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The End of $60 Games?

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FlyinPenguin:
^^^^^
Generally speaking, agreed. However, I really don't feel tablet games come into the mix whatsoever. They in no way can compete with the quality and depth of PC/console games. The best way a tablet can complete with the consoles/pc (in terms of gaming) is to emulate/virtualize their games.

vicious796:

--- Quote from: FlyinPenguin on April 25, 2012, 12:14:29 PM ---^^^^^
Generally speaking, agreed. However, I really don't feel tablet games come into the mix whatsoever. They in no way can compete with the quality and depth of PC/console games. The best way a tablet can complete with the consoles/pc (in terms of gaming) is to emulate/virtualize their games.

--- End quote ---

The quality and depth? No, not at all. But the playability? You bet they can.

It was mentioned earlier that it was only 25 years ago that video games cost 25 cents and the arcade was full of options. Granted, a day in the arcade could cost you two pockets of quarters but the enjoyment was still there. I don't know anyone who would argue against the notion that the stories in RPGs have declined over the years and have been replaced with shiny graphics and overly complicated battle systems, also. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule but, generally speaking, I feel RPGs were stronger in the late 90s and early 2000s than they are today. That takes a plug out of depth.

For the conscious consumer, if you're going to get 40 hours of a game that is mostly replay (honestly, all first person shooters are replay of previous missions with different settings) would you rather spend a couple bucks or 60? While 60 is still top dog right now, smartphone and tablet games are growing in popularity for their affordability and mobility. As that market grows it takes small pieces of the major market with it, leading to the decline of 60 dollar games.

Nikkoru:
I think part and parcel of the 60 dollar game is the sense by game producers that they have to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. People such as myself were playing video games before they were cool, when game producers were interested in getting the most out of their geeky audience. I remember having a hell of a lot of fun with text-based adventures on DOS, tricky to play and requiring a lot of pen & paper work, but these were born from D&D fanatics who knew the score. The same goes with early JRPGs, they weren't designed for happy well adjusted people, they were all about finding secrets and the unreasonably giddy feeling you got from earning a new class or crushing some nearly impossible enemy. Arcade games were made specifically to make sure you lose early and often, they wanted your quarter and that was that, but they also wanted you to play again and again regardless of how unlikely you'll succeed. What would be the point of making them easy? A story if there was one, was there just to fuel your imagination. The people who would create those games were the ones who were likely to play them, and they wanted to impress their friends.

We're a fringe market now, the new target market doesn't want to be lifeless and pasty magnificent bastards.

This is why independent game developers have me all hot and bothered.

AceHigh:
This is also the reason why indie developers now have the market without competing with big AAA titles. For example not long ago a small inde studio released a game about modern naval combat putting strategy and scale above graphics and simplicity. Last week it was one of the most selling games on Steam and they got a good profit on it.

I think this is an exciting age where us old-school nerds will have our needs covered because more small dev studios realize that there are more money to be earned here than competing with big titles in the mainstream market.

zherok:
I have to agree, digital distribution has really done wonders for indie games, both in even allowing them a distribution channel, as well as allowing for games that don't fit within the full price model.

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