCs, and then microtransactions, and then loot boxes, and they will surely invent another trickery find money. Is NFT the next step?

 

[farmerboy]

My hearts always gonna crave a well crafted ~15hr single player, but I'll take some well crafted f2p in between.

 

[The Cartographer]

Farmville never left us, it just evolved.

They're trying to turn players into cattle!

 

[Hypereides]

Its crazy to think that extra and cosmetic stuff used to be free, unlockable content in games. Unlockable by in-game challenge progression, hidden collectables, or skill. It was there if you wanted to get it. The suits succesfully, managed to seperate that and convince the newcoming gaming populace that this is completely "normal" and its alright to charge an arm and a leg for it.

The new youth has already embraced it. Hopefully, they'll brace themselves for what's coming down the line. Its going to be interesting to hear the current apologists to keep finding excuses while this keeps evolving and shifting. I really hope these peeps like spending more money than they do now.

 

[BadBurger]

I don't think this speaks to the broader industry at all, it's just an observation of EA's current revenue sources and Ubisoft changing gears. Sony and Nintendo and any number of small publishers are still plugging along in typical fashion.