Gaming is dying,or at least it is becoming something completely new.

Today I decided to write a blog, just so I could could get some thoughts out there onto the inter webs, hoping that some people will both agree and understand. If you don't understand and don't agree then that is fine,you have the freedom to leave me a comment telling me why I am a stupid head. This blog will mostly be about problems I'm discovering in the gaming industry and just problems I have with gaming in general.( I guess that is kind of the same thing, but whatever I'm not professional)

The Main problem I am having is spending way too much time on the internet trying to make gaming a better thing through feedback or something.(like right now) I don't know if writing crap like this all day and posting comments on other peoples work does anything at all or if I am just wasting my time taping my fingers on this Keyboard. I think I mostly do it because it makes me feel like I'm actually contributing to gaming society or whatever. But the thing about it is that it's stressful and time consuming to put my voice out on the internet all day long. So I'm kind of in this current state of suck where I don't know what to do so I just write stupid junk like I am right now (who knows if I'm even spelling stuff the right way, I don't) From Here I guess I will talk about the things I find to just be Crap going on with gaming right now.

So one of the things I've started to notice about the internet is that everyone listens to the people that have millions of followers,and the people that do that can't think for themselves and they copy and past whatever the "internet famous" people say and make that the popular opinion across the internet. Like PewDiePie,Smosh, and Tobuscus, These people have Loads of subscribers, Do lots of paid Promotion, and probably don't give a crap about gaming in the first place because they have loads of cash. Now because of all of these people we have "gamers" who say stuff like " Microtrans-transactions and day one DLC are the future, I love candy crush and EA is the best." While that is clearly an over-exaggerated, it actually isn't that far ahead of what people these days are saying.With all of these high up people on YouTube and gaming sites it is rather scary. These people say whatever they get paid to say and then their millions of followers go off across the internet and spread the opinion of single person who was paid to show love towards a product or service.

The really terrible thing about all of these people that follow the crowd and say whatever is cool at the moment is that they will all join together to shut up anyone else who has a differing original opinion.(Like me. :) And that right there is why company's like EA and Activision get away with Year to year sequels that are filled with DLC and Micro-transactions(Which are the future by the way, Don't you know?) and people across the internet praise them for the gift of ripping us off and making the gaming industry a terrible place.

Gaming has changed over the past few years and not for the better. As soon as Mobile games got big and people like my mom played Farmville and angry birds for hours on end, everyone lost track of what gaming is all about. Company's all started looking at the success of the mobile market and decided to take on a similar business model. Publishers starting forcing developers to push more and more PAID DLC and Micro-transactions into games where it didn't belong. They got away with this trend being okay by paying YoutTubers to say that Their games are great and that they are okay being ripped off by the publisher.

and this trend is not slowing down at all. Around last week Nintendo had announced that there would be day one DLC in Mario Golf world tour for the 3DS. This is the first time that Nintendo has held part of a game back and told people that if they wanted a certain character that they would have to pay the fee. Of course I found this news to be outrageous and took right to the comments saying how much that I hate this and that it is very disappointing to see this happen to a First party Nintendo game. Not to my surprise most if not everyone else seemed to praise the idea of there being a season pass and DLC for the game. People were saying that it needed to happen in order for Nintendo to stay relevant,and that extra content is good.I saw this as a step in the wrong direction and one that would continue to grow. This infuriated me. Nintendo games had always been games that were packed full of content and polished to the point of perfection. Games like Super smash bros., Mario kart and Super Mario Golf all had Extra characters and stages that you could unlock for free. If you bought a Nintendo game, then you knew you were getting a complete product that wasn't trying to rip you off for your money.Seeing that There would be day one DLC for Mario gold world tour was nothing short of heartbreaking. DLC was put into a game for extra characters, which were things that were always free in past games. If this is the future for all new Nintendo Games from now on then I will be very very sad.

The most outrageous thing that happened this week was probably Gamestop's announcement that they would be closing 120 stores and focusing on the mobile market more instead of gaming. Gamestop a store that is named after video games has given up on the gaming market and is switching over to the mobile business! They are pretty much saying " Screw the real gamers and the people that care about games, We want to make money!"..

The future of gaming has me scared. I have no idea if it will ever be the same again and I don't know if I can take much of it anymore...It has become more about the business and less about the games than ever before..Just look at the Xbox 360 with all the ads that cover the UI even though you pay $10 a month to use the service and you bought the consoles and the games. Look at hoe no console's main focus anymore is games. It's all about smart apps,sport,TV, and 1080p HD streaming..

Gaming is not what it used to be,and I'm growing tired trying to get back and defend all of the things that we as gamers once had before. The business men are winning and getting their way and the consumer, the one that should be in control and should call the shots, it not.

Didn't read again. Yeah gaming is becoming a lot more mainstream, but there are still great games being released every year.

I don't know what on earth you're talking about. Microtransactions and Day 1 DLC and Season Passes are *not* popular and highly accepted among gamers whatsoever.

And Gamestop is closing because digital sales are taking up a larger percentage of game sales, and that trend will continue. They are a business. They cant just stick around losing money so you can have a place to browse games. Its not a charity.

