Video gaming has lost its way. There was a time not too long ago, when gaming was about the simple things. Getting from point A to point B, solving a puzzle to get to the next level, or winning or losing a match. This was true from the 1970s to the early 2000s. From arcades, to consoles, and PC, games tested dexterity, problem solving skills, and more. Playing video games was a great way to pass the time, or compete with your friends for fun. Back in 2019 I felt a disturbance in the force, but I could not put my finger on it. Unfortunately now I have a better picture of what’s going on.
Over the years gaming has gained more popularity than the movie and music industry combined. Unfortunately this grabbed the attention of soulless corporations. Game design went from a handful of passionate guys who focused on making the next great thing, to bloated corporate development teams whose focus is to please investors and not the consumer. Large financial institutions are pushing their progressive social agenda in exchange for funding. New developers have replaced the legendary ones who had a passion for making games. Activists and narrative consultants are the new creatives, all pushing “their message” into games. I’ll get more into that in another post, but the rot in the industry runs deep and the only way out of this mess is for a total collapse of the modern AAA gaming industry.
It’s no secret modern games are failing, people do not want this garbage. Changing a game’s essence and expecting people to blindly consume it, just doesn’t fly anymore. People recognize that the current trend of gaming narratives and representation feels forced. It stems not from genuine passion, but from imposed ideologies. Games are no longer about getting from point A to point B, they are now about social narratives and checking boxes. Corporations obsessed with the new modern audience, turn their backs on the existing one. But in their effort to court this new audience they have alienated everyone..
What we’re up against
Progressive consultant grifters such as Sweet Baby Inc have convinced corporations there is this whole other audience of consumers out there. They convinced them this customer base exists, and that they are missing out on that untapped revenue. This aligns with the agendas laid out by banking investors like Black Rock. But this new modern audience has not shown up yet. AAA releases are losing massive amounts of money. Tens of thousands of developers have been losing their jobs. Several major releases flopped this year and that trend doesn’t look like it’s going to end, unless there is a huge shake up. I fear these companies are too far gone to be helped.
How can we make it better
But it’s not all gloom and doom. There are a lot of great games in this sea of soulless corporate cash grabs. Around 10,000 to 12,000 video games are published every year, offering plenty of mainstream choices. The same way the indie scene has saved movies and music, it is also saving gaming. A lot of gamers have extensive backlogs of games they can use to ride out this mess. There are also game developers who haven’t sold there soul and have made hits like Space Marines 2, Black Myth Wukong, and The First Descendant. These titles have been delivering the experiences gamers want, and coincidentally are selling very well.
I on the other hand have been exploring some real obscure indie games. They may be rough around the edges but they make up for it in other ways with heart, passion, and originality, but most of all fun. So I’m going back to 1984 with some Retrowave Racing.
Gaming should spark your imagination and be the escape it was meant to be. Video games should be timeless and fun, not a representation of current year politics or propaganda. And don’t let this trend of corpo-gaming get you down, gaming will find it’s way back to its roots. There are plenty of fun and exciting alternatives out there. Explore indie developers on twitter. See what they are creating and get excited again. Until next time, keep having fun and reject corpo-gaming!