Games Industry 'In a Massive State of Turmoil'

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CliffyB says the games industry "in a massive state of turmoil." I think he's right about a lot of stuff but I still don't think the PC industry is ready to go "digital download only" just yet.

I really think we're in a massive state of turmoil. I think Nintendo could possibly be faced with the situation of becoming a company that only makes software moving forward. I think Sony and Microsoft are about to come to major blows. The PC is going through a wonderful renaissance right now. I think we're ready to do digital download games all the time.
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Who knows? Though I'm sure every gamer who isn't completely new to the hobby can name at least 1 favorite developer EA bought and killed.
 
command and conquer 4 was a pile of shit red alert 3 was a pile of shit the new f2p c&C looks good but is going to fail miserably as ea has zero clue on how to build a successful game franchise and keep it successful
 
Smythe said:
Who knows? Though I'm sure every gamer who isn't completely new to the hobby can name at least 1 favorite developer EA bought and killed.
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And most of them could probably also name at least 1 favorite game that was published by EA.
 
maxius said:
command and conquer 4 was a pile of shit red alert 3 was a pile of shit the new f2p c&C looks good but is going to fail miserably as ea has zero clue on how to build a successful game franchise and keep it successful
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Unfortunately your opinion on "successfully" is very far from what I will call the societal norm. EA makes and has made tons of money on its franchises. That is how they can afford to buy other developers and milk them for every red cent without putting much into developing new IP. So frankly, EA is very successful, unfortunately their efficient model is around milking current IP to death and not introducing new content.
 
In general I dislike CliffyB. He did do something pretty cool for a friend of mine who passed away from Cancer (sent him a signed Lancer from the Gears team after reading his blog after he passed away).

But I think to some degree he is right. The PC platform is in a great place and the consoles are just influx with a new generation releasing. Console manufacturers are scared shitless over the long term as they have no idea how to compete with the PC other than to copy as many functions of it as they can and eventually pretty much becoming a PC as the end result.

Right now is a great time to invest in a gaming PC and enjoy the freedom it provides versus a platform locked console.

However I disagree about CliffyB's opinion on tablets. I do not think tablets will find a true stance for gaming and I don't think they will ever compete (at least not in the next 5-10 years) with dedicated machines for gaming. The technological leap the PC is capable of with faster generational hardware is unmatched by any other platform which will always keep the PC a head of everyone else.
 
Godmachine said:
However I disagree about CliffyB's opinion on tablets. I do not think tablets will find a true stance for gaming and I don't think they will ever compete (at least not in the next 5-10 years) with dedicated machines for gaming. The technological leap the PC is capable of with faster generational hardware is unmatched by any other platform which will always keep the PC a head of everyone else.
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Agreed. when John Carmack says that tablets are the future of gaming, I'll take notice.
 
I guess he would know since he's a major player. But that article gives no clue as to what and why.


I think...i think....i think.....:confused:
 
Az Syndicate said:
Unfortunately your opinion on "successfully" is very far from what I will call the societal norm. EA makes and has made tons of money on its franchises. That is how they can afford to buy other developers and milk them for every red cent without putting much into developing new IP. So frankly, EA is very successful, unfortunately their efficient model is around milking current IP to death and not introducing new content.
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X2 game vampires
 
I'm sure CliffyB will be eating crow when the new consoles arrive and game sales see a spike. Happens every generation at release.
 
I like where half of the industry is headed. I truly feel that 2013-2015 is the start of a new golden era.

I don't care what happens to Nintendo, Epic, EA, Microsoft or any of the others. As long as there are games coming out that are enjoyable, I'm fine.
 
"The PC is going through a wonderful renaissance right now." ha ha ha he actually is referring to flash and facebook type games as "PC"... sorry that is a stretch.

Sony and MS Major blows???? huh why? The market has supported 2-3 primary system up until now, why would the "blows" this generation be different then any other? I could argue that there are less exclusive titles now, so the opposite effect is happening. I like it this way, I can get a PS you can get a xbox and we both can enjoy our decisions and have access to all the games we each like.

Wow there should be more access to games, independent etc... Consoles should make it easier to update games... Wow we got an Einstein here.

Horrible short article written while the guy was taking a dump.
 
I think the issue he's referring to is that large publishers are cranking out rehashes, sequels, and spin offs at an alarming pace.
EA isn't trying to kill off the gaming industry but instead are simply looking to meet the demand of investors that want to justify their investment. As a result, EA and most other publishers have been forced to be short sighted. They're constantly having to look out for the next quarter instead of where they'll be in 5 years. Hell, the guys in charge know they probably won't be there in 5 years so they likely don't care.
 
Not much of an interview.

Looks like he's waiting for things to clear up so he'd safe with what he does next. Not a bad move but...

Why do I feel so unimpressed every time I read something about the guy? He doesn't really say much, does he.
 