I.....honestly don't understand your concerns or anything at all. It seems born out of a very warped view of popular opinion and a naivety when it comes to the reality of businesses needing to make money(that goes for game developers and publishers as well).

But in the end, I think gaming is as good as its ever been. We still get loads of incredible games every year, there's a huge surge of high quality indie games that are booming with creativity, and virtual reality is right around the corner.

You make some good points, but gaming is NOT as good as its ever been.

At best you can say somethings are better, somethings are worst.

Indie games on consoles for example, gone are the days you had to get them burned on the demo disc of the official magazine as the only way of distribution.

But you can't deny games in general are much more "corporate" now a days, a guy in a suit that never finished or even played a single game on his life shows up and decides whats what in too many cases because devs only have so much freedom.

@Kane04: Just to play Devil's Advocate here, but really big games kind of have to be corporate. As much as I hate (poorly done) DLC, think about it. Games are continuously getting more and more expensive to make, but the price (as I know it) isn't going up. the sixty dollar rate of a game is risky since really big games cost so much to make. DLC is definitely a way around that.

It is the way it is... IDK about you, but I barely pay full price for games as it is... A price increase would only turn me off even more.

@OP

Firstly, rarely people read wall of texts (including me). So, I'll just replay on your thread title. Yes, games are indeed dying because the economy in general is declining. Less fun games = less people participating = more IRL participation = prepare for world war 3 in a decade or two top without great games to keep humanity interest. After that I can see another golden age in the gaming industry when mankind will free itself from the corruption, greed and everyone else who thinks that they can avoid taking responsibility for their own actions that are impacting other lives in a negative way.

Well, a lot of the reason gamestop closed some of their stores is because you can just download games today and Amazon offers around the same prices for some older games as well. I just bought three Splinter Cell games for around $10 including shipping.

I'm not entirely sure where you got the idea that gamestop is an evil organization for making a perfectly economical decision.

EDIT: EA is the spawn of satan, I agree with you.

Hmm, arent you the same guy who posted that Nintendo sold out because they made DLC?

But yes games are and have changed but the games have become a lot better for the most part if you disregard moba´s and most of the fps mp games.

So of course its not dying, gaming couldn't be at a better place right now again for the most part.

You can always say some things are better, some are worse. But in my opinion, I would say there are far more good things than bad. Things change obviously, the industry was never going to stay the same forever and it will continue to change. But there's a *lot* of stuff to be excited about, both presently and in the future.

As for suits being in charge of games, I don't think we really have enough personal experience(I don't, at least) to know exactly to what extent they are dictating game design. I think there's obviously pressure from publishers to be profitable and that means in the inclusion of necessary evils such as microtransactions, pre-order incentives and season passes and whatnot(all of which don't have to be terrible if implemented properly), but this is unavoidable unless you want the AAA gaming industry to collapse. These games are *expensive* and the arms race to produce the best looking games with the most boxes on the checklist crossed off doesn't come cheap and despite what some gaming purists may say, this *is* what people want. You look at any discussion about a game that doesn't look as 'next gen' as people ideally want and the game will get trashed for it. This stuff matters, whether we want to accept it or not.

BUT, there is still an unprecedented wealth of great games that are constantly streaming out, and with indie games exploding, the variety of experiences available is greater than ever and there should be very few people who can rightfully say that their preferences in games are not being catered to and that there isn't anything out there for them. I mean, 2010 was a great year, 2011 was a great year, 2012 was, as was last year and this year is shaping to be pretty damn great too and we haven't even seen what E3 and the holiday lineup has in store for us.

Finally, I truly don't think the coming of virtual reality should be ignored. I know many people are sceptical, but I have little doubt in my mind that it will be revolutionary and change things forever. Not immediately, but its gonna happen slowly but surely and in 20 years, I think we are going to be looking back at think that playing these games on a flat, 2D display is a downright primitive gaming experience.

Its a good time to be a gamer.

This is based on what?

Then what are they actually saying? And where and when are they saying this? And why would you exaggerate what they're saying?

Is there actual proof that these people are getting paid to spread certain opinions?

Shut you up how? Also, I wouldn't say your opinion is that original. There are regular threads about how gaming sucks nowadays, how the industry sucks, how it's not about gaming anymore. I never see a thread dedicated to appreciating current gaming. Granted, people are more likely to start threads on something they're sceptical about. When you're happy about something, there's less need or desire to discuss it.

I can only speak for this forum, but when you posted that Nintendo entry, I don't believe anyone actually praised the idea of a season pass for the game. Most of the commenters were more nuanced and realistic and you did not attempt to refute their claims about how business works. Your views seem to be highly idealistic and fueled by largely unsubstantiated but very strict ideas about what is 'right' and what is 'wrong'.

What did we once have before? How do you think gaming could have remained the way it used to be...?

Excellent reply, couldn't agree with you more. However, I would've touched upon one more point :D -

@arrow2thekneeXD: Just look at the Xbox 360 with all the ads that cover the UI even though you pay $10 a month to use the service and you bought the consoles and the games.

