"...we are just running at a f*cking wall, I think, and we're gonna crash on that wall really soon" - CDPR on 'AAA' RPG's

[num123]

There were other factors involved in it being removed for sure.

But all that aside it was more a flex on Sony parts and a way they didn't have to deal with fixing their refund policy.

If a game is generating so many refunds that it is removed from the store that is bad, regardless of the refund policy. They did not want to deal with massive amounts of refunding so they stopped it, permanently.

 

[daze23]

Working within the budgetary framework they're given, yes.

How many devs have the power to push back, to change that framework or associated practices in a circle of suits? How many can effectively tell the money "look, you need to quit with that"?

they can try to sell the idea. but the money's not infinite, and that's the 'wall' they're talking about

 

[Gritsngravy]

I hope y’all not using this as an excuse to why Xbox can’t drop any games

 

[Regular_P]

The problem is they're designing these games in boardrooms and on spreadsheets. People who actually like games and play them are rarely involved in the decision making process anymore and it shows in the games we get.

They're looking to get people addicted to their games and overwhelm them with "content" instead of making them fun.

That's why Indie games have awesome gameplay. They aren't made to maximize profit; they're made to be fun and engaging, something the developers themselves would enjoy playing.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

The problem is they're designing these games in boardrooms and on spreadsheets. People who actually like games and play them are rarely involved in the decision making process anymore and it shows in the games we get.

They're looking to get people addicted to their games and overwhelm them with "content" instead of making them fun.

That's why Indie games have awesome gameplay. They aren't made to maximize profit; they're made to be fun and engaging, something the developers themselves would enjoy playing.

The most popular indie games are mad formulaic too. Farming sims, boomer shooters, top-down rogue likes, text based narrative games, etc.

I play everything but everything has trends and shifts with the way the industry is turning that includes indie games

 

[Marks]

I remember reading about CoD budgets hitting something like 50 mill before promo back in like 2009, knew that shyt was gonna come back to haunt the industry eventually. You look at the sony first party games and it's clear those devs are basically making tv shows and movies that last for 30-40 hours.

 

[Volt]

The problem is they're designing these games in boardrooms and on spreadsheets. People who actually like games and play them are rarely involved in the decision making process anymore and it shows in the games we get.

They're looking to get people addicted to their games and overwhelm them with "content" instead of making them fun.

That's why Indie games have awesome gameplay. They aren't made to maximize profit; they're made to be fun and engaging, something the developers themselves would enjoy playing.

And that's why there wasn't anything about gameplay in that article.

 

[2 Up 2 Down]

This just isn't true. Companies couldn't make many mid-tier games because their teams were split between their current AAA and the sequels, there was less variety, so gamers didn't really have much of a choice. People still bought them but would've preferred something new, an example of this was the Assassin's Creed fatigue after 3.

Mid tier developers (mostly western) were closing because they couldn't compete with the AAA games that were getting our praise and money when games went to HD in the PS3/360 era. We clamored to games with the best graphics and cinematic experiences.
Game Informer did an article about it in their magazine several years ago. I'll have to see if I can find it because I don't think they ever put it online

 

[Regular_P]

The most popular indie games are mad formulaic too. Farming sims, boomer shooters, top-down rogue likes, text based narrative games, etc.

I play everything but everything has trends and shifts with the way the industry is turning that includes indie games

Please.

Hades, Hollow Knight, Celeste, Rocket League, Minecraft, Among Us, Rogue Legacy, Undertale, Cuphead, Ori, Fez, Goose Game, Long Dark, Spelunky, Limbo/Inside, Fall Guys, Stray, etc. I'm forgetting some too.

 

[BobbyWojak]

Mid tier developers (mostly western) were closing because they couldn't compete with the AAA games that were getting our praise and money when games went to HD in the PS3/360 era. We clamored to games with the best graphics and cinematic experiences.
Game Informer did an article about it in their magazine several years ago. I'll have to see if I can find it because I don't think they ever put it online

This doesn't speak to larger devs and publishers making less AA games, I agree there was an AAA boom during the 360/ps3 era, but it doesn't account for the practice of dissolving entire teams to make maps and tweak multiplayer modes that no one played. Publishers were chasing blockbusters, but people still enjoyed smaller games and supported them. Remember the xbla buzz around games like Shadow Complex or Bastion? How do you make sense of Ubisoft abandoning popular, critically acclaimed games like Rayman Legends?

Also, if you can't find that article let me know the cover, I probably have the issue from that era.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

Please.

Hades, Hollow Knight, Celeste, Rocket League, Minecraft, Among Us, Rogue Legacy, Undertale, Cuphead, Ori, Fez, Goose Game, Long Dark, Spelunky, Limbo/Inside, Fall Guys, Stray, etc. I'm forgetting some too.

I mean you named like 6 metroidvanias and roguelikes, and the oldest game on thats like the best of the best list

 

[Regular_P]

I mean you named like 6 metroidvanias and roguelikes, and the oldest game on thats like the best of the best list

So there's no variety in my list, huh?

 

[BobbyWojak]

Hades, Hollow Knight, Celeste, Rocket League, Minecraft, Among Us, Rogue Legacy, Undertale, Cuphead, Ori, Fez, Goose Game, Long Dark, Spelunky, Limbo/Inside, Fall Guys, Stray, etc. I'm forgetting some too.

I mean you named like 6 metroidvanias and roguelikes

Off the top of my head

Papers Please, FTL, Firewatch, The Witness, Braid, Grow Home, Antichamber, Kentucky Route Zero, Super Hot, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Hotline Miami, Celeste, Gone Home... does skullgirls count?

edit: I agree there can be trends but that's ok sometimes, boomer shooters are dope

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

So there's no variety in my list, huh?

For every stardew valley or hollow knight theres like 20 more farming sims and metroidvanias that follow the same formula. Its just easy to cherry pick the ones that blow up

You can do the same thing with AAA games, Monster Hunter World, Red Dead Redemption,Death Stranding, Detroit Become Human, Returnal, Doom, X-Com, Forza, Mortal Kombat, etc.

 

[Volt]

does skullgirls count?

Hell no

Skullgirls is old as shyt by this point.