It’s that time of the year again when publishers are complaining about pricing. The 60 bucks per AAA game wasn’t enough, so now it’s 70 a pop, blaming difficult and expensive development for the increase in price, and of course inflation. What they don’t mention in their pleas to the public (which seems to work, unfortunately) is that they year after year are making rocket profits.
As you see, they are not exactly starving for money. It’s important to remember that these publishers have no real production costs anymore, except for console releases when it comes to physical boxes. On top of that, they will try to scam you out of your hard-earned money through “microtransactions” and DLCs already on the disc. The only cost is for development, and maybe server costs depending on what kind of game it is – and after that, it’s pure profit forever and ever. Or well, as long as they can milk it.
If the games were good then maybe they would have a point. However, since 2012, or maybe even earlier it has been a straight decline in quality with increased bugginess, and unfinished title releases. The only thing improving is the graphics (enjoy those 4k VRAM-eating textures) which is nice, I guess, but that’s the first thing to fade from any game. Everything else, which I think is more important is on the back burner – like physics and general gameplay. So, while the gaming industry is making more money than ever it is brutally stagnated. Actual innovation is rare, especially now in the Age of Remasters with products that are so low effort that not even the best limbo dancer would be able to crawl under.
Yes, when it comes to AAA gaming we are kinda SOL. There might be the occasional Japanese release worth picking up from time to time, but even that is rare now. Western-developed games are almost 100% in the toilet, and it’s just something else hearing them complaining over pricing while making bank from the low-effort trash they release. The nerve.
Thank God for Indies, otherwise, I would stopped gaming a long time ago. However, they are not immune to greed either, but at least you are still getting interesting titles periodically while not having to take a second loan on your house to afford them. If we ever want AAA publishers to stop ripping us off, we have to stop buying the crap they peddle, it’s as simple as that. I don’t think that will happen anything soon though, as gamers for some reason are more than willing to take the beatings. Is the morale really that low, or is it the desperation for escapism? Who knows, but the state of the AAA gaming industry is sad, and has turned to a place of money-grabbing while acting as poor martyrs – oh woe is me!
Thanks for reading.
/Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 