$10 a month for Xbox Live? What country do you live in that charges $120 a year for that service? I supposed if I was paying that much too, I'd be pissed andwriting a blog about it!

@arrow2thekneeXD: Gaming is pretty much gone and has been for a while. Now we just have simulators at our house. I think Dreamcast was the last true gaming console. PS2 and on have pretty much been simulators. That's why we don't have the escape to play games anymore. that's why I had to hook up the Dreamcast because I enjoy playing games too. Everything has to evolve. the next thing I'm looking forward to seeing is the robots in Japan coming to the market and handling the labor job aspect. And who knows if the robots will be incorporated into gaming.

If gaming is gone, why did you spend $4000 on a gaming PC Rimac?

@arrow2thekneeXD: Vote with your wallet. That's what i do. Most of the guys that think Season Passes or Day One DLC's without knowing what's in it are idiots. Because buying a Season Pass with a game is pre-oredering a pre-order of something you have no idea what it will contain. Casual and stupid gamers are going to listen to guys like PewDiePie. Remember last year? DRM and used games blockage and gamers called that bullshit. That's how we win, by buying winners and not paying bs for games that rip us off or consoles. That's how i do it. Things aren't bad, but there is stuff that is bullshit and that's what we shouldn't support

@maynardburger: Computers are not just for gaming or maybe you didn't know that? It's amazing how many people on here claim that they know everything. Ever heard of a computer that can run your entire house? Do you know what a server is? Actually I recalculated the expense and with the monitors it actually came out to around $5000. It's just money anyways. Live life and who gives a shit about how much money you saved.

You have some pretty gaming-specific equipment, though. And here you are talking on a video game discussion board still. Just thought it was strange, that's all.

I also don't know where I claimed to know everything.

Anyways, it sounds like you're probably quite well off, so I suppose its hard for me to grasp the idea of spending $5000 and not caring whether it was put to good use or not, but good for you. Must be nice.

I don't have gold so I don't have to spend a penny and I can still download and play games from xbox live, which is kinda a huge thing last gen.

@maynardburger: I like to play games but I also wanted a desktop for other purposes. I'm not well off but I use to make pretty good money and I will make good money again but right now things are slow. I wasn't implying you know everything it's just a lot of people on here claim to know everything. I had never owned a computer before so it was my first build and I wanted to do it right the first time so I didn't have to upgrade. So instead of upgrading I will just build another one later. I had already been planning my next build but it will have to wait. I don't make a lot of money but I'm not married and I have no kids so I can spoil myself from time to time. I really out did myself this year because I bought a Xbone and PS4. Lately I have actually been playing my Dreamcast. I miss the Dreamcast days. lol You may be young but as you get older making money gets easier.

That was Nintendo of America in the 80's that was Jack Tretton when he first started. This is almost every single person in the game industry. It's always been that way, not just today.

And as for the OP:

I'll go through your piece chronologically:

1. If you want your input and your voice heard in the videogame scene tweet, email, or talk to smaller development teams. It's easier to have a conversation with a single person then the entire team at Ubisoft.

2. If you think it's stupid to write about then don't write about it, and yeah you're spelling things wrong. If you're going to go on a crusade against people who are not "gamers" and the industry going to shit at least use spell check.

3. While fans of "youtube stars" can have a lot of backlash for people who criticize the said "youtube star," stating that they're mindless drones who don't have opinions of their own while you're a unique and hold an original opinion, that actually is shared by quite a few people, is a little hypocritical. You're being just as closed minded as the people you're attacking.

4. If people like Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed and Activision/Ubisoft manages to put out a yearly quality title that people enjoy, whether or not you enjoy it doesn't matter because you're not interested to begin with, what's the problem? There are plenty of other games released in the year that are original titles and aren't sequels/established franchises.

5. There's nothing wrong with the mobile market taking off or your mom playing Angry Birds. Angry Birds is actually a fun mobile game. An expansion of the market and what's available on the market isn't a bad thing. While some not "ALL" companies have began to introduce micro-transactions others have not. Ignore what you dislike and enjoy what you like. You have options.

6. I think you're forgetting the fact that Mario Golf is already a full game that is more expansive than past games of the series. The game is also priced $10 less than most 3DS games, and if you get the season pass you get 108 more holes plus three characters (I'm pretty sure the game minus the DLC has 126 holes) for only $5 over a regularly priced 3DS game $30+$15. Nintendo games are still chalk full of content and I hope they continue this added content with SSB and Mario Kart, especially if they offer characters I want that weren't included in the finished game, and this is coming from someone who only bought one piece of DLC last generation and is very hesitant to buy digital content on closed platforms.

7. GameStop closing indicates a shift to a digital marketplace. While I prefer physical discs for console games, I've embraced the digital space on PC.

What things did games have before that they don't know. The market and what's available on the market is so much more expansive in this day and age. There's something for everyone and there are a ton of classics to go back to as well. Yes, some companies might not be doing something that you like but the magnitude of industry today means that there is always something that you can find that you like.