Let's talk about the gaming industry and potential future

[ROJM]

Microsoft is in trouble. They culling jobs across the board including their game divisions.

http://fortune.com/2014/07/15/microsoft-seen-planning-biggest-round-of-job-cuts-in-five-years/

Its never good to see one company do this especially if they are involved in creating game systems. But since Sony and Nintendo is also in trouble one must wonder if the trouble could engulf the games industry or if they will manage to get out of it with minimal losses..

[George]

I wonder if this is going to be part of their change in direction. I have posted how I was very into the launch of the Xbox 360, besides the RROD issues and its Xbox Gold paywall (that Sony does now, better but still) it had a damn great future. I really liked that they actually focused on Japanese studios and funded niche games that I was into. Blue Dragon was the best game ever but fuck wasn't I super into seeing Akira Toriyama's art on a HD console. I was happy cuz it would hold me over for the NEXT Dragon Quest game... which surely would be in HD... right? LOL. Lost Odyssey was pretty great idea also.

I thought Microsoft had great potential and focused on hardcore gaming quite well. Then the Wii picked up steam and kicked everyones ass.... out of nowhere. All of a sudden Microsoft wasn't so much pro gamer but wanting to push Kinect and its fitness shit. It wasn't about showing their biggest games. Their great XBLA software with Treasure, SEGA and other companies. Nope: Now it was all Kinect Sports and shit. Obviously lots of people in Microsoft left around this time.

Flash forward to Xbox One and its shit launch, a year later their message has been reversed and now Phil Spencer is running the show. We saw a Platinum Games exclusive and Phantom Dust remake on stage? hows that? More Japanese games in the MS conference than Sony's for sure.

All of a sudden its all games. Of course you have to cut the rest of the limbs of the cancer....

[ROJM]

It makes me wonder what would have happened if Sega bit their pride and did a joint thing with Microsoft with the xbox. Sega handleing all the games (at least for japan)and Microsoft doing the hardware and distribution. This was an idea Kalinske was pushing when Sony and the PSX after Nintendo dropped them from their cd rom project. Its not like Sega japan didn't listen to him because they kinda did a joint thing with Microsoft of course with the DC in the form of windows and the logo being on the DC system, the only outside company to get that on a main Sega console(i don't count JVC since that was after the fact) Things might have been a little different for both of them where japan is concerned and maybe for Sega japan and the western market.

[inthesky]

Yeah I heard about the layoffs, that sucks for people working there. Worst layoff round since like the mid or late 2000's or something (5,800 I think) and now possibly another round of layoffs in the thousands.

Well speaking just about Microsoft, they are speaking out of both sides of their mouth with regards to Xbox. At one time there was this prospective CEO candidate (before Nadella was chosen) that was floating around the idea of axing Xbox and so that had people nervous a bit, but Nadella made this weird reassurance about the future of Xbox

"I also want to share some additional thoughts on Xbox and its importance to Microsoft. As a large company, I think it's critical to define the core, but it's important to make smart choices on other businesses in which we can have fundamental impact and success. The single biggest digital life category, measured in both time and money spent, in a mobile-first world is gaming. We are fortunate to have Xbox in our family to go after this opportunity with unique and bold innovation. Microsoft will continue to vigorously innovate and delight gamers with Xbox. Xbox is one of the most-revered consumer brands, with a growing online community and service, and a raving fan base. We also benefit from many technologies flowing from our gaming efforts into our productivity efforts – core graphics and NUI in Windows, speech recognition in Skype, camera technology in Kinect for Windows, Azure cloud enhancements for GPU simulation and many more. Bottom line, we will continue to innovate and grow our fan base with Xbox while also creating additive business value for Microsoft."

He's right in that the vast majority of $$$ made from tablets and smartphone apps come from gaming. But the weird thing is how he seems to view Xbox and mobile in proximity to each other. We are already at a point where there is Xbox One game and tablet connectivity features or bonuses but it seems like the Xbox brand itself was handled more as a peripheral just going by his word choice.

But yeah George touched on this idea that Microsoft was not great to work for and I've seen comments along these lines from different kinds of people over time. They found a winning formula with their online gaming focus (coupled with games that appealed to a demographic who already likes online gaming, e.g. Halo) but found an even winning-er formula with the uber-commercialization of Xbox Live. like the dashboard.

