The Video Game Critic

Is it real? Is it a serious problem for console gaming, such as it is, or rather, whats left of it?

How big of a problem is it for console gaming that you have a generation plus of kids who game exclusively or almost exclusively on tablets or phones, or ipods? They do not mind crappy free to play games that require internet connection, in fact they love them, and frankly do not know any different and do not expect anything different.

Look at the growing boom of nostalgia games - starting with Mega Man on Wiiware up to Shovel Knight today. These are fun games, usually, but is it also a sign of failure? Really, you are marketing your game to the 'old folks home'? (This forum, for exp) Who will buy my memories?

This same group is  annoyed with 2D Mario graphics style and music, to an extent, but this is rebranding by Nintendo to reach the young audience. Tremendous success in doing so with Wii and Ds, but Wii and DS are dead, and 3DS has underperformed and Wii U have struggled mightily.

Japan is becoming a stagant console market. Xbox never did anything, other than 3DS, Nintenod has fallen far, and Sony has PS Vita with somewhat of a pulse, and Ps4 is tracking well under even meager Wii U sales. Many major Japanese game companies, like Capcom, are and have been transitioning to mobile for quite some time, with limited results. In fact, Capcom shareholders are no longer protecting the company from buy out, suggesting that they have little faith in the future,......where is the Japanese console buying market? What a fall from the glory days of PS1 and PS2.

What does the future hold? Is it enough for console to stabilize into a much smaller core group, or do they have to carve into that mobile market next gen, and stop competing with each other, either retool or become more irrelevant?

Your opinions.

Generation gap is real. Whether it be a problem depends on whether or not you care. Old school fool like me is growing further and further away from gaming in general. Most of the games I'm interested in are downloads & I'm not paying for no download. The continual reliance on internet just makes me more retro bro. I'm All for the epic awesomeness of fallout 3, but then every thing else tends to be "not as good" so why bother. High learning curves, games built around story instead of story being supplemental to the game, dlc, downloads, content on disc, micro transactions, it all sux yo. I miss the arcades & no dang online infrastructure can replace that. Either change with the times or hold on to what was. Gaming was better years ago & I'm not going to compromise value, quality and what I like just to continue playing games that are brand new.

Since video games have gone digital, publishers have started to look at games as "revenue streams".  It's all about monetization at every opportunity.  Why include alternate outfits for the character in the game if you can charge a few bucks for each one?  Why give them a full game when you can give them a "free" game and milk the player for money once he gets hooked?

If there's one thing console games on real media have going for them, it's quality.  The chances of something you downloading something that's crap is high.  The chances of something on a disc being bad is low.  One of the reasons I stopped reviewing downloadable games is because most aren't even in the same class. 

I think there is a glut in the downloadable/casual game market.  Games are ubiquitous but most are just time killers, and people are starting to get annoyed by the nickel-and-diming aspect.  I think this market has been "cheapened".  They can probably survive on volume alone, but it's becoming increasingly hard to take the games seriously.  

So I do think there is a gap, but I think both with survive and not cannibalize each other.  Casual gamers may outnumber serious gamers 10 to 1, but I'm guessing serious gamers are willing to spend 10x more on their gaming habit.

It's definitely real, my kids will happily sit playing some really crappy 'pet/doll sim' on their tablets or iPods rather than try to get their heads round a dualshock controller no matter how kid friendly a game is. As the critic alluded to they then attempt to ease cash out of you with different dolls/make up etc.

Ironically it's probably Nintendo with its Nintendogs and DS which kick started this whole casual gaming 'thing'.

Although I do agree with the critic, I think the market will split and both will survive healthily.

[QUOTE=Vexer]

Games are not statistically more likely to be bad if it's a download and less likely to be bad if it's on a disc, that just makes no sense at all

 

I've played some pretty good downloadable games(Marlow Briggs and the Mask Of Death, Lara Croft and the Guardian Of Light, Deep Black Reloaded) and i've played some pretty terrible ones that came on a disc(Ride To Hell: Retribution, Vampire Rain), some of the downloadable games absolutely are in the same class as at least games on a disc IMO.  

