The mainstream games industry is pushing harder and harder for social features to be an expected part of any major entertainment software release.
According to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, social networking is just as important to games as it is to Facebook or Twitter. A bold claim, but one that’s part of a concerted effort to normalize the push.
Ultimately, however, it’s a long con. “AAA” publishers want more social features because they make money, plain and simple. It’s yet another way to rake in cash not just from whales, but from so-called “super whales” as well.
Because no amount of money is ever enough.
If I want SoCiAl EnGaGeMeNt, I would rather play with people I know, and play something more intimate like a co-op campaign, not go out and scream with randoms who’s momma is bigger.
“People want social games!”
I actually do. But not how they want it.
I want social games like they were 10-12 years ago. I remember fondly the days of Halo 3 and Reach, Gears of War 2 and 3, and Modern Warfare 1 and 2 when my friends and I would play and holler at strangers. Those were genuinely great times! You really don’t see that much anymore.
They don’t want that.
They want it where if I’m playing RDR2 or Witcher 3 I can be perpetually harassed by others to play a game I do not want to play or buy things I don’t want to buy. They want a game where I’m encouraged to spend money and harass others to spend money.
That is NOT social gaming.
That is a pyramid scheme.
I’m kind of surprised the threshold for the term “Super Whale” is as low as it is, to be honest.
Don’t be stingy… pay this 99 cents for your message to be SEEN by your FREINDS.
Gaming Industry says: “Gaming is social! It’s what humans need! That’s why we provide it!”
Gaming Industry means: “A social environment creates peer pressure and the need to impress others, because a social hierarchy exists now. We can monetize that pressure”
God, I’m really tired of hearing Torluf Jernstrom’s lip smacks and dry mouth noises already now.
We need Cat Jim DLC in the Cats movie to make it worth watching.
Wait did i just say DLC in a movie?
I miss my PS2 days. Just popped in Timesplitters or Ratchet and Clank and got on with it.
I mean, there is a reason you don’t hear much about actual con artists and con schemes anymore, they all got in to corporate administration…..where it’s legal.
Because P2W is getting so much backlash they need to target the Social Gamer to whom cosmetics are the psychological manipulation lever.
reminds me of the main reason WOW players wanted vanilla servers.
Not impliying anything, its just a thing that suddendly came to my mind.
Social interaction isn’t a bad thing when it’s genuine, but the kind of interaction promoted by social media and, all too often, games as well is shallow and meaningless.
EA = Greed
Activision = Gluttony
Bethesda = Sloth
Take2= Lust
Konami = Wrath
Ubisoft = Envy
Epic = Pride
They must all die.
“[fifa] now thanks to in-game gambling needs more parents supervision than doom ever did”. Good one, Sir!
If game companies gave us what we wanted, we’d have Mega Man Legends 3 right now.
While Jim was doing the robotic Wilson voice, for some reason I was waiting for him to scream “EXTERMINATE”!!!
Vote Thiccc Venom 2020!
Make America Symbiotic Again!
P.S. I have no idea what I meant by that.