Multiplayer games today are just way too aggressive with microtransactions and season passes. They make it feel like a second job sometimes just to get a reward cause they put a time limit on it or you feel ripped off needing to pay even more money when they game was already a full priced game.
I'll go one further. As aggressive as they are with the post-launch monetization....there's nothing to the game itself AFTER the launch. It's just the same experience. It doesn't evolve, it rarely improves. It just trots out the same experience as the LAST multiplayer game: - EVERYONE has a Battle Pass - EVERYONE has Day One DLC - EVERYONE has skins/maps/color palettes It's all the same noise. And it's just getting more and more expensive.
That's why I just ignore battle passes, Idc about them. If I want to play a game for full month or two, I'll buy pass to get all rewards, if I'll have extra money to spend on BP.
To reemphasize a good point you made, today's 45 year olds played Street Fighter 2 in arcades, and played final fantasy 7 in high school. Like half of gamers are middle-aged now. I have more money than i did 15 years ago, but a lot less time. Live service games are fundamentally not for people like me, so we just dive into our decade-old single player backlogs instead.
And you know the best thing about these games that you're never going to believe? THEY WERE FINISHED, no bugs, no updates, no patches. Just clean gaming.
@ThePerks2010 one thing I've missed since the 6th-gen (and even 7th-gen) was the massive amount of double A titles. Some of my favorite games of all time came from smaller, but not necessarily indie game studios. The games tended to be cheaper in price and alot of those mid-range devs were willing to take risks with experimental game concepts (with smaller budgets). Not all of them were successful admittedly, but at least it was an attempt to be something different. Darkwatch (Highmoon), Urban Chaos: Riot Response (Rocksteady), Mirror's Edge (DICE), Wanted: Weapons of Fate and WET (GRIN), House of The Dead: Overkill (Headstrong) Alpha Protocol (Obsidian Ent.), Brütal Legend (Double Fine), etc.
@@ThePerks2010 More accurately, they are finished now. A decade ago, they were buggy messes at best quite often, but fixed while they languished in a steam library, getting better like a wine on a shelf.
I stopped my plus subscription as I stopped playing online. Efootball is now a terrible mobile game and I finally weened myself off GTA Online. I’m 50+ now and also have time restrictions. Having said that they are spending more and more on games that are just poor.
This this this!!!! 45 as well that don't like certain elements of gaming today and just stick to my back log. I buy certain new things that are up my alley.
Prices do not help. In Canada, games are $80-$90. The companies say prices have stagnated and don't fairly match inflation. Well, our salaries have stagnated, and we don't get paid more according to inflation. Raise prices more and watch more people wait for sales.
I did a study for an AAA game company, I will not say who because of a NDA. Over 600 including myself did the same study to look for different results. Only one out of the 600 got different results because it was the double sided bias study. 599 out of 600 got the same results from over 10,000 different resources. Games price at $35 to $55 will be purchased at a 1.2 to 2.2 rate. Games price at $56 to $72 will be purchase at a .67 to 1.0 rate. Games price at $73 to $90 will be purchase at a .13 to .53 rate. Games price at $100 to $120+ will be purchased at .0001 to .010 rate. Basically the percents of chances to make a possible profit off the game. Anything over 1.00 is at least a 99% chance to make some kind of profit. The number 1 overhead cost that always holds back 98% of the possibilities of a profit or a net equal cost is the CEO and heads of the company. The chance you will make a profit from a game instantly drops if the top overhead gets paid at all. If they get paid only if there is profit, technically every game will always break even. To get a profit the company would have to let go of all the heads to have a chance to make a profit in the first quarter alone.
I hear you brother Steller and Black Myth this year are games I have my eye on however Black Myth is 90 and Steller is over a 100. Lies of P and Lords of Fallen were two games I bought on Summer Sale of 2024(games came out in 2023)I was however able to get both games on sales for 90 dollars combined, had I not bought on sale both games would cost 160. We all must wait for sales in Canada unless you're rich.
@AndrewAung1992 Yeah, I ysevto buy several games at the maximum price a year. 4-5 easy now, it's maybe 2. And those two have to have considerable juice. Like this year, Monster Hunter. But if it has interest but i can wait, then I'm waiting to pay $30 later on a sale. Nintendo is the only one immune, but I missed a lot of Nintendo games. I didn't even play the latest zelda cause it didn't have the "juice" zelda games normally have.
Not only burnt by day1 purchases in the past, but I have a massive backlog of games, and as i am not a fan of multiplayer games, i'm in no rush anymore. I wait for discounts and user reviews, and in some cases wait for them to fix/finish the game post release before deciding.
Most “AAA” game companies have focused on maximizing profits and minimizing costs. That means tons of microtransactions, rushed development, and chasing established trends rather than creating something original.
Heck I don’t even care if someone makes a blatant rip off of popular games/trends as long as it’s done well but those products are rarely any good due to them banking entirely on that trend to carry them.
I don’t understand that sentiment at all. Indiana jones just came out and was a aaa game and it was great. Before that stalker was good. Final fantasy rebirth was great last year so was dragons dogma 2 and many others. Sure some have sucked but loads haven’t.
@@joshnizzle While that's true, for every Indiana Jones or God of War, there are 5 Concords, Babylon's Falls, or SS: Kill the Justice Leagues. Even if there are plenty of good games, audiences are seeing more bad games than good. Admittedly, the bad games are forgotten about after a few years, so everybody only remembers the good games they actually played. I doubt many people would remember Babylon's Fall existed if I hadn't brought it up.
Some games feel like you're working at a second job just to grind out what little dopamine you have left instead of something fun to do and enjoy yourself or as an escape. Then again, some people have less and less time to actually play games themselves when life's other priorities are more important.
this is a big part of it, and a big reason indie games have been on a steady rise, because they're easy to pick up and put back down and arent a 150+ hour commitment like most AAA games coming out now. Add on top that they're cheaper to buy (more enjoyment per dollar) and that fact that people are tired of being nickel-and-dime'd by predatory microtransactions, day-one DLCs and "live-service" bullshit...
I used to buy every new major release. But now I barley game, due to how greedy the industry has gotten, they cut alot of corners release half done games for full price then add a ton of micro transactions. It's no longer about making good games and more about making every dollar they can
I dont have the money for games, $70 is too much. Add the fact that games are being released broken more and more knowing they can patch it later, most games aren't worth $30, let alone full price. I'm interested in more games this year than most, but probably wont buy any. Also, last year Amazon stopped letting Amazon Gift Card balance be used for digital psn cards, which hurt my ability to save up.
