The latest technological developments in software have always found an effective platform in the video game industry. In turn, the developments in processors and graphics lent their hand in pushing video games to incredible heights. These trends helped birth the technological marvels that are high-powered graphics cards and formidable processors.
However, the trends originally supposed to augment video games seem to overshadow their essence now. The gameplay ends up compromised just so the trends are satisfied. And since the product is comprised of more trends than innovation, the community understandably harbors a jaded sentiment for the industry's future. Publishers and developers must work together to improve how they make their games by slowing down on these modern video game trends.
Releasing incomplete games
In theory, fixing the state of video games from afar should be beneficial to both players and developers as problems could be addressed immediately once bugs or technical errors arise in a video game. However, reliance on technology has ultimately become abuse since some publishers have taken advantage of remote development.
Instead of releasing video games as a finished product, a few publishers chase a launch date even if the game is far from finished. This habit has continued for a while now, producing unprofessional scraps instead of actual video games. The practice also involves developers working hours that exceed their salaries, leaving the industry with a notorious reputation for crunch culture.
Gamers worldwide have continuously criticized the practice, and publishers should listen to these concerns since the negligence also reflects the game's success. The community's disappointment is immense, but it's not too late! Publishers just have to listen.
Less remasters and remakes
Not every video game remake and remaster is a failure. A significant number of successful titles have improved the original vision of the game, which has also improved public reception of these kinds of video games. But throughout the past few years, publishers and developers seemed to look behind them for inspiration way too much.
Not every game from the past needs a remaster or a remake, especially if it turns out to be a disaster! It just looks like the industry has been crippled for far too long when it comes to taking risks. Video games used to be an avenue of creativity, but now, the industry recycles ideas from previous generations.
One of the most notorious examples of this is The Last of Us. There is no doubt that the title significantly impacted video game history, and for a time, Joel and Ellie's story also cast a mainstream spotlight on the industry. But that kind of success does not warrant a remaster and then a remake of a decade-old game just a few years apart. It doesn't help that the remastered PC version of the title launched with so many bugs. It is just excessive for one video game.
Excessive microtransactions
Great video games always have a fulfilling sense of progression that operates within the confines of the gameplay. However, ever since the introduction of microtransactions, game publishers and developers have presented the option to pay for progression. It is a shame that the medium has become muddied with a money trap.
There is nothing wrong with paying for progression, of course. However, it shouldn't present itself as the only option when moving the game forward, and there are video game companies that are blatant with this practice. The practice has become so ill that even government departments had to involve themselves to prevent predatory business practices by a few video game companies.
While a few companies have learned their lesson, there have been recent incidents of companies trying their luck expanding to an aggressive business model. Fortunately, publishers and developers can hear outcries from strong communities that prevent the profit side of things from interfering with their video games.
Prioritizing graphics over gameplay
While this modern video game trend has been beneficial, some developers seem to lose focus. Sure, nice graphics are lovely to look at, but video games are primarily, well, games. They shouldn't be showcases of power but expressions of creativity!
This modern video game trend is why no one finds it surprising that smaller indie games garner so much praise despite their graphical limitations. So many AAA games today have excellent graphics that can wow a general audience, not just the gaming community. But despite how pretty most modern video games look today, they should always complement a video game's potential to immerse a player within the gameplay.
Studio closures and layoffs
It is tragic that studio closures and employee layoffs are a common industry trend. The ever-intensifying competition between big video game companies causes studio workers to be casualties.
This mass dissolution of potential talent will cripple the industry if it doesn't stop, especially with reports of talented developers jumping into more stable industries. It doesn't help that beneath these closures is a miserable pile of video games that may have caused their downfall.
Should these modern video game trends become much more prominent in developing future titles, the industry's future looks bleak. If it grows worse than it is, the industry might never experience another peak. Growth is essential to sustain a healthy video game industry, and publishers and developers should prioritize the product instead of the profit for it to flourish.