02-06-2013, 02:50 PM
I haven't read any posts yet (I'm on my phone), but the game industry really is getting shaken up.
I'll go into more detail when I get home, but here are my thoughts for the future:
With the ever-increasing costs of "mainstream" game development (even as indicated by Iwata), we won't be seeing many games like Black Ops and Tomb Raider and Skyrim. I predict places like Kickstarter will ironically be the last bastion for these games.
Nintendo will likely be the only "original" console-maker left, as the steam box can do everything the PS3 and Xbox360 does but better. In a way, the Wii U's motion controls and tablet will be its savior. Nintendo won't be able to afford making tons of new games and will eventually rely on independent developers to make a majority of their content.
With the ease of digital distribution, the eminent collapse of mainstream games, the larger profit margin/low production costs, popularity of the steam box and Kickstarter, an independent renaissance will kick in, with actual professionals from old titan companies mixed with young blood fresh from school cranking out actually well-made indie games for a cheaper price than today's mainstream games.
As indicated by Facebook, casual games will slowly fade out, either by outdated "$50 for 15 minutes of fun" gameplay, the move to more Nintendo-like casual-core games (as described by Gamasutra), or the typical "short fad" nature of it all.
I'll go into more detail when I get home, but here are my thoughts for the future:
With the ever-increasing costs of "mainstream" game development (even as indicated by Iwata), we won't be seeing many games like Black Ops and Tomb Raider and Skyrim. I predict places like Kickstarter will ironically be the last bastion for these games.
Nintendo will likely be the only "original" console-maker left, as the steam box can do everything the PS3 and Xbox360 does but better. In a way, the Wii U's motion controls and tablet will be its savior. Nintendo won't be able to afford making tons of new games and will eventually rely on independent developers to make a majority of their content.
With the ease of digital distribution, the eminent collapse of mainstream games, the larger profit margin/low production costs, popularity of the steam box and Kickstarter, an independent renaissance will kick in, with actual professionals from old titan companies mixed with young blood fresh from school cranking out actually well-made indie games for a cheaper price than today's mainstream games.
As indicated by Facebook, casual games will slowly fade out, either by outdated "$50 for 15 minutes of fun" gameplay, the move to more Nintendo-like casual-core games (as described by Gamasutra), or the typical "short fad" nature of it all.