@@ThePianist51 games were more expensive with inflation, but now everything else is expensive too. $70 for a game that might be broken and need patches to work right in in my budget. Sony is learning this the hard way with Concord and cancelling their upcoming live service games. People dont have the time or money for what's goin on.
Perhaps the Palworld model is a solution in some cases. Where the game is released as an extended demo. Which is added to later on. You pay the $30 for an upscaled demo. Then, eventually the rest of the game with no additional cost.
It’s because they care more about profit over quality and chasing trends over doing your own thing. Very few “AAA” studios are trying new things. Look at all the remakes and remasters, they’re all from the era where innovation was pretty common
I didn't give up on gaming. I gave up on Western gaming. Nintendo, Capcom, Square Enix and Sega still make great games. Even Konami is starting to make a comeback. The people who think gaming is dying are those who will only play AAA shooters and 3rd person action adventure games.
I rarely buy new games day 1 cause there’s little point in buying a new game for $70 when I can wait a few months to a year for the goty edition or whatever to come out with all the dlc included and go on sale for like half the price or less
$70 for a large day one patch, guaranteed DLC expansions to sell you the entire experience piece by piece, Microtransactions, and they want $100 to be the norm moving forward. Meanwhile my backlog is still pretty massive and they are mostly finished without a patch.
gaming became unfun with all the mico transactions and trying to be in EVERYTHING. i want my games to be an escape. not a fucking disney/amazon/insert corporate shitty company here tie in
I'm sure you are getting your money's worth from PS plus, but consoles are going to the wayside honestly. Their business models just aren't sustainable anymore. I hated switching over, and I'll NEVER fully be on their side, but I switch over to PC, have gotten orders of magnitude more of my money's worth and I'll have this PC that I've had for 5 years so far long after PS5 is old and forgotten
@@jortega1990 rofl. in the short run. pc is cheaper in the long run. You will spend more than i did on my pc on consoles, controllers, then the next generation and controllers, before i spend another cent on my pc.
Because a huge chunk of the new games is souless, empty garbage with no passion, since the shareholders and leeches in suits have invaded our joy. U_u there are more games then ever before but so many of them are just not worth the time. 😢
AAA Gaming is dying because they are focused on microtransactions and filling Agendas. Just make solid games it’s not that hard. That’s why Indie games and games from the East are selling better more than western games. They try new ideas, they are not afraid to touch taboo subjects, and they make their characters attractive. You want to see the track contrast of AAA gaming vs AA-Indie gaming? Dragon age Veilguard vs BG3 and you can see the difference.
Larian’s parent company is orders of magnitude bigger than EA. Veilguard has no micro transactions. I think people are really buying into a false narrative. Every game is made to make money. Sure you can have passion, but it does not pay the bills. Publicly traded companies have legal mandates and can be sued by the shareholders if they squander their resources. Sand shareholders are not always wealth individuals. Sometimes they are pensions or individuals trying to do the best they can.
Back then, games were developed by people who were passionate about gaming. Gaming was about quality and fun. Today, the majority of games are trash, full of microtransactions and developed by corporates who care about one thing only: Money.
I'm sure there are others like me. I never buy really new games due to pricing unless they go on sale. Even then, prefer to wait. Anything live service or online only turns me right off. I drop off when there are online trophy / achievement requirements as well. Last year, played older games like Gravity Rush, Unravel, Resident Evil 0, Guardians of the Galaxy. All worth it.
I gave up because it was becoming obvious that the big companies are only putting out content to please their shareholders, who have likely never held a controller or played a game, over pleasing the people who actually buy and play the games. The greed driven mediocrity being put out is killing the industry at the AAA level.
I didnt give up on gaming, the industry keeps saying that people dont own their games, so i just look at it as, im not gonna drop full price on a license that can still be removed. Especially when they try to nickle and dime you constantly. You wouldnt catch me renting a movie for $70 plus tax. There are some exceptions that i just cant wait to play, however i just would rather wait and get a sale now. Especially when i get a ton of "free" games from amazon prime gaming and humble bundle with a subscription.
It is very simple... I can buy a buggy. Broken game day #1 for $70, or wait 6 months get a "more finished game" with all of the patch fixes and pay $10-30 for that same game. It's a no brainer
Gaming is in general looking for a different and more frugal "modern audience". Not its traditional audience. And a significant part of it has moved on. Also modern games are technically hit or miss. And AAA are often released in a bad state.
0:52 Wait, are you telling me that Call of Duty isn't making as much money shipping out the same half ass game every year? Whaaaaaaat, that's craaaaaaaazy.
4-5 hrs is casual!?! 😮 God dam then I am not even casual. Lucky to hit an hour a week. Now when I am on staycation then I am hitting at least an hour a day. Getting old sucks in some ways. LoL
The gaming industry should thank social media for this! We have shortened our attention span and look for instant gratification and endorphin boosts that is a game doesn’t engage us or draw us in…we go looking for that next “hit.” Plus, we have so many games that are inspired by others that it doesn’t feel original but that we’ve played this before.
I haven’t given up on gaming. Just only buying games that I like. So I’m 2024 basically just Stellar Blade. Other than that playing old games like NieR and God of War.
I just refuse to pay 60+ dollars for a game. I waited three years for Cyberpunk to go on sale for a price I thought acceptable. I'd rather put 2000+ hours into playing FO4 modded, than buy a new release game for $60, $70 and certainly never will I pay $100 for a game.
Most things come to either of the subscription services at some stage, usually when the game has been patched enough to actually be classed as finished. When prices have increased in games but the quality has been reduced (much like many other things these days) you may as well wait till it comes and play it for "free" (obviously taking into account the subscription cost) or wait until the price goes down on a GOTY edition.
Money... we have all been hit by record price inflation and most of us have been hit with a decade of wage stagnation but the gaming industry decided this was the time to "catch up" on inflation and jump to $70 pricing. People are waiting for sales or are getting games through PSN or Gamepass on console, as ever during these times the indy and AA scene is thriving on PC.
I sat out the Switch for 5 years and then I got an OLED. Patience is indeed a virtue. That and all of the games were on sale, and not only did it allow me to experiment with what I liked, it helps to inform my future decisions going into this next Switch! Great Stuff!
Prices are the main issue, combined with QA issues. Dropping top dollar for a game only for it to be plagued with issues has been burning too many people. I now only buy games if they have a hefty discount.
