Are we heading for a AAA gaming crash?

[Fonejackerjon]

Sequel after sequel remaster after remaster, how much longer can the industry continue this? I am pretty sure diminishing returns are setting in as well. Think of this

SNES to psone, massive leap 3d graphics big differences
Psone to ps2, big leap, sharper graphics more detailed, DVD format etc.
PS2 to PS3 moderate leap, HD graphics but still largely the same looking games with more detail.
Ps3 to PS4 ? Small leap game look the same mostly, better framerates and ?HD..ier?
PS4 ? PS4 Pro - You need Digital foundry to compare the differences!!
Ps4 Pro to PS5 - ???

Seriously though if you need to strain your eyes with a comparison video of PS4, Xbox one and PC too see the differences you we are definitely at the point of diminishing returns.

So PS5 and ?xbox two? what are we gonna get? 4k remasters off all last gen games of course. Hell, look at the Nintendo Switch, Saint?s row the third coming too it! A ruddy 7-8 year old game If that doesn?t indicate we are in a bit of trouble what does. If the industry keeps with the bloat, Loot boxes, season passes how long can this carry on for?

Please note I am only talking about the AAA industry and not indie, However indies will not sell expensive high powered 4K consoles next gen. How much more are well willing to pay for very little differences?? Discuss??.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

If anything is going to crash the AAA industry it wont be graphics, itll be legality.
EA and others are banking their entire financial future on lootboxes and in-game microtransactions. And when the law finally catches up, putting regulations on microtransactions and outlawing lootboxes, then the crash will come. And itll be justly deserved too.

 

[Satinavian]

Don't know.

PC seems healthy. Many good games coming out, new installments of the big series' instead of 4K versions and we even get more of the new console franchise installments than before (things like Monster Hunter World)

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Graphics don't matter any more since they have plateaud. What does matter is things like gameplay, story, voice acting, music, that stuff. And that stuff's as strong as ever.

 

[sXeth]

Well do you mean AAA games, or consoles.

Consoles might stagnate to the point there isn't a next-gen anymore, but they'd still have their niche. The obvious trajectory for that would be the arrival of a standard console made by various manufacturers like DVD players or whatever. Something could come along and try and do it in like DVD to VHS (which would be game streaming, most likely currently, but thats got a host of problems).

As the AAA game makers go. EA and to some extent Activision have a bit of a problem with most of their eggs being stuck in some very well-worn baskets (and EA constantly shooting holes in theirs). The other 4 or 5, not so much, they have more stable niches and more diverse portfolios of stuff.

 

[cathou]

actually, i think the next evolution in graphics will be the widespread use of raytracing. if the PS5 and Xbox one-two go that way it will justify the next generation of console.

beside that, better fps, better AI...

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I don't know. We get this thread every year. It's like crying wolf at this point.

 

[Tanis]

A new console won't cause 'the crash', it will be the advancement of mobile gaming and publishers who turn 60/70USD games into 100s of USD games via micro transactions.


Then again...a huge chunk of the US pop does vote against their interests so, yeah...seems like most of humanity are fucking stupid.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

This gets brought up/predicted every few months with no avail and the same various responses. Reminds me of those religious doomsday street preachers, even including the part where some appear to almost fetishise the idea as a sort of justified purge of all those they consider unworthy.

 

[Saelune]

Well do you mean AAA games, or consoles.

Consoles might stagnate to the point there isn't a next-gen anymore, but they'd still have their niche. The obvious trajectory for that would be the arrival of a standard console made by various manufacturers like DVD players or whatever. Something could come along and try and do it in like DVD to VHS (which would be game streaming, most likely currently, but thats got a host of problems).

As the AAA game makers go. EA and to some extent Activision have a bit of a problem with most of their eggs being stuck in some very well-worn baskets (and EA constantly shooting holes in theirs). The other 4 or 5, not so much, they have more stable niches and more diverse portfolios of stuff.

This.


I used to swear by console gaming, but now I have officially declared myself a 'PC Gamer'. I even intend on buying TESVI for PC first! (I always end up with every version though...)


Every advantage consoles had have been slowly ruined, from instantly playing a game, to unified hardware, and PC gaming for years now has embraced the use of controllers for their games.

 

[sXeth]

Well do you mean AAA games, or consoles.

Consoles might stagnate to the point there isn't a next-gen anymore, but they'd still have their niche. The obvious trajectory for that would be the arrival of a standard console made by various manufacturers like DVD players or whatever. Something could come along and try and do it in like DVD to VHS (which would be game streaming, most likely currently, but thats got a host of problems).

As the AAA game makers go. EA and to some extent Activision have a bit of a problem with most of their eggs being stuck in some very well-worn baskets (and EA constantly shooting holes in theirs). The other 4 or 5, not so much, they have more stable niches and more diverse portfolios of stuff.

This.


I used to swear by console gaming, but now I have officially declared myself a 'PC Gamer'. I even intend on buying TESVI for PC first! (I always end up with every version though...)


Every advantage consoles had have been slowly ruined, from instantly playing a game, to unified hardware, and PC gaming for years now has embraced the use of controllers for their games.

