Key Takeaways:
– Large gaming corporations' focus on proven IPs may compromise the novelty and growth potential of unique games.
– Several gaming studios have shut down due to low sales, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin.
– Games, initially having a lukewarm response, evolved into fan favorites and gaming benchmarks–case in point-Fallout, Demon's Souls, and Borderlands.
– Del Walker, ex-developer at Rocksteady and Naughty Dog, points out the industry's lack of encouragement for new gaming concepts and fledgling studios.
– The current gaming market largely prioritizes revenue over artistic innovation.
Turbulent Times for the Gaming Industry
The gaming world seems to be standing on shaky grounds lately. The unpleasant trend of studio shutdowns and corporate buyouts is taking a toll on innovation in the gaming industry. Unique games that deserve recognition and development are being overshadowed by existing and proven favorite IPs.
Studio Shutdowns Dampen the Gaming Spirits
The past year has seen several gaming studios closing down due to sales not meeting expectations. Recent victims of this wave include Pieces Interactive, known for the popular Alone in the Dark series. The corporate giant, Embracer Group, was responsible for this shutdown.
Two other surprising closures were Hi-Fi Rush creators, Tango Gameworks, and Arkane Austin, which were recently bought by Microsoft. Hi-Fi Rush even tasted critical success and reached PS5 but that was insufficient in preventing Tango's closure.
Setting Examples and Raising Questions
Former Naughty Dog and Rocksteady developer, Del Walker, voiced his concern on social media. He brought attention to game franchises that initially experienced low sales but eventually evolved into globally beloved names. The list includes Fallout, Demon's Souls, Borderlands, Red Dead Revolver, Witcher, Uncharted, Tekken, Just Cause, Burnout, Street Fighter, Nier, and Persona.
Walker's exasperation, outlined in his post, sparked a thought-provoking question– are big gaming brands sacrificing game innovation for immediate profits?
Impactful Journeys of Fallout, Demon Souls, and Borderlands
Consider this. What if Sony had chosen to shut down FromSoftware after Demon's Souls' initial flop? That would mean no Dark Souls, no Elden Ring, and no Souls genre. We wouldn't have seen the praised Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, heavily influenced by the Souls genre.
Fallout, after being in the arena for two decades, is one of the trendiest brands today. However, the initial phase of Fallout was not as glamorous despite its positive critical reception. In the current industry atmosphere, failure to quickly monetize would potentially lead to a studio's closure, brushing off an IP as failed.
Borderlands, which grew into a monumental franchise, fostering countless sequels, spin-offs, and a major upcoming Hollywood movie, had a humble start too. Had the studio not taken the risk and persisted, the Borderlands phenomena wouldn't exist.
Such game progression stories illustrate that taking risks sometimes yields long-term success, a concept seemingly forgotten today.
Is the Gaming Industry Strangling Creativity to Death?
The worrisome part is that the passion and innovation in the gaming industry seem to give way to the profit-first approach of big gaming studios. The trend appears to be buying inventive yet fledgling developers, milking the optimal revenue out of them, and then, citing unmet sales benchmarks, shutting them down.
These developments pose a serious question on the future of gaming- are we prioritizing profit over the unique creative potential that the gaming world offers? Let us know in the comments below. As Walker highlights, a gaming industry without such creative risks and innovation would indeed be a far less exciting landscape to venture into.
