I think that a big factor at play is the Internet. Back in the 90s companies knew that the state in which they ship their game will for all practical purposes be final, because distributing a patch wasn't as simple. Until Fallout 2 I never even cared about existence of patches. F2 was so broken (not blaming the devs) that it simply crashed or corrupted savefiles. Luckily my friend had a magazine CD with the patch. Nowadays not only patches can get automatically downloaded when starting a game, but games themselves are distributed online. Which is very convenient for companies.
I hope Baldur's Gate 3 starts a new wave of green lit games, seeing CA go from Alien Isolation to a cancelled $100 million live service game is painful. Then Rocksteady with there Suicide Squad game being delayed, they made some of the most loved batman games. It's kind of scary, a bunch of big and good studios with expensive projects. Saying all that I just want more games like Arcanum to be made, Mortismal Gaming just did a video highlighting that MS now owns the IP and original devs (but the devs are busy with projects).
Yeah those are good examples of how forcing live services and "leveling" systems onto games can utterly destroy the way they're made or their central conceits. It's one thing to make a single player Batman game and live out that fantasy of being Batman. It's entirely another to take four villains and need to create systems and combat mechanics that befit each one, and then also layer on top a leveling system where they're constantly upgrading. It doesn't make sense for that license. It doesn't fulfill the fantasy. It doesn't feel good and it doesn't look good. Hopefully they're able to go back to what they're good at without their entire studio being destroyed before they can finish.
Granted, we can't risk another undeserving flop like, you guessed it, Arcanum though. A larger public eye to such potential quality games should also be a grand necessity.
BG3 isn't even the start of the wedge. Elden Ring and Zelda Tears of the Kingdom are massive games that sold an absolute ton made on this same principle released in the past couple years. You could also throw the Spiderman games and the recent God of War games in there, maybe a little more sterile and corporate but arent GAAS by any means, they're still boxed products you buy and finish. How many examples does there really need to be for THIS to be the "trend" to be chased after?
The issue is that they don't make the same money as even a limited success GAAS game. It's really a difference between millions and billions. The problem that these corpo-pig studios need to recognize, is that if you try to force a studio good at getting millions to get billions by doing something they're not comfortable doing, you will instead get negative millions... Rather than admit their mistake, they just do layoffs...
Both styles of videos are great. I was never able to get into the live-service model especially for mainly single-player games (counting Diablo games into that category since that's how I've been playing them since I can remember). As for Stormgate, it sure doesn't look like a passion project from where I'm standing, rather more of a relatively lower budget online play only version of Starcraft. I'm more excited about a couple of indie RTS games that are coming out soon, D.O.R.F Real-Time Strategic Conflict and Tempest Rising.
I like both kinds of videos, but I realize these are probably easier to make with the amount of time needed for putting the video together, so I'd love to see more videos with the same substantive content rather than fewer with prettier presentations. I mean I tab out and listen to video essays on the background most of the time anyway.
I miss when games had to go gold. Good to see people are pushing back harder on games as a service. I miss when AAA games were only bad and messy because direction got too ambitious rather than apathy. Reminds me a bit of elden ring too, world peace for two months when that released. Why do you think these companies fought back a lot harder against Baldurs Gate than another successful full release like that?
Because Elden Ring is less accessible than Baldur's Gate 3. If you play BG3 in story mode, pretty much anyone can sort of stumble through and find their joy. Elden Ring and the Souls games are much less forgiving. So corpo-pigs saw BG3 as stepping into their turf.
One thing is for certain: though I actually haven't tried out the game, all while I think it should be set in a, well, set of different realities from the mainline BioWare duology, BG3 will sure stay great whilst dodgy MMOs like WoW and The Old Republic will eventually lose steam due to increasing damnation on their lack of quality and nuance, and also their inevitable server collapses.
This might not help, but I'm fine with any format you display your content. I remember the days, when every game was a BG3 game. Some good, some great, some bad.
you were in warcraft 3 team? god damn its a previlege to meet you... bg3 leader swen himself love making good game. hes gonna be rich regardless so i think this is why he 'allow' devs just make good game
@@DesignerDave lol seriously? Well their loss. As much as I love bg3 writing and Larian, nothing top blizzard north and warcraft3 story. (I am from 90s)
Microsoft is generally hands off so nothing will change in terms of improvement from them. The question is who is left in Bliz who does care and how many Activision leech middle managers are still there to f it up? I would not get my hopes up for a turnaround.
I think that a big factor at play is the Internet. Back in the 90s companies knew that the state in which they ship their game will for all practical purposes be final, because distributing a patch wasn't as simple. Until Fallout 2 I never even cared about existence of patches. F2 was so broken (not blaming the devs) that it simply crashed or corrupted savefiles. Luckily my friend had a magazine CD with the patch. Nowadays not only patches can get automatically downloaded when starting a game, but games themselves are distributed online. Which is very convenient for companies.
I hope Baldur's Gate 3 starts a new wave of green lit games, seeing CA go from Alien Isolation to a cancelled $100 million live service game is painful.