And adding to that most games stagnate at the price of 50 bucks on sales. I'm not kidding, Tekken 7 full edition still costs over 100 bucks. The game is 10 years old, the last dlc character was released four years ago. Same for assassin's creed and other games. They just sit at a way too high price in the store.
When the industry is nickle and diming us constantly, yeah it makes sense that people want to play older more complete games. Not to mention pushing agendas on either side.
These AAA companies needs to realize gaming is just a hobby, it's not a religion. We spend some time on a game, have fun and then move on. Games do not need f*cking $500 million budgets and $100 price tags to get an audience.
It's a rare game now that entices me to buy in early. Day one purchases are almost nonexistent. I've been burned so many times getting a broken game early and now with them costing as much as they do, I find myself waiting for the GameFly or Amazon sale 6 months or a year down the road. Get a complete, polished (as much as it will be) game for half the cost or less. There is zero drawback to waiting. Plus, being a physical collector, I got burned by Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth Wukong announcing a Physical edition well after I bought and finished the digital version. Again, no downside to waiting.
Today kids are inundated with everything imaginable. You got low budget games that kids actually play the most. I’m talking low brow easy gaming. I had one kid tell me that they play on easy because they don’t want to be “frustrated” with a game. So basically gaming and everything else “entertaining” is actually relaxation. People have completely conflated entertainment with relaxation. People don’t realize that entertainment is not relaxation. You do not go out to relax. You can have a good time but that does not mean to relax. A lot of our entertainment are extremely high tension because it’s results driven. So playing new games means “learning”. That’s what kids do not like. Especially with TikTok and quick information. Kids have “beliefs” that are reinforced because they do not want to take the time to learn. The phone is right there and so is basically a lot of information but these kids do not care. All they want is gratification and relaxation. Tell a kid they can go in a room and relax. Tell anyone today they can go sit down and enjoy leisure time. I guarantee you they will get on the phone and have stimuli in their face at a constant. They will say they didn’t get a chance to relax. Will no crap your brain is constantly being bombarded with stimuli. Look at how many games now have “gameplay trailers” that’s basically explain how to play the game before you get it. It helps you get gamers decide to get the game me not. Even fighting games are making system that completely simplify the gameplay. Games do not demand the player to learn. Games are basically letting people play them how they want. If they don’t care they move on to something even more simple. That’s why smash is so popular. Just consoles gaming replaced the arcade even though the console version was as far inferior.
Roblox has more players because it's for children. Post puberty players don't play games as much because they start gaining responsibilities that are more important.
I bought three new(ish) launch titles in 2024. Those are Helldivers 2, Space Marine 2, and Lollipop Chainsaw Repop. The other handful of games that i bought were a whole lot older and on a deep sale on Steam. Just the other day, i bought Skyrim for $4 as i didn't see it getting any cheaper than that.
$70 is "too expensive" but I believe that most "free to play" players have spent more than $70 on stupid items in Roblox, Overwatch, Fortnite, and the other fee to play garbage.
I think they mean the value when they say that, not the actual price tags. Like COD is so barebones if you only buy they base 70$ copies. Or $70 for re4 remake when it’s the exact same game as the $60 last gen version. Those are just some examples
Who said I gave up on gaming? I’ve been going at my backlog for a while now. Gaming has been awesome for me. All the new games can wait until they are patched up and gone lower on sale. Except Like a Dragon Pirates. Getting that day one since RGG always does a good job.
I don't really play live service games. I mean I have played a few like RDR2 Online, Sea of Thieves, Helldivers 2. But I am not a big fan of games that become your main hobby and perhaps part of your identity. I mean I do play Warhammer 40k which happens to do that for a lot of people too. With the cost of these things I definitely do understand it though. The thing that hits for me with the older games that are ongoing is more like all the Paradox games which have released expansions for like a decade and I would go back to them a lot. But that said I haven't touched them that much even. The death of the Monoculture has been a thing for a long while but it really has kicked in this decade. I actually these days wonder if I should still call myself a "gamer" in the sense of what it means to the "hardcore gamer" community (for video games,). I barely touch my Xbox. These days I find myself playing either something massive like Baldur's Gate 3 when something that good drops for sure but more regularly I play indie games like Balatro at the moment because they don't take as much energy and can be done while listening to something like a podcast. There to me seems to be a major split between what games are successful. Those guaranteed profits with "live services", regular expansions, sequels. Much like they do with movies. Then you have the indie creators who create all these fun and interesting games that are created on a smaller budget and a few gems really explode. Some of them go on to become juggernauts like FNAF.
For me personally, I simply can't afford to spend £60 - 70 on a game I might not enjoy. Also there's simply just not been that many games that appeal to me personally recently.
People told them for a few decades they would buy fewer games if games cost more. That's how they justified microtransactions. But that still made the games more expensive. And then they increased the base price as well. Lo and behold, people are being far more selective with their games when games cost more and can be played infinitely.
I've only finished 2 games released since 2019. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order and Sins of a Solar Empire II. Even then, define "finished" with an RTS. I played, but didn't finish, Final Fantasy 7: Remake and Star Wars Jedi Survivor, and that's the extent of my "new" gaming in the last 5 years. I'm still playing tons of games, but most of them are over 10 years old now. 2007-2012 releases seem to be my sweet spot.
I keep getting excited for a game or two every year but always end up playing the same few games from 2000s-2010s. Granted having 2 young kids and deep in my career has sucked my time and mental energy to get into anything new
For me, I have no interest in recent gaming. All my time effort and money is going into retro games. The stuff I missed out on growing up. Goes to the argument of actually owning the game instead of digital.
We need more AA games smaller budgets and lower price. Time and money have decreased for most people. If I can pick up an indie game play for a bit and enjoy it why would I spend triple the price to be disappointed?
It's the price for me. I've heard rumblings about upping the cost of gaming again to $100 a game and I have to save for months and watch for releases of my favorite series to be able to buy a game at $70. Delving into the stories and gameplay is a passion of mine, but when money becomes the problem that passion will have to die.
Buying new games constantly can get expensive. Also pre order bonuses aren’t nearly as good as they used to be. They used to give you something that would be useful in the game. Now you just get something like a weapon skin that will eventually just become available anyway
I'm an older gamer and I do tend to only get newer games after they been out for a year and got a sale going on so its under $20...it's hard to want a new game that is getting even more expensive, might be liveservice so it may not even be playable in 2 years, all the monetization, the game may just suck or you may just not like the story or game play cuz it's not ur thing...and that's all on top of prices for everything else going up
We haven't given up on gaming, we just refuse to play modern games that are online only, riddled with bugs and micro transactions. We're still playing older stuff. I've also never paid more than £40 for a game, and even then I'd usually wait until it's available cheaper in a sale.