Well on that side.

Cost Effectiveness is one. You aren't getting the same performance for the same price on a PC except far later on. That hasn't really eroded yet either. Partially its down to consoles often being sold as loss leaders, partially its down to being singular purpose (which has eroded significantly, but not quite yet).

Separated functionality. Not necessarily for everyone of course. But you can game on your console while your PC's video rendering, compiling code, uploading/downloading, and any number of other things. You could make an argument for a second PC, but then its the cost point over again (and general tendency for PCs to take up more space then consoles, which you'd have to at best do a custom build to avoid).

Some of the baked in features are also preferential for some of course. You can access/download Steam, a voice chat, a social media manager, parental controls etc on a PC. But the console just comes with that all delivered to you.

 

[Lufia Erim]

I don't know. We get this thread every year. It's like crying wolf at this point.

But one day the wolf appears right?

OT: The future is in VR.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Aren't AAA profits still doing extremely well? Show me some financial reports of an EA, Ubisoft, Take Two on the verge of going under. There's very few AAA games that actually interest me much anymore but that's just me. Plus, with microtransactions, you can sell less games and still make more money on the product overall.

Well do you mean AAA games, or consoles.

Consoles might stagnate to the point there isn't a next-gen anymore, but they'd still have their niche. The obvious trajectory for that would be the arrival of a standard console made by various manufacturers like DVD players or whatever. Something could come along and try and do it in like DVD to VHS (which would be game streaming, most likely currently, but thats got a host of problems).

As the AAA game makers go. EA and to some extent Activision have a bit of a problem with most of their eggs being stuck in some very well-worn baskets (and EA constantly shooting holes in theirs). The other 4 or 5, not so much, they have more stable niches and more diverse portfolios of stuff.

This.


I used to swear by console gaming, but now I have officially declared myself a 'PC Gamer'. I even intend on buying TESVI for PC first! (I always end up with every version though...)


Every advantage consoles had have been slowly ruined, from instantly playing a game, to unified hardware, and PC gaming for years now has embraced the use of controllers for their games.

Well on that side.

Cost Effectiveness is one. You aren't getting the same performance for the same price on a PC except far later on. That hasn't really eroded yet either. Partially its down to consoles often being sold as loss leaders, partially its down to being singular purpose (which has eroded significantly, but not quite yet).

Separated functionality. Not necessarily for everyone of course. But you can game on your console while your PC's video rendering, compiling code, uploading/downloading, and any number of other things. You could make an argument for a second PC, but then its the cost point over again (and general tendency for PCs to take up more space then consoles, which you'd have to at best do a custom build to avoid).

Some of the baked in features are also preferential for some of course. You can access/download Steam, a voice chat, a social media manager, parental controls etc on a PC. But the console just comes with that all delivered to you.

I don't really get the console vs PC "war" anymore. The libraries are near identical now with console exclusives on the console-side obviously and basically just RTSs/RTTs for PC exclusives. Kickstarted PC games are on consoles now and there's no Crysis graphical showcases on PC anymore to be jealous of for console gamers. Console still does gaming more conveniently where you still just literally put in the disc and it plays (in like 5 minutes) while PC gaming has the edge in resolution and framerate along with modding.

Just yesterday I booted up Divinity Original Sin on my PC for the 1st time in 10 months and Steam had to update (with Steam yet again not remembering my password even though the checkbox is checked), then my TV/monitor had an issue with the video output (not getting any picture on my TV) and had to troubleshoot that while not wanting to reboot the PC. On a console, I never have to update the PS4 to continue playing a single player game and video output is never an issue. Plus, the console box designed to be placed and connected to your entertainment systems with ease. Yes, a PC can do that but it's doubtful a person wants their PC in their living room with everything else so they'd be having to move it back and forth if they wanna game on the couch basically. Consoles are also cheaper because generations are lasting nearly 10 years now and the system costing about $400. Sure you have to pay to play online but you also get to sell games when your done, which you can't do with PC games. More and more people don't even need PCs for PC-specific reasons anymore as mobile devices or laptops are becoming to go-to devices for that kinda stuff.

Anyway, console and PC gaming both are near identical with regards to libraries with both still outperforming the other quite well in the things they should specialize in convenience vs better graphics/customization. It's pretty dumb to proclaim one of them objectively better.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I don't know. We get this thread every year. It's like crying wolf at this point.

But one day the wolf appears right?

Yes, but the point is there's no knowing when because of how routinely we speculate it's totally about to happen.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I don't know, but in my opinion it can't happen soon enough.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Hhm.... I do feel that perhaps the Sony initiated era of having anyone and everyone publish as many games as they want and put it on X system is leading to a bad place. Look at Steam and how many games are on it and how hard it has become to shuffle through the good, great, okay, mediocre, bad, and laughable.

This is the kind of system that killed the first wave of game systems and while I don't think there's any chance of games going away, I do think that it could lead us to a huge dip in the recognition and infrastructure of the game industry. There are lots of great games that have been born of this environment but I also think is diluting the pool of games.