Then Rocksteady with there Suicide Squad game being delayed, they made some of the most loved batman games. It's kind of scary, a bunch of big and good studios with expensive projects.
Saying all that I just want more games like Arcanum to be made, Mortismal Gaming just did a video highlighting that MS now owns the IP and original devs (but the devs are busy with projects).
Yeah those are good examples of how forcing live services and "leveling" systems onto games can utterly destroy the way they're made or their central conceits. It's one thing to make a single player Batman game and live out that fantasy of being Batman. It's entirely another to take four villains and need to create systems and combat mechanics that befit each one, and then also layer on top a leveling system where they're constantly upgrading. It doesn't make sense for that license. It doesn't fulfill the fantasy. It doesn't feel good and it doesn't look good. Hopefully they're able to go back to what they're good at without their entire studio being destroyed before they can finish.
Granted, we can't risk another undeserving flop like, you guessed it, Arcanum though. A larger public eye to such potential quality games should also be a grand necessity.
"good morning"
Uploads video at 9pm PST
Then good afternoon, good evening, and good night... ;)
And good 'morrow!
This needs 100 million views
Great analysis, we are all from a generation where the "Nintendo Seal Of Approval" meant something
BG3 isn't even the start of the wedge. Elden Ring and Zelda Tears of the Kingdom are massive games that sold an absolute ton made on this same principle released in the past couple years. You could also throw the Spiderman games and the recent God of War games in there, maybe a little more sterile and corporate but arent GAAS by any means, they're still boxed products you buy and finish. How many examples does there really need to be for THIS to be the "trend" to be chased after?
The issue is that they don't make the same money as even a limited success GAAS game. It's really a difference between millions and billions. The problem that these corpo-pig studios need to recognize, is that if you try to force a studio good at getting millions to get billions by doing something they're not comfortable doing, you will instead get negative millions... Rather than admit their mistake, they just do layoffs...
I need to sit down more with BG3, only about 20% through it.
Yes you do. :D
@@DesignerDave
Life refuses to let me just play games… ☹️
@@WT7791 All in good time. :)
@@WT7791 its okay man life matter more anyway just take your time and play the game :D
Both styles of videos are great.
I was never able to get into the live-service model especially for mainly single-player games (counting Diablo games into that category since that's how I've been playing them since I can remember).
As for Stormgate, it sure doesn't look like a passion project from where I'm standing, rather more of a relatively lower budget online play only version of Starcraft. I'm more excited about a couple of indie RTS games that are coming out soon, D.O.R.F Real-Time Strategic Conflict and Tempest Rising.
Frost Giant is following the old Blizzard adage of under promise overdeliver... It's got a long way to go yet. :)
Great games should always have an end. Keeping them ongoing will eventually prove to be tiresome.
Found you from a Random youtube suggestion. Great video 🎉
RUclips doesn't hate me??? :D
I like both kinds of videos, but I realize these are probably easier to make with the amount of time needed for putting the video together, so I'd love to see more videos with the same substantive content rather than fewer with prettier presentations. I mean I tab out and listen to video essays on the background most of the time anyway.
I miss when games had to go gold. Good to see people are pushing back harder on games as a service. I miss when AAA games were only bad and messy because direction got too ambitious rather than apathy. Reminds me a bit of elden ring too, world peace for two months when that released. Why do you think these companies fought back a lot harder against Baldurs Gate than another successful full release like that?
Because Elden Ring is less accessible than Baldur's Gate 3. If you play BG3 in story mode, pretty much anyone can sort of stumble through and find their joy. Elden Ring and the Souls games are much less forgiving. So corpo-pigs saw BG3 as stepping into their turf.
One thing is for certain: though I actually haven't tried out the game, all while I think it should be set in a, well, set of different realities from the mainline BioWare duology, BG3 will sure stay great whilst dodgy MMOs like WoW and The Old Republic will eventually lose steam due to increasing damnation on their lack of quality and nuance, and also their inevitable server collapses.
Fantastic video
Hey Dave
*insert The Goonies quote*
This might not help, but I'm fine with any format you display your content.
I remember the days, when every game was a BG3 game. Some good, some great, some bad.
Even the bad ones were okay because at least they had an end. :)
you were in warcraft 3 team? god damn its a previlege to meet you...
bg3 leader swen himself love making good game. hes gonna be rich regardless so i think this is why he 'allow' devs just make good game
Yeah I actually applied to Larian as a writer recently. Rejected... :D
@@DesignerDave lol seriously? Well their loss. As much as I love bg3 writing and Larian, nothing top blizzard north and warcraft3 story.
(I am from 90s)
Do you think we'll see a difference now that Microsoft acquired Blizzard. Will we ever go to the good old days of gaming?
Microsoft is generally hands off so nothing will change in terms of improvement from them. The question is who is left in Bliz who does care and how many Activision leech middle managers are still there to f it up? I would not get my hopes up for a turnaround.