Oh I don't know why? 100$ unfinished games, anti-consumer practices, mandatory internet connexion for single-player games, lack of stocks for consoles for over half their lifetime... I wonder why we dont play new games anymore 🤔🤔🤔🤔
I’m way older than you and I can tell you this is the best time to be playing games by far. You can play almost everything that came before and now we have cloud gaming, MMO’s, online co-op, cloud saves, digital games, physical games, hundred of games of all types coming out every week. It’s an embarrassment of riches. Even if 90% of gaming isn’t for you, the 10% that is if a much larger pool that ALL of what we used to get released. Modern gamers need to have some perspective.
@@stuartbagley2586 More doesn't mean better. And no I strongly disagree with the 10% pool being larger than what we used to have. Major trip A games take WAY longer to develop now and often release unfinished. We had so much more to play from the major studios back in the day.
As an older gamer who enjoys single player narratives. I only played new games. Which was Alan Wake 2 DLC, Astro Bot, Space Marine 2, and Banishers. I usually play about 100-200 hours a year. While I am not a target demographic. I did play full price for all these games and I also bought another new full price game for my wife. So I am squarely in that 6% who played new games and did not engage in multiplayer unless I know the other players. And I have zero interest in mobile. There were other games that came out that had my interest but they were all souls like which just don’t give me much joy anymore. It seems the gaming industry has painted it self in a corner. Creating games with long life spans that don’t translate into new purchases. My teenager plays a lot of Roblox with friends. But hasn’t spent a cent on it in years. Same with Minecraft. While my older kid plays POE year after year.
I got worn out on the greed, and the fact that even if there were single player games (as is my preference) the just weren't compelling to play. I loved gaming, but I've not picked up a game in 6months other than sudoku and Balatro on my phone
I gave up on Dragon's Dogma 2 because the game doesn't invite you to explore. First example: I had one NPC who died when I explored a cave and found a boss, but turns out I needed that NPC to continue the quest so I had to reload an old save and lost 3h of gameplay. Second example: I explored a cave and found some loot and sold a two-handed sword which my character can't use, turns out I needed that sword to unlock a new Class. When I went back to the Shop to buy it back it wasn't there anymore. Anyways, I sold the game and bought Space Marine 2 instead
Either make high quality experiences, or price them accordingly. I am not paying 70$+ for mediocre slop when I can (re)play some of the all-time greats for much less. I have dozens of new games on my wishlist, just waiting for the price to match the quality of the game.
My personal preference is for single player games with reasonable story length. I’m not big into multiplayer, I don’t want a game so huge that I can’t ever finish it, and everything about the live service model is unappealing to me. So coming from that perspective there’s no benefit to buy new games. I can buy 3-5 year old games that are not being monetized, are fixed and patched, that look and play just as well as new games, and I’ll pay $20 for the complete version instead of $70+ dlc costs.
I run a youth club. Dress to impress on Roblox is easy and stealthily one-off the biggest games right now in the world based on my 70-80% brings I girls, who nearly ALL PLAY it.
People just don’t have the money to spend like they used to. Everyone would rather enjoy the games they have rather than buy new ones which more often than not end up disappointing anyway
I don't think the average gamer has enough disposable income to consider buying every game they want right at launch. It's been like this for years, and publishers are treating these releases like a film premiere, setting the whole industry up to see everything they do as flops if launch sales dont dominate.. Let's be double-honest; the film industry sucks at getting ROI in their own field. These are the wrong executive perspectives for games design.
I mostly gave up because my vision is slowly disappearing (I’m legally blind, that’s when your prescription is lower than -2.5, mine is -13 and my eyesight only has 1% left and my right eye 13% but with correction 20%)
Multiplayer games today are just way too aggressive with microtransactions and season passes. They make it feel like a second job sometimes just to get a reward cause they put a time limit on it or you feel ripped off needing to pay even more money when they game was already a full priced game.
I'll go one further. As aggressive as they are with the post-launch monetization....there's nothing to the game itself AFTER the launch. It's just the same experience. It doesn't evolve, it rarely improves. It just trots out the same experience as the LAST multiplayer game:
- EVERYONE has a Battle Pass
- EVERYONE has Day One DLC
- EVERYONE has skins/maps/color palettes
It's all the same noise. And it's just getting more and more expensive.
That's why I just ignore battle passes, Idc about them. If I want to play a game for full month or two, I'll buy pass to get all rewards, if I'll have extra money to spend on BP.
We didn't give up on gaming. Gaming gave up on us. Like everything else lately.
🎯
Right??
Your parents will soon give up on you.
@@killerrabbit4448 bruv my moms gave up on me years ago, good call just a decade late
Deep
To reemphasize a good point you made, today's 45 year olds played Street Fighter 2 in arcades, and played final fantasy 7 in high school. Like half of gamers are middle-aged now. I have more money than i did 15 years ago, but a lot less time. Live service games are fundamentally not for people like me, so we just dive into our decade-old single player backlogs instead.
And you know the best thing about these games that you're never going to believe? THEY WERE FINISHED, no bugs, no updates, no patches. Just clean gaming.
@ThePerks2010 one thing I've missed since the 6th-gen (and even 7th-gen) was the massive amount of double A titles. Some of my favorite games of all time came from smaller, but not necessarily indie game studios.
The games tended to be cheaper in price and alot of those mid-range devs were willing to take risks with experimental game concepts (with smaller budgets). Not all of them were successful admittedly, but at least it was an attempt to be something different.
Darkwatch (Highmoon), Urban Chaos: Riot Response (Rocksteady), Mirror's Edge (DICE), Wanted: Weapons of Fate and WET (GRIN), House of The Dead: Overkill (Headstrong) Alpha Protocol (Obsidian Ent.), Brütal Legend (Double Fine), etc.
@@ThePerks2010 More accurately, they are finished now. A decade ago, they were buggy messes at best quite often, but fixed while they languished in a steam library, getting better like a wine on a shelf.
I stopped my plus subscription as I stopped playing online.
Efootball is now a terrible mobile game and I finally weened myself off GTA Online.
I’m 50+ now and also have time restrictions. Having said that they are spending more and more on games that are just poor.
