March 16th 2024.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the rise of live service games and mobile apps, and how they seem to be taking over the gaming world. As a self-proclaimed "hardcore" gamer, I have to admit that I have joined in on the criticism of these types of games. But the truth is, we may be fighting a losing battle. While we may prefer big budget single-player adventures like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the reality is that live service games and mobile apps are much more popular and profitable.
It's not clear why game developers and publishers are suddenly focusing so heavily on these types of games, but it's likely because they have realized the potential for profit. As Shawn Layden, former PlayStation executive, said, you're not going to grow the games business by making the same old thing. And he's right. Games like Fortnite and Call Of Duty: Warzone are bringing in massive amounts of money, and it's hard for companies to ignore that.
But for us veteran gamers, this shift towards live service games and mobile apps is disheartening. We long for the days of big, cinematic single-player games that dominated the last generation. We don't understand why publishers have turned against them so suddenly. And yet, the numbers don't lie. Games like Helldivers 2, which may just be "quite good", are selling incredibly well. Even games like Sea of Thieves, which many wouldn't even consider a "proper" game, are topping pre-order charts for the PlayStation 5.
On the other hand, we have a game like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, a fantastic single-player adventure that has received critical acclaim and is a dream come true for fans of the original. And yet, it's not selling as well as we would expect. Even taking into account that it is the second part of a trilogy, which historically don't perform as well, the numbers are still disappointing. It seems that despite our cries for more big budget single-player games, we're not putting our money where our mouths are.
It's not like we don't have the money to spend on these types of games. Microtransactions in live service games and mobile apps add up quickly, and yet we're willing to shell out for them without a second thought. Publishers are seeing this and realizing that it's more profitable to focus on these types of games rather than big budget single-player adventures. And can we really blame them? It's a business after all.
This doesn't just apply to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it's a larger issue of publishers following the money. It's easy to point fingers and blame them for not making the games we want, but the reality is they're simply responding to what is popular and profitable. And unfortunately, the message they're getting from us is that we're not as interested in single-player games as we claim to be.
In the end, it's up to us as consumers to show publishers that we still want big budget, single-player adventures like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Otherwise, they'll continue to focus on what is making them the most money. It's not just about one game, it's about the future of the industry and the types of games that will be made. So let's put our money where our mouth is and support the games we claim to want.
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