[Nirmugen]

Even Nintendo is a hard deal to work with it..I have a friend who is working in the CM/publicity side of the industry and he told me that the most lucrative place to work is EA...he was not kidding.


Why? Because is much simple and the people from an especific region is the one in charge.


In Nintendo, all the directives are coming from Japan with no exception.


So, keep an eye open if you wanna work for any gaming company.

[ROJM]

They found a winning formula with their online gaming focus (coupled with games
that appealed to a demographic who already likes online gaming, e.g. Halo) but
found an even winning-er formula with the uber-commercialization of Xbox Live.
like the dashboard.

Concepts they ripped off from Sega. When you do things like that its only so long that you can do it until you can't rip them off anymore and have run out of ideas. XBO just didn't have anything to offer in my opinion..neither does any of the other two..like i said the DCa may be dead but its ideas are being used today without the originality that that machine had..

[inthesky]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/17/5912893/microsoft-closing-xbox-entertainment-studios-xbox-originals

up to 18k laid off over the next 12 months

that Halo thing is apparently still going

[ROJM]

Yeah..if things were going well i'm sure they wouldn't close something down something they spent so much to set up...

[MadeManG74]

http://www.serkantoto.com/2014/07/30/japan-gaming-market-size-statistics/


So 'mobile gaming' is now bigger than hardware and software combined in Japan.


Consoles are fucked, Japan wants to play Mobage instead or something etc etc.




I wonder if this is really a bad thing? I mean, I don't see EVERYONE moving to mobile games. I imagine there will still be people left who want to make actual video games instead of F2P cash-grabs or try to 'win the lottery' by making the millionth 'Flappy Bird' clone.


If all the shit-tier developers close up or run to mobile games, even if consoles end up dead then PC will still be a thing. Will we see 'real games' move to PC or have more elaborate control schemes for mobile phones/tablets instead?


I wonder if this isn't a good thing overall, it'll mean less games, but I feel that the first games to die will be the shovelware and shit we don't want anyway. All the casual stuff will move to phones, as well as the cheap cash-grabs, leaving dedicated gaming hardware/PC games with games that actually want to be (GOD FORBID) games.


And if not, I have a backlog that's going to last me the rest of my life anyway thanks to Steam Sales, GOG and various old games on my old consoles.

[Mariano]

The amount of Retro games is infinite XD, lucky for us we have games for a lot of lives there.

[ROJM]

Its been like that in Japan for years now really, MM.
But japan is a different kettle of fish..over thre its more advanced and RPG titles are pushing the sales of mobile games not retro titles or angry bird clones.


 But its now clear that the last bastion of consoles is the west and they're starting to decline to. Time will see if that continues...

[Spock]

Xbox One is not really that great. PS4 has a lot more games already. I think PS4 will win this console war. At least in the U.S. Japan is probably the same way because Sony is more Japanese based than Microsoft.

[RegalSin]

Mobile gaming is stupid. In Japan they had tons of mbile games I still want to play. But I have to find other ways to play. It is frustrating already. Their is at least twenty games that I could see actually owning and stuff.

I just give up on mobile/cell phone games before I start.

I can't believe the idiot who would actually purchase such games at all. It is the worst thing you could do to a player. For Japan it is okay because they have uncensored jaw dropping graphics since forever. While in the west all we have is surealistic garbage ( no offense; but it is sure annoying in comparison and contrast. Something I had to get over ). and to make things worst; chances are they are outsourcing programming to the east. They outsource art to the east as well.

I do not want to deal with this business in this manor. Their is a limit.

[Nirmugen]

Jusr recently I see all the primarly results of Titanfall, Watch_Dogs and Destiny, you know, the ultra-hyped console games of this last years.
Seems to be that all are not perfect releases at all.
Titanfall now doesn't attract the "dudes" like COD and sales are decreasing tremendously.
Watch_Dogs was a controversial subject because of its graphics and the PC version "hidden feature".
Destiny has the lowest Metacritic score of the three right now and many people are waiting for a possible PC version..
In the short term, this isn't a big deal at all..but in the long term, it could be something to worry because this games supposely would be becoming the trend for this generation of consoles...I'm afraid something need to appeared..

[Mariano]

Lucky for me i am not interested in those franchises at all XD, but i agree that all these games came out with some problems...
At this point i dont know what to think anymore about anything, as far as i can see i have the felling that the videogames will faal out in a hole not too much ahead in the future.
I think you are right Nirmugen but what do you think can appeared in the future?