This this this!!!! 45 as well that don't like certain elements of gaming today and just stick to my back log. I buy certain new things that are up my alley.
Prices do not help. In Canada, games are $80-$90. The companies say prices have stagnated and don't fairly match inflation. Well, our salaries have stagnated, and we don't get paid more according to inflation. Raise prices more and watch more people wait for sales.
I did a study for an AAA game company, I will not say who because of a NDA. Over 600 including myself did the same study to look for different results. Only one out of the 600 got different results because it was the double sided bias study. 599 out of 600 got the same results from over 10,000 different resources.
Games price at $35 to $55 will be purchased at a 1.2 to 2.2 rate.
Games price at $56 to $72 will be purchase at a .67 to 1.0 rate.
Games price at $73 to $90 will be purchase at a .13 to .53 rate.
Games price at $100 to $120+ will be purchased at .0001 to .010 rate.
Basically the percents of chances to make a possible profit off the game. Anything over 1.00 is at least a 99% chance to make some kind of profit.
The number 1 overhead cost that always holds back 98% of the possibilities of a profit or a net equal cost is the CEO and heads of the company.
The chance you will make a profit from a game instantly drops if the top overhead gets paid at all. If they get paid only if there is profit, technically every game will always break even.
To get a profit the company would have to let go of all the heads to have a chance to make a profit in the first quarter alone.
@@joshportal2808 Who gives a Lazy 💩 about your Useless Report - NOBODY CARES‼️
I hear you brother Steller and Black Myth this year are games I have my eye on however Black Myth is 90 and Steller is over a 100. Lies of P and Lords of Fallen were two games I bought on Summer Sale of 2024(games came out in 2023)I was however able to get both games on sales for 90 dollars combined, had I not bought on sale both games would cost 160. We all must wait for sales in Canada unless you're rich.
@@AndrewAung1992Yep it's ridiculous. Even here in the UK. £70 for a game which when converted to Canadian dollars is like $124
@AndrewAung1992 Yeah, I ysevto buy several games at the maximum price a year. 4-5 easy now, it's maybe 2. And those two have to have considerable juice. Like this year, Monster Hunter. But if it has interest but i can wait, then I'm waiting to pay $30 later on a sale. Nintendo is the only one immune, but I missed a lot of Nintendo games. I didn't even play the latest zelda cause it didn't have the "juice" zelda games normally have.
Not only burnt by day1 purchases in the past, but I have a massive backlog of games, and as i am not a fan of multiplayer games, i'm in no rush anymore. I wait for discounts and user reviews, and in some cases wait for them to fix/finish the game post release before deciding.
🍻 bingo
EXACTLY
Unless you're streamer or multiplayer gamer, there's really no need to buy games on day one.
110% yes
💯
Most “AAA” game companies have focused on maximizing profits and minimizing costs. That means tons of microtransactions, rushed development, and chasing established trends rather than creating something original.
Heck I don’t even care if someone makes a blatant rip off of popular games/trends as long as it’s done well but those products are rarely any good due to them banking entirely on that trend to carry them.
More like gaming has given up on us, well the AAA certainly has
I don’t understand that sentiment at all. Indiana jones just came out and was a aaa game and it was great. Before that stalker was good. Final fantasy rebirth was great last year so was dragons dogma 2 and many others. Sure some have sucked but loads haven’t.
@@joshnizzle While that's true, for every Indiana Jones or God of War, there are 5 Concords, Babylon's Falls, or SS: Kill the Justice Leagues. Even if there are plenty of good games, audiences are seeing more bad games than good. Admittedly, the bad games are forgotten about after a few years, so everybody only remembers the good games they actually played. I doubt many people would remember Babylon's Fall existed if I hadn't brought it up.
Some games feel like you're working at a second job just to grind out what little dopamine you have left instead of something fun to do and enjoy yourself or as an escape. Then again, some people have less and less time to actually play games themselves when life's other priorities are more important.
this is a big part of it, and a big reason indie games have been on a steady rise, because they're easy to pick up and put back down and arent a 150+ hour commitment like most AAA games coming out now. Add on top that they're cheaper to buy (more enjoyment per dollar) and that fact that people are tired of being nickel-and-dime'd by predatory microtransactions, day-one DLCs and "live-service" bullshit...
Its true for me. I just play indie and retro games these days.
Same for me lately. All the games I have been buying have been older indie titles.
That's what I do and clearing out my backlog.
Oregon Trail is super fun.
I used to buy every new major release. But now I barley game, due to how greedy the industry has gotten, they cut alot of corners release half done games for full price then add a ton of micro transactions. It's no longer about making good games and more about making every dollar they can
I dont have the money for games, $70 is too much. Add the fact that games are being released broken more and more knowing they can patch it later, most games aren't worth $30, let alone full price. I'm interested in more games this year than most, but probably wont buy any. Also, last year Amazon stopped letting Amazon Gift Card balance be used for digital psn cards, which hurt my ability to save up.
Agreed. I set a £30 limit on games after feeling ripped off for spending £70 on God of War Ragnorock and haven't felt like I'm missing out at all.
Imagine games had been more expensive in the past - from a realistic standpoint at least. If 70 $ is too much, I don’t know what to say, mate.
@@ThePianist51 games were more expensive with inflation, but now everything else is expensive too. $70 for a game that might be broken and need patches to work right in in my budget. Sony is learning this the hard way with Concord and cancelling their upcoming live service games. People dont have the time or money for what's goin on.
Perhaps the Palworld model is a solution in some cases. Where the game is released as an extended demo. Which is added to later on. You pay the $30 for an upscaled demo. Then, eventually the rest of the game with no additional cost.
Yeah, I have a hard time justifying dropping $70 when I can find a 3/5 year old game that looks and plays just as well on sale for $20
Bro, I live in a third world country. One game is worth literally a month's grocery. How can I justify that?
Scott: the average gamer age is 34
Me: oh, I am old….
It’s because they care more about profit over quality and chasing trends over doing your own thing. Very few “AAA” studios are trying new things. Look at all the remakes and remasters, they’re all from the era where innovation was pretty common
Correction: we gave up on WESTERN gaming
I didn't give up on gaming. I gave up on Western gaming. Nintendo, Capcom, Square Enix and Sega still make great games. Even Konami is starting to make a comeback. The people who think gaming is dying are those who will only play AAA shooters and 3rd person action adventure games.
I rarely buy new games day 1 cause there’s little point in buying a new game for $70 when I can wait a few months to a year for the goty edition or whatever to come out with all the dlc included and go on sale for like half the price or less
I haven't given up on gaming. I will happily buy a game that is quality, but those are becoming incredibly rare outside indie games.
