We’ve all heard the story. “AAA” game comes out, “AAA” game is a critical and commercial success, “AAA” game disappoints its publisher for failing to meet expectations.
When you pull back and see just how often this dance is performed, it paints the picture of a panicked and desperate industry, a rotten swan kicking its decaying legs frantically across a poisoned swamp. Because that’s what it is.
The industry is a rotten swan.
The comparison to the MCU scares me. Does that mean this “live services” BS will only grow in strength throughout the next 10 years? ? I’m already exhausted…
Also, I had no idea Stephen Hillenburg had passed away. RIP.
I think these expectations need a reset, a market crash or massive boycott can do it.
if a game doesnt reach minecraft sales it is below expectations lmao
We need a Jim Sterling “Triple AAAAAAAAA…” 10 hour loop. Just throwing that out there.
Sony’s been knocking it out of the park. Nintendo’s been knocking it out of the park. Microsoft… is also a platform holder.
Jim, why are you playing the trumpet on a block of scrapple?
According to Wikipedia, Spider-Man PS4 currently sits at 3.3 million copies sold. There are more people that own Spider-Man than people that live in Puerto Rico.
Triple-AAAAAAAA publishers need to get their heads out of their asses and take a look around them.
i’ve never understood why the triple A game industry doesn’t work like the movie industry.
you have “Game X”, with a budget of Y million to make and advertise. and you need W sales to break even.
you released “Game X” , it sold over W, making you more than Y million. the game was successful. it’s simple.
We will be buying bug fixes next
You know what else is below expectation?
The CEO’s IQ
I’m gonna guess publishers quote off how many consoles exist and the expectation is there will be a copy sold for every console and then some
This is stupid in so many levels… The expectations that are beyond reason, the fact that the companies fail to communicate with their share holders, the fact that management of these companies can’t realize that they will never make as much money simply by the fact that the market has limits, it can’t absorb the sheer amount of products that come out every year. Consumers don’t have infinite money to buy all games, neither infinite time to play all of them. Add to that the fact that we are getting increasingly fatigued because of industry bullshit like BFV’s and F76, they will never make their expectations come to fruition.
My solution: Vote with your wallet. Don’t buy garbage zero-value digital bullshit. My Duke Nukem 3D on the shelf is always going to be Duke Nukem 3D. What will happen to online games require master servers, numerous authentications after they stop working? Every micro transaction, and hours of farming for rare digital items are gone. And you won’t even have a save file, nor a private server. Every live service game is an endless grind towards nothingness.
and now lets all praise cd project and hope they dont become like these garbage aaa money-squeezer publishers
Games like Resident Evil 7 could have sold 50 million copies in a month and some twat in a board room somewhere would be going “Unacceptable. Do better.” Their appetite is ravenous and insatiable. They need to be silenced. Swiftly and with great vengeance and furious anger.
Warframe should be the standard for free to play and micro transactions.
You know it’s a sad state of affairs when console exclusives are the champions of the gaming industry lol