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So I’ve been thinking about, and I’m pretty sure this generation of gaming could be the most important since the 5th (first 3D consoles)
Part 1/who knows
Part 1/who knows
I think this is the generation where the WAY we play video games and how we obtain them is going to be brought into question in a major way, and a lot of that boils down to how Microsoft and Sony have marked themselves/their games
Cause on one hand, you have Microsoft, who at this point is more focused on Xbox as a brand than as a console really. For the last 4/5 years their approach has been about having the most people possible play a variety of different games via streaming/cloud gaming/etc.
Sony on the other hand has been way more focused on the idea of "prestige" games for lack of a better word. You buy a Playstation console to play the biggest, shiniest, fanciest, most intense experiences that gaming has to offer, and THAT's the Playstation experience
Going back to Microsoft for a second, I think it's really interesting how much their approach to gaming, from the very first Xbox, seems to be about changing the landscape of video games
The most obvious example is Xbox Live being the first major, widely available online service on a console, but I think one that goes under the radar a lot is actually how much they pushed media apps near the launch of the Xbox One
Like yeah, the infamous "TV TV TV" Xbox One Reveal event is funny, but think about how much people use Youtube/Netflix/Hulu whatever apps on their game consoles now, they had a point
The problem then becoming that Xbox has had a marketing/image problem over the years
The problem then becoming that Xbox has had a marketing/image problem over the years
With all of this "future of gaming" stuff then, it's no wonder Xbox focuses less on making giant pushing the boundaries exclusives. Their focus is changing how games are delivered to the consumer and are perceived.
But here's the question I get stuck on. (Told y'all this would be long)
Can the big AAA games sustain themselves in an environment of streaming and games on demand? We see production costs rising and new technologies being added, how can we afford to make them cost less?
Can the big AAA games sustain themselves in an environment of streaming and games on demand? We see production costs rising and new technologies being added, how can we afford to make them cost less?
And based on the fact that major PS5 games are going for $70 now, it looks the answer might just be that we can't. That this is what we have to accept in order to have this giant experiences. So then, do we need the giant experiences at all becomes the question
And obviously I can't answer that question. I AM someone who does enjoy quite a few of those "big boy" console experiences though and would be sad to see them vanish completely. And crunch and labor rights is a part of this equation as well but thats a whole other discussion
So it comes down to whether the games industry is going to steer into a new direction, where we might have to accept that things aren't going to technologically wow as much as they used to, or just go with the way things have been while the games themselves keep evolving in tech
And this is BEFORE even bringing in whatever Nintendo has up their sleeves, virtual reality, streaming services like Stadia, and a bunch of other things at play this generation
It's going to be real interesting
thread over, sorry it was so long lmao
It's going to be real interesting
thread over, sorry it was so long lmao