I'd like to add social media hype also. There was a time when you either had little to no warning that a game was coming out or if you did at most you had a couple splash pages and if you're lucky a video clip.
But for the most part there was the rumor section in a mag and then maybe every two months or so you'd get a quarter of a page about a game. And if it was something huge like Zelda, maybe 3-4 pages of blown up screen shots.
Now you get information monthly if not weekly, drip feed video info and leaks and constant updates up until release and the a reveiw before the official drops usually.
Along with that there are a bunch of other people to push or sway a narrative.
Remember when 7 was a solid score? Now a 7 might as well be a 5. A 7 gets crucified by social media.
Also everything getting patched and updates...while it makes for a "better" overall game it really kills any attachment or growth of a game long term.
I can pick up a fighting game pre patch era and know everything I remember works the same and enjoy it. Same with shooters.
But any game or shooter I played 2 years ago if I picked it up now after not playing for a year...it would be almost completely changed.
And that makes all these "great" games feel like flashs in the pan" between microtransactions updates, patches and dlc...
There is nothing consistent about the game until years later when updates are done.