I buy roughly 20-30 games a year. I haven't even come close to finishing them all but when Steam/Impulse/GOG has a 'dirt cheap' sale on games I'm interested in I drop the dime. I do not remember the last actual boxed retail game purchase I made but I think it was ET: Quake Wars late 2007. Steam is just better in every way except having a disk VS. a +/- 6 hour download for big games is more instant gratification. That said, the second it unlocks I get to play it on Steam instead of A. waiting in a stupid midnight line or B. getting it the next day when I still have to stand a stupid line. I also buy more games then I would normally due to download only. Going to the EB Games or Best Buy to buy a game I'm not completely anxious to play doesn't happen. Because... malls.
 
wonderfield said:
What would EA's interest be in killing gaming? They're a games publisher.
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I think the main problem is that corporate suits and bean counters are running these companies, not actual gamers/developers/enthusiasts/etc.
 
Gaming is as big as it ever was. It is not in turmoil. Those guys just got too fat and happy and forgot how to make great games. There are so many different devices to game on and many cheaper prices good games from indie developers. Indie developers will rise because alot of those games offer great value as opposed to like say that annually released patched game that just needs to fizzle out already. :p
 
wonderfield said:
What would EA's interest be in killing gaming? They're a games publisher.
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Well see, if you try to ruin it, and you have the most resources to outlast the competition, you get to monopolize the market and do all the badness you want. Then you can realize the dream shared by virtually all the large publicly traded companies with no good ideas, which is to continually increase the price for a good or service they will increasingly move closer to never delivering on.

Kind of like when comcast tells you their brodaband is awesome even though the new terms of service penalizes the 99.9% of everything you use it for, you can still read your email faster than ever before.
 
LiNKiN said:
Gaming is as big as it ever was. It is not in turmoil. Those guys just got too fat and happy and forgot how to make great games. There are so many different devices to game on and many cheaper prices good games from indie developers. Indie developers will rise because alot of those games offer great value as opposed to like say that annually released patched game that just needs to fizzle out already. :p
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There are more customers than ever before, but they are increasingly spending less and less, and even before the customer base went down that road, the industry was increasingly failing to turn an increasing profit in the face of both an increasing revenue stream and growing customer base.

The big publishers don't know how they will continue to make big games and big money reliably. The console makers don't know how they will manage to produce a good next gen product and turn a profit before they get crushed under the cost of it without totally destroying every advantage the platform has or cannibalizing an existing service or product form a third party that has been providing that service or product longer. The mobile developers haven't figured out how to get themselves out form under a tsunami of shovel-ware while seeing only $0.70 per sale. The PC looks like it is having a renaissance because the indie developer has crowdfunding and the same boiler plate contract, fixed cut, we'll take most applicants type of model mobile brought about, but with a customer base much more willing to part with $2.50-$15.

The industry is in turmoil like every other publishing and distribution based industry that is fully replaceable with digital distribution. It just may not look like it because the actual content creators and consumers are much more comfortable with the move than the middle men.
 
LiNKiN said:
Gaming is as big as it ever was. It is not in turmoil. Those guys just got too fat and happy and forgot how to make great games. There are so many different devices to game on and many cheaper prices good games from indie developers. Indie developers will rise because alot of those games offer great value as opposed to like say that annually released patched game that just needs to fizzle out already. :p
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The problem is that, after releasing their first (or second) great game, these indie developers end up getting bought-out by EA (or some other mega-corp), becoming a shell of their former selves, and churning out a string of bad sequels. (which is how we got here in the first place)
 
dremic said:
owned.
now theyre gonna accuse you of being an EA employee wonderfield hahah
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wonderfield said:
What would EA's interest be in killing gaming? They're a games publisher.
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They don't have to do it with the intent of killing gaming. They are doing it though, by releasing things that should have been good, as bad.

It's sad too, I thought EA was starting to get better, for a bit there, then it all fell apart again.
 
Meh, EA is a business looking to make money, as much money as they can. Yes they ruin a great many IP's, have a shitty digital download store, and don't really know or understand games but they are responsible for bringing us a lot of great IP's. I understand the frustration and anger though.
 
Red Machine D said:
Agreed. when John Carmack says that tablets are the future of gaming, I'll take notice.
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Romero (the other John) had stated that portables were going to be the way of future gaming almost a decade ago. Granted, his choice of games to develop might not have been the greatest, but I have to give him credit that he was able to see the future.

But I have to agree with the overall message of Cliffy B. Honestly, tablets and phones are revolutionizing the gaming industry almost the same way that Napster did to the music industry.

They're cheap, affordable games with an incredibly large user-base, which is only getting larger. And they're getting faster all the time. A decade ago, an iPaq had barely the power of a 486 (which was over a decade old). Now a Tegra 4 is probably faster than my PC 5 years ago. By the end of the next generation of consoles, the way the mobile chips are increasing, your phone will probably be as fast as a Playstation 5. It's only a matter of time before some smart phone company decides to allow you to hook up a controller natively to your phone as well as have television out (and market it well). Portable game console...
 
Nytegard said:
But I have to agree with the overall message of Cliffy B. Honestly, tablets and phones are revolutionizing the gaming industry almost the same way that Napster did to the music industry.
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I wouldn't go that far. They aren't doing anything right now that handhelds haven't done in the past decades. They fill a niche in the gaming industry.

