Do Publishers Understimate Consumers?

[Luzur]

About a year ago, a developer I respect said he was certain the game industry was headed for another crash. I didn't believe him then. Now I just hope he's not right.

personally, i think that is what is needed for the business, pierce the boil and cleanse the pus away.

a new start, like after first crash in 1984.

 

[Hobo Elf]

If crashing the industry means that we'd get a new Psygnosis, I'd be all for it.

 

[SCO]

I think at least, the voice acting angle will get better in 10 years time. There are damn impressive commercial and academic emotional text to speech projects already.

 

[bhlaab]

I think at least, the voice acting angle will get better in 10 years time. There are damn impressive commercial and academic emotional text to speech projects already.

Yeah, well let's see how hot shit they are when they're having to pronounce retarded fantasy names

No man-made technology can realistically parse a race of ogres called "Ghfrar'tgh"s

 

[SCO]

Well phonetics would replace the textual representation in the "special" (retarded) words of course.

 

[LeStryfe79]

The Video Game industry is nowhere near a crash. In 1983, publishers were making games that nobody liked. In 2009, games are consistently being made at a very high quality. Just because there might not be as many games for hardcore players is hardly relevant. When casual players become more hardcore, the industry will adept accordingly. Hollywood and game companies will both need to taper their big spending of course, but this will happen automatically as a matter of cause and effect. Codexers thinking the Game industry will collapse is analogous to republicans thinking the U.S. will collapse. In other words, it has a bad "I told you so" smell to it.

 

[bhlaab]

The Video Game industry is nowhere near a crash. In 1983, publishers were making games that nobody liked. In 2009, games are consistently being made at a very high quality. Just because there might not be as many games for hardcore players is hardly relevant. When casual players become more hardcore, the industry will adept accordingly. Hollywood and game companies will both need to taper their big spending of course, but this will happen automatically as a matter of cause and effect. Codexers thinking the Game industry will collapse is analogous to republicans thinking the U.S. will collapse. In other words, it has a bad "I told you so" smell to it.

I don't think the whole industry will collapse. 1983 technology and public support were in their infancy. Now it's kind of silly to think that the idea of video games can just "go away" like the rubiks cube or wood panelling.

However, I do feel that eventually the pin will have to be pulled on the way the industry does business. And that will be the 'crash' of sorts-- not that people stop buying games, but that publishers and developers are forced to accept that they can no longer sustain themselves in the same way they have with their huge budgets and 'bigger is better' mentality.

The idea that such a crash would bring about some sort of hardcore renaissance is suspect, though. If anything it will bring about more low budget and safe "Amazing Babyz" ds games. I think that there could be a bit more room for titles like AoD to move and breathe, though.