They stopped selling us games we want to play and started selling us services we don’t need.
$70 for a large day one patch, guaranteed DLC expansions to sell you the entire experience piece by piece, Microtransactions, and they want $100 to be the norm moving forward.
Meanwhile my backlog is still pretty massive and they are mostly finished without a patch.
gaming became unfun with all the mico transactions and trying to be in EVERYTHING. i want my games to be an escape. not a fucking disney/amazon/insert corporate shitty company here tie in
I invested in PS Plus and have not regretted it. I have also been returning to games I've beaten and trying 10 100% and/or platinum them.
I'm sure you are getting your money's worth from PS plus, but consoles are going to the wayside honestly. Their business models just aren't sustainable anymore. I hated switching over, and I'll NEVER fully be on their side, but I switch over to PC, have gotten orders of magnitude more of my money's worth and I'll have this PC that I've had for 5 years so far long after PS5 is old and forgotten
@@ajd2393 not without spending money and upgrading. Its pretty much fact that consoles are the most affordable way to play.
@@jortega1990 rofl. in the short run. pc is cheaper in the long run. You will spend more than i did on my pc on consoles, controllers, then the next generation and controllers, before i spend another cent on my pc.
Because a huge chunk of the new games is souless, empty garbage with no passion, since the shareholders and leeches in suits have invaded our joy. U_u there are more games then ever before but so many of them are just not worth the time. 😢
We didn't give up on gaming, studios are literally giving us slop, last year we played good games like helldivers, ff7 rebirth and so on
AAA Gaming is dying because they are focused on microtransactions and filling Agendas. Just make solid games it’s not that hard. That’s why Indie games and games from the East are selling better more than western games. They try new ideas, they are not afraid to touch taboo subjects, and they make their characters attractive. You want to see the track contrast of AAA gaming vs AA-Indie gaming? Dragon age Veilguard vs BG3 and you can see the difference.
BG3 had a triple A budget, you spoon.
Name an agenda.
“Agenda” “they make their characters attractive” East vs West. Gods what a loser
Larian’s parent company is orders of magnitude bigger than EA. Veilguard has no micro transactions. I think people are really buying into a false narrative. Every game is made to make money. Sure you can have passion, but it does not pay the bills. Publicly traded companies have legal mandates and can be sued by the shareholders if they squander their resources. Sand shareholders are not always wealth individuals. Sometimes they are pensions or individuals trying to do the best they can.
The reason Roblox is so big is that there are a lot of parents that use it as the parent for their kids.
Back then, games were developed by people who were passionate about gaming. Gaming was about quality and fun. Today, the majority of games are trash, full of microtransactions and developed by corporates who care about one thing only: Money.
I'm sure there are others like me.
I never buy really new games due to pricing unless they go on sale. Even then, prefer to wait.
Anything live service or online only turns me right off. I drop off when there are online trophy / achievement requirements as well.
Last year, played older games like Gravity Rush, Unravel, Resident Evil 0, Guardians of the Galaxy. All worth it.
I gave up because it was becoming obvious that the big companies are only putting out content to please their shareholders, who have likely never held a controller or played a game, over pleasing the people who actually buy and play the games. The greed driven mediocrity being put out is killing the industry at the AAA level.
I didnt give up on gaming, the industry keeps saying that people dont own their games, so i just look at it as, im not gonna drop full price on a license that can still be removed. Especially when they try to nickle and dime you constantly. You wouldnt catch me renting a movie for $70 plus tax. There are some exceptions that i just cant wait to play, however i just would rather wait and get a sale now. Especially when i get a ton of "free" games from amazon prime gaming and humble bundle with a subscription.
It is very simple... I can buy a buggy. Broken game day #1 for $70, or wait 6 months get a "more finished game" with all of the patch fixes and pay $10-30 for that same game. It's a no brainer
Gaming is in general looking for a different and more frugal "modern audience". Not its traditional audience. And a significant part of it has moved on.
Also modern games are technically hit or miss. And AAA are often released in a bad state.
0:52 Wait, are you telling me that Call of Duty isn't making as much money shipping out the same half ass game every year? Whaaaaaaat, that's craaaaaaaazy.
4-5 hrs is casual!?! 😮 God dam then I am not even casual. Lucky to hit an hour a week. Now when I am on staycation then I am hitting at least an hour a day. Getting old sucks in some ways. LoL
The gaming industry should thank social media for this! We have shortened our attention span and look for instant gratification and endorphin boosts that is a game doesn’t engage us or draw us in…we go looking for that next “hit.” Plus, we have so many games that are inspired by others that it doesn’t feel original but that we’ve played this before.
I'm old enough to remember when you paid once for a whole game and now you can only rent a game for life and it's missing content
Price is a major issue. We just had one of the best years in gaming but with everything being almost 70 bucks, it's just hard to keep up.
I haven’t given up on gaming. Just only buying games that I like. So I’m 2024 basically just Stellar Blade. Other than that playing old games like NieR and God of War.
You have great taste in games!
From now on I want a graph of the week from you guys
I just refuse to pay 60+ dollars for a game. I waited three years for Cyberpunk to go on sale for a price I thought acceptable. I'd rather put 2000+ hours into playing FO4 modded, than buy a new release game for $60, $70 and certainly never will I pay $100 for a game.
Most things come to either of the subscription services at some stage, usually when the game has been patched enough to actually be classed as finished. When prices have increased in games but the quality has been reduced (much like many other things these days) you may as well wait till it comes and play it for "free" (obviously taking into account the subscription cost) or wait until the price goes down on a GOTY edition.
Money... we have all been hit by record price inflation and most of us have been hit with a decade of wage stagnation but the gaming industry decided this was the time to "catch up" on inflation and jump to $70 pricing. People are waiting for sales or are getting games through PSN or Gamepass on console, as ever during these times the indy and AA scene is thriving on PC.
I wouldn't buy a game for 100$ period
1:22 Microsoft vs Xbox vs Nintendo? XD
They are all so similar nowadays - battle passes, virtual currency, progression tokens, season 1 bla bla bla
I sat out the Switch for 5 years and then I got an OLED. Patience is indeed a virtue.
That and all of the games were on sale, and not only did it allow me to experiment with what I liked, it helps to inform my future decisions going into this next Switch!
Great Stuff!