But you don't see millions of gamers latching onto the new whatever game, whereas each time a new big console game is out, there are midnight releases and all that jazz.


They're still two different markets, and the mobile market isn't going to replace the other any time soon.

Digital Downloads on the other hand, I can see being a thing quickly. Steam is already a HUGE thing in the PC world. I can't even remember the last time I bought a boxed copy of a game besides my WoW CE.
 
jynxycat said:
I wouldn't go that far. They aren't doing anything right now that handhelds haven't done in the past decades. They fill a niche in the gaming industry.

But you don't see millions of gamers latching onto the new whatever game, whereas each time a new big console game is out, there are midnight releases and all that jazz.


They're still two different markets, and the mobile market isn't going to replace the other any time soon.

Digital Downloads on the other hand, I can see being a thing quickly. Steam is already a HUGE thing in the PC world. I can't even remember the last time I bought a boxed copy of a game besides my WoW CE.
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Mobile gamers don't wait in line for games because it usually takes seconds to download the latest game.
 
jynxycat said:
I wouldn't go that far. They aren't doing anything right now that handhelds haven't done in the past decades. They fill a niche in the gaming industry.

But you don't see millions of gamers latching onto the new whatever game, whereas each time a new big console game is out, there are midnight releases and all that jazz.


They're still two different markets, and the mobile market isn't going to replace the other any time soon.

Digital Downloads on the other hand, I can see being a thing quickly. Steam is already a HUGE thing in the PC world. I can't even remember the last time I bought a boxed copy of a game besides my WoW CE.
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They are doing something different though. Who here doesn't own a smart phone or a tablet? They've infiltrated the entire world and we're all oblivious to it. As for killer application, right now there aren't any new IP's that fall into that category, but it doesn't mean that can't change.

Have you seen the Tegra 4's capabilities?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rmKT33xet2A

It's practically an Xbox 360 in power. (NVidia claims they'll surpass it by 2014). Unlike consoles, these things are being updated at a rate much faster than console technology, and almost at a rate of PC tech.

So, when Call of Duty 15 comes out in 2016, why would any gamer purchase it on the Xbox Infinity or PS4 if you can play the exact title with your phone, outputted through your TV, using your controller?

The killer apps will start to come to the phone. Sure, they'll be console ports, but the audience will be much larger than those with a gaming PC, or those with a console. There are companies already out there looking at the new portable devices to port over their AAA titles too.
 
Nytegard said:
They are doing something different though. Who here doesn't own a smart phone or a tablet? They've infiltrated the entire world and we're all oblivious to it. As for killer application, right now there aren't any new IP's that fall into that category, but it doesn't mean that can't change.

Have you seen the Tegra 4's capabilities?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rmKT33xet2A

It's practically an Xbox 360 in power. (NVidia claims they'll surpass it by 2014). Unlike consoles, these things are being updated at a rate much faster than console technology, and almost at a rate of PC tech.

So, when Call of Duty 15 comes out in 2016, why would any gamer purchase it on the Xbox Infinity or PS4 if you can play the exact title with your phone, outputted through your TV, using your controller?

The killer apps will start to come to the phone. Sure, they'll be console ports, but the audience will be much larger than those with a gaming PC, or those with a console. There are companies already out there looking at the new portable devices to port over their AAA titles too.
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1. A top-of-the-line smartphone costs more than a game console.
2. Nobody but the nerd enthusiast buys such a phone to hook it up to the TV.
3. Phones are bought for individuals, not for groups or families. How long will a kid's game-playing last when mom wants to make a phone call?
4. Storage. Most phones ship with 16-32GB of storage, rarely with more, and SD card read/write rates are relatively slow.
5. Graphics power alone doesn't cut it when it comes to good gaming. The CPU plays a big role and the super-power-efficient CPUs won't cut it compared to what can be put into a big console. Even the GPU - powerful as it might potentially be - has to operate under heat and power constraints that can't compare to a game console.
6. Variety. Which phones are game developers going to aim at when they're hoping to sell a million copies at $50 a pop (I'm being charitable that without licensing fees the publishers won't stay at $60)?

Short version: No, there is absolutely no chance that smartphones are going to replace home game consoles. The fundamental purposes for which people buy smartphones are completely incompatible with putting them to that use. Even leaving a tablet hooked up to the TV would be a huge stretch, especially since most tablets cost even more up front since they're not usually subsidized by cell contracts.
 
Steve said:
CliffyB says the games industry "in a massive state of turmoil." I think he's right about a lot of stuff but I still don't think the PC industry is ready to go "digital download only" just yet.
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If gamer in developing countries in Asia could buy their games on Steam, I think most gamer are prepare to go digital download only :p

In fact many indie games and online games are digital only, and personally I have never come across anyone complaining about having to buy games online and download them in the past 2-3 years. Publishers just need to make their games more easily accessible online (GFWL is not available in many countries around the world).

The only hurdle I foresee in going digital only is from retail stores. They would do anything to prevent big publishers from going digital only, and publishers still need them for the console market.
 
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