[/QUOTE]

It's not the fact that they are downloads per se.  It's the fact that publishers didn't feel the game was worth the investment of having it manufactured on physical media.  All you have to do is download a few random trial games from Xbox Live to see anybody can put out any crap to be downloaded by the masses.

You can point out a specific cases of bad disc games and great digital games, but they are the exception to the rule.

I understand there are some independent publishers that have great talent and innovative ideas.  I realize digital downloads are their only way into the market.  Some of these people have done some admirable work.  Unfortunately this work is often lost in the shuffle of hundreds of other developers putting out junk just to cash in.

I really feel bad for kids these days. When they ask for "games," ignorant parents are more likely to put a tablet in their hands than a console because of the relatively low cost: you can buy a generic "kid's tablet" for $100 and download games from the android store for $.99 each. Consoles require real investment and most parents don't see how the cost of a $39.99 game is justified: they see all games as being essentially the "same thing." I've been trying to save my nieces from bad games by getting them DSes (and buying almost exclusively first party games) and letting them use my Wii U for Mario Kart whenever I come over. Luckily, my brother is a game enthusiast too (although to a lesser degree), so he gets it.
I think they're starting to notice the difference. Whenever their great-grandmother hands one of them an iPad with some generic Angry Birds clone loaded up, they lose interest very quickly. Now, whenever I come over, they always ask whether I brought Mario Kart. Kids of any age know the difference between good games and bad games if you just take the time (and expense) to show them. I know whenever I have kids, they'll probably be the only ones in their class carrying around 4DSes (or whatever) instead of iPods or iPads.

[QUOTE=ptdebate]I really feel bad for kids these days. When they ask for "games," ignorant parents are more likely to put a tablet in their hands than a console because of the relatively low cost: you can buy a generic "kid's tablet" for $100 and download games from the android store for $.99 each. Consoles require real investment and most parents don't see how the cost of a $39.99 game is justified: they see all games as being essentially the "same thing."[/QUOTE]
To be fair, the games on consoles are all essentially the same thing, and even Nintendo is starting to feel pretty rehashy. I'd say Steam is the way out of this, but there's no quality control over there and we're starting to see the effects (Air Control, War-Z).

I'm worried about cellphones and microtransactions too, but I have no experience with either and don't really have anything to add about them. If the situation gets too bad I'll just retreat to the PC and my old consoles. The only thing I can talk about first-hand are the things my two younger cousins play.

My two young cousins each received tablets for their birthdays and I've watched them both play some pretty awful "click on everything repeatedly" games, but they also have the Wii and a couple of DSiXLs that they use for first-party Nintendo stuff (plus some awful stuff based on licensed properties, but all kids fall for that). They also love Minecraft, a game that I personally don't have any interest in playing but does allow for a lot of creativity and imagination, so I approve. They both loved Super Meat Boy, and I've had a lot of good times watching them play and then taking over when they get stumped. Since Trenton (the boy) is allowed violent games (I spent some uncomfortable time watching him play the various GTA games), we've also played God of War and Hotline Miami together. He also loves superhero games (we had a great time playing the Arkham games). Emily (the girl) loves Mario Party and the Just Dance games. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that they do play crap because it's free and easy, but they will play good games if you put them in front of them and especially if you're willing to play with them for a little while.

[QUOTE=videogamecritic]

I understand there are some independent publishers that have great talent and innovative ideas.  I realize digital downloads are their only way into the market.  Some of these people have done some admirable work.  [/QUOTE]

So...just play the good downloadable games, then? Why throw the baby out with the bathwater? The recommendations you receive from this forum alone will probably filter out most of the bad ones.

The "gaming generational gap" might be more of a "media generational gap". The way younger people acquire and consume music, movies, and the written word has changed so much in the past 15 (or so) years. The notion and desire of ownership of the physical has diminished. Why buy and own (and store) physical copies of things when you can just download or stream a digital copy? It's expanded how, what, and when you can experience games (and music, movies, etc.), while making them seem more disposable and of lesser worth.