Prices are the main issue, combined with QA issues. Dropping top dollar for a game only for it to be plagued with issues has been burning too many people. I now only buy games if they have a hefty discount.
And adding to that most games stagnate at the price of 50 bucks on sales. I'm not kidding, Tekken 7 full edition still costs over 100 bucks. The game is 10 years old, the last dlc character was released four years ago. Same for assassin's creed and other games. They just sit at a way too high price in the store.
When the industry is nickle and diming us constantly, yeah it makes sense that people want to play older more complete games. Not to mention pushing agendas on either side.
These AAA companies needs to realize gaming is just a hobby, it's not a religion. We spend some time on a game, have fun and then move on. Games do not need f*cking $500 million budgets and $100 price tags to get an audience.
It's a rare game now that entices me to buy in early. Day one purchases are almost nonexistent. I've been burned so many times getting a broken game early and now with them costing as much as they do, I find myself waiting for the GameFly or Amazon sale 6 months or a year down the road. Get a complete, polished (as much as it will be) game for half the cost or less. There is zero drawback to waiting. Plus, being a physical collector, I got burned by Alan Wake 2 and Black Myth Wukong announcing a Physical edition well after I bought and finished the digital version. Again, no downside to waiting.
There's a reason why my friends and I went back to play Diablo 3 rather than keep playing Black Ops 6 lately.
Today kids are inundated with everything imaginable. You got low budget games that kids actually play the most. I’m talking low brow easy gaming. I had one kid tell me that they play on easy because they don’t want to be “frustrated” with a game. So basically gaming and everything else “entertaining” is actually relaxation. People have completely conflated entertainment with relaxation. People don’t realize that entertainment is not relaxation. You do not go out to relax. You can have a good time but that does not mean to relax. A lot of our entertainment are extremely high tension because it’s results driven. So playing new games means “learning”. That’s what kids do not like. Especially with TikTok and quick information. Kids have “beliefs” that are reinforced because they do not want to take the time to learn. The phone is right there and so is basically a lot of information but these kids do not care. All they want is gratification and relaxation.
Tell a kid they can go in a room and relax. Tell anyone today they can go sit down and enjoy leisure time. I guarantee you they will get on the phone and have stimuli in their face at a constant. They will say they didn’t get a chance to relax. Will no crap your brain is constantly being bombarded with stimuli.
Look at how many games now have “gameplay trailers” that’s basically explain how to play the game before you get it. It helps you get gamers decide to get the game me not. Even fighting games are making system that completely simplify the gameplay.
Games do not demand the player to learn. Games are basically letting people play them how they want. If they don’t care they move on to something even more simple. That’s why smash is so popular.
Just consoles gaming replaced the arcade even though the console version was as far inferior.
Prices it's so easy to see
Roblox has more players because it's for children. Post puberty players don't play games as much because they start gaining responsibilities that are more important.
Gaming industry has taught/trained me to see a game I like...and then wait a year to buy it on sale with at least half the DLC included
The publishers haven't learned from the video game crash of the 80s, meaning we're heading for a new one.
Wow that's crazy. (starts another Skyrim play-through)
I've said this before. There are enough games that they could stop making games and we'd still never be able to play ever game we want
I bought three new(ish) launch titles in 2024. Those are Helldivers 2, Space Marine 2, and Lollipop Chainsaw Repop. The other handful of games that i bought were a whole lot older and on a deep sale on Steam. Just the other day, i bought Skyrim for $4 as i didn't see it getting any cheaper than that.
i hate needing to be a statistics anaylst just to play
$70 is "too expensive" but I believe that most "free to play" players have spent more than $70 on stupid items in Roblox, Overwatch, Fortnite, and the other fee to play garbage.
I think they mean the value when they say that, not the actual price tags. Like COD is so barebones if you only buy they base 70$ copies. Or $70 for re4 remake when it’s the exact same game as the $60 last gen version. Those are just some examples
That's too. It's delayed spending in that case. Spending 70$ in those games isn't all at once.
Actually I bought Overwatch and haven't touched it after they force-updated it to OW2.
Its a lack of time and a growing backlog.
If the TITLE is major i will buy it. KH4, FFVII:Part 3, Switch2
Who said I gave up on gaming? I’ve been going at my backlog for a while now. Gaming has been awesome for me. All the new games can wait until they are patched up and gone lower on sale. Except Like a Dragon Pirates. Getting that day one since RGG always does a good job.
I don't really play live service games. I mean I have played a few like RDR2 Online, Sea of Thieves, Helldivers 2. But I am not a big fan of games that become your main hobby and perhaps part of your identity. I mean I do play Warhammer 40k which happens to do that for a lot of people too. With the cost of these things I definitely do understand it though.
The thing that hits for me with the older games that are ongoing is more like all the Paradox games which have released expansions for like a decade and I would go back to them a lot. But that said I haven't touched them that much even.
The death of the Monoculture has been a thing for a long while but it really has kicked in this decade.
I actually these days wonder if I should still call myself a "gamer" in the sense of what it means to the "hardcore gamer" community (for video games,). I barely touch my Xbox. These days I find myself playing either something massive like Baldur's Gate 3 when something that good drops for sure but more regularly I play indie games like Balatro at the moment because they don't take as much energy and can be done while listening to something like a podcast.
There to me seems to be a major split between what games are successful. Those guaranteed profits with "live services", regular expansions, sequels. Much like they do with movies. Then you have the indie creators who create all these fun and interesting games that are created on a smaller budget and a few gems really explode. Some of them go on to become juggernauts like FNAF.
For me personally, I simply can't afford to spend £60 - 70 on a game I might not enjoy.
Also there's simply just not been that many games that appeal to me personally recently.
People told them for a few decades they would buy fewer games if games cost more. That's how they justified microtransactions. But that still made the games more expensive. And then they increased the base price as well. Lo and behold, people are being far more selective with their games when games cost more and can be played infinitely.
The games i'm currently playing the most are No Man's Sky, Marvel Puzzle Quest, Wildermyth, Age of Wonders 4 and Pokemon Tectonic!
I've only finished 2 games released since 2019. Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order and Sins of a Solar Empire II. Even then, define "finished" with an RTS. I played, but didn't finish, Final Fantasy 7: Remake and Star Wars Jedi Survivor, and that's the extent of my "new" gaming in the last 5 years. I'm still playing tons of games, but most of them are over 10 years old now. 2007-2012 releases seem to be my sweet spot.
No video game is worth 70$ plus micro transactions.
I keep getting excited for a game or two every year but always end up playing the same few games from 2000s-2010s. Granted having 2 young kids and deep in my career has sucked my time and mental energy to get into anything new
An industry struggling to sell addictions because the majority of their audience are already addicted? Shocking.
Some fantastic research and presentation from Josh! Top breakdown 🤘
For me, I have no interest in recent gaming. All my time effort and money is going into retro games. The stuff I missed out on growing up. Goes to the argument of actually owning the game instead of digital.
Psvr2 has made me love gaming again.
Wait until you try PCVR.
@realgravy I need a PC first haha. But I do want to try games like ff7remake and others in VR.
We need more AA games smaller budgets and lower price. Time and money have decreased for most people. If I can pick up an indie game play for a bit and enjoy it why would I spend triple the price to be disappointed?
It's the price for me. I've heard rumblings about upping the cost of gaming again to $100 a game and I have to save for months and watch for releases of my favorite series to be able to buy a game at $70. Delving into the stories and gameplay is a passion of mine, but when money becomes the problem that passion will have to die.
I know someone that creates advertised content for Roblox . I think one was Pringles related and another I don’t remember. It’s worth a fortune
I have to play old games because the games industry has stopped catering to my gaming interests.
Buying new games constantly can get expensive. Also pre order bonuses aren’t nearly as good as they used to be. They used to give you something that would be useful in the game. Now you just get something like a weapon skin that will eventually just become available anyway
I'm an older gamer and I do tend to only get newer games after they been out for a year and got a sale going on so its under $20...it's hard to want a new game that is getting even more expensive, might be liveservice so it may not even be playable in 2 years, all the monetization, the game may just suck or you may just not like the story or game play cuz it's not ur thing...and that's all on top of prices for everything else going up
Why? I'm 51. I play a ton of new games, on all 3 consoles. I have a Steam account, to.
I can't imagine playing the same game, constantly.
We haven't given up on gaming, we just refuse to play modern games that are online only, riddled with bugs and micro transactions. We're still playing older stuff. I've also never paid more than £40 for a game, and even then I'd usually wait until it's available cheaper in a sale.
Ubisoft reminds us: "Gamers need to get comfortable with not owning their games."
Oh I don't know why?
100$ unfinished games, anti-consumer practices, mandatory internet connexion for single-player games, lack of stocks for consoles for over half their lifetime...
I wonder why we dont play new games anymore 🤔🤔🤔🤔
Oh hey. Wild that 2023, the year Elden Ring came out and was a huge hit, saw a spike in people playing new games compared to the surrounding years.
I'm 33 and this is the saddest state of the industry I've seen in my lifetime. And no it's not just because I'm getting older and more jaded.
I’m way older than you and I can tell you this is the best time to be playing games by far. You can play almost everything that came before and now we have cloud gaming, MMO’s, online co-op, cloud saves, digital games, physical games, hundred of games of all types coming out every week. It’s an embarrassment of riches. Even if 90% of gaming isn’t for you, the 10% that is if a much larger pool that ALL of what we used to get released.
Modern gamers need to have some perspective.
@@stuartbagley2586 More doesn't mean better. And no I strongly disagree with the 10% pool being larger than what we used to have. Major trip A games take WAY longer to develop now and often release unfinished. We had so much more to play from the major studios back in the day.
As an older gamer who enjoys single player narratives. I only played new games. Which was Alan Wake 2 DLC, Astro Bot, Space Marine 2, and Banishers. I usually play about 100-200 hours a year. While I am not a target demographic. I did play full price for all these games and I also bought another new full price game for my wife. So I am squarely in that 6% who played new games and did not engage in multiplayer unless I know the other players. And I have zero interest in mobile. There were other games that came out that had my interest but they were all souls like which just don’t give me much joy anymore. It seems the gaming industry has painted it self in a corner. Creating games with long life spans that don’t translate into new purchases. My teenager plays a lot of Roblox with friends. But hasn’t spent a cent on it in years. Same with Minecraft. While my older kid plays POE year after year.
I got worn out on the greed, and the fact that even if there were single player games (as is my preference) the just weren't compelling to play. I loved gaming, but I've not picked up a game in 6months other than sudoku and Balatro on my phone
The excitement is gone hopefully Nintendo brings it April 2nd
I gave up on Dragon's Dogma 2 because the game doesn't invite you to explore. First example: I had one NPC who died when I explored a cave and found a boss, but turns out I needed that NPC to continue the quest so I had to reload an old save and lost 3h of gameplay. Second example: I explored a cave and found some loot and sold a two-handed sword which my character can't use, turns out I needed that sword to unlock a new Class. When I went back to the Shop to buy it back it wasn't there anymore. Anyways, I sold the game and bought Space Marine 2 instead
Either make high quality experiences, or price them accordingly. I am not paying 70$+ for mediocre slop when I can (re)play some of the all-time greats for much less.
I have dozens of new games on my wishlist, just waiting for the price to match the quality of the game.
My personal preference is for single player games with reasonable story length. I’m not big into multiplayer, I don’t want a game so huge that I can’t ever finish it, and everything about the live service model is unappealing to me. So coming from that perspective there’s no benefit to buy new games. I can buy 3-5 year old games that are not being monetized, are fixed and patched, that look and play just as well as new games, and I’ll pay $20 for the complete version instead of $70+ dlc costs.
Games are like the movie business model.
You can go to a movie theater for $20/ticket.. or wait 3-6months and get it on streaming for $0-6.
It didn’t help half of us couldn’t get into this generation for half of it’s lifetime
I run a youth club. Dress to impress on Roblox is easy and stealthily one-off the biggest games right now in the world based on my 70-80% brings I girls, who nearly ALL PLAY it.
People just don’t have the money to spend like they used to. Everyone would rather enjoy the games they have rather than buy new ones which more often than not end up disappointing anyway
I went from gta5 to stardew valley. And it's refreshing asf
It took decades to up the price $10 and they really think they are going to jump another $30 in the next couple years? I doubt it.
I don't think the average gamer has enough disposable income to consider buying every game they want right at launch. It's been like this for years, and publishers are treating these releases like a film premiere, setting the whole industry up to see everything they do as flops if launch sales dont dominate.. Let's be double-honest; the film industry sucks at getting ROI in their own field. These are the wrong executive perspectives for games design.
I mostly gave up because my vision is slowly disappearing (I’m legally blind, that’s when your prescription is lower than -2.5, mine is -13 and my eyesight only has 1% left and my right eye 13% but with correction 20%)