The REAL REASON Why Video Games Suck Now

games don't hit the same anymore it's a saying we're constantly hearing from Gamers every single year yet if everyone is sick and tired of modern video games then how does the industry continue to make more and more money every year in this video I want to find out why Gamers have been feeling this way because if games are bigger and more advanced than they've ever been why are we so unhappy with every new AAA release why don't games hit the same well I have three theories that I feel are incredibly compelling so come with me

as we put them to the test starting with Theory number one I call this Theory The Boardroom Theory essentially everything from always Online requirements to unfinished buggy games to the trend of every game feeling like a live service or having a huge open world these are all the result of the economics of building video games but what does this mean well allow me to explain and simplify this down see as gaming has grown so has the cost to make make video games let's use Call of Duty as an example in 2007 the budget for COD

4 was around $100 million including marketing 2009's Modern Warfare 2 cost around $200 million fast forward over a decade and the budget for Black Ops 6 marketing alone is more than the entire budget for the OG MW2 and this isn't only for the most popular games the data shows that adjusted for inflation the cost to develop a video game 10 X's every 10 years now you're probably asking how and why is it so expensive well for the how let's say you own a game studio in Sunny Los Angeles California where many are located you need

employees and the average salary for a Game Dev is around $120,000 depending on your level of experience and role this can be higher or lower but if you want some of the best talent be prepared to go higher now take that salary and multiply it by 100 100 to 500 people the average team size for a AAA video game like Spider-Man 2 even on the low end you still need an office support staff equipment health insurance and perks to be competitive against other companies and attract the best employees now multiply all of that over 3

to 5 years between game releases and you can see how these budgets end up being massive but why why do you need all of that back in the day we got five Halo games in 10 years three GTA games in five years most with teams smaller than 100 people these days we can't even get a GTA title once a decade well that's because these games have only gotten bigger and more complex I mean look at the jump between GTA San Andreas GTA 4 GTA 5 and Red Dead 2 or the jump between Last of Us

one and two still don't get it let's use your imaginary game Studio again as an example you think your game is fun but you're told by Executives that Graphics need to improve the world needs to feel lived in and people need to feel like there's Great Value in buying your game so make everything bigger that goes against your gut as a game developer but that's what the focus groups are telling you to do now you plan to improve NPC AI make your map bigger and fill it with more details you work to improve graphics and

want to develop a story for characters in a multiplayer shooter you grow your team but you can't just throw money at the problem too many cooks and it's a planning nightmare you need to get more time one extra year turns into two or three now you're burning through cash and the executives say no more it's time to release and your Concord $200 million down the drain this is why the world's biggest game Publishers have shifted their strategies remember how Activision used to publish a ton of games many were smaller projects with small teams and small

Investments none of these small projects were guaranteed bangers but if a game did pop off like the Tony Hawk series for example it was an amazing return on investment that is called the shotgun approach but over time as games became more complex and more expensive to make they needed safer bets that were guaranteed winners so they shifted to the sniper approach make one game from a series that is already massive huge budgets huge teams huge profits now this change in strategy has come with a price often at the expense of creativity polish and even the

ideas themselves because of the huge budgets Executives put pressure on Studios to ensure they turn a profit sometimes by any means necessary it's created a business model that revolves around monetization microtransactions endless DLCs and season passes that magical fantasy of escaping to another world is gone as soon as the Game Stops everything to ask you to buy the latest battle pass look at Assassin's Creed once a historical fiction action adventure game with stealth and parkour it's now become an RPG with subpar combat and a leveling system that forces you to grind the huge empty open

world artificially increasing the amount of time you play want to skip the grind well you can buy XP boosters or buy armor from the in-game item store and of course there's a season pass too the result more time during development spent thinking about how gameplay works with microtransactions and less time focusing on fun it's not about creating a complete groundbreaking experience anymore it's about keeping players on the game and spending more money but it's not just about how they get you to spend money when so much is riding on each release Studios avoid risks they

stick to the same formulas and the same franchises because that's safer than trying something new this creates a cycle where Innovation takes a back seat and games start to to feel repetitive and boring it's why there's so few new game IPS popping up I mean just to ask the developers at Naughty Dog about how difficult and daunting it is to build a brand new IP just uh just don't do it we're in a world of NeverEnding sequels remakes and remasters even if you do get a publisher to fund a new idea they'll still want to

reduce risk so the game studio is forced to tweak their idea into a live service or change to a popular genre Battle Royale hero Shooters sometimes they'll be forced to slap the name of another more established franchise onto their game idea kind of like Marvel Rivals plus like I mentioned before the skyrocketing cost to make games means that in the effort to maximize the money they make many games hit the market completely unfinished instead relying on postlaunch patches and updates just to feel complete games like cyberpunk 2077 which released in such a disappointing state that

it was pulled from the place station store but why well that release happened despite developers telling Executives that the game needed more time and would miss holiday sales so they pushed it out got in trouble and eventually fixed the game years later so the boardroom Theory gives us a game industry that is unsustainable think of it as the Ora Boro snake or in this case a business model that feeds into itself games made for profit over passion but you're thinking look I don't even care about this stuff I don't pay extra for skins and play

a variety of titles why don't games hit the same for me well my friend that's where Theory number two comes in the second theory is called the entertainment shift Theory see video games have changed Going mainstream over the past two decades just look at the increase of Gamers over time what was once a niche hobby is now a universal Pastime with developers aiming to appeal to millions of people everyone from the hardcore gamer to the person playing Candy Crush on their daily commute we're also living in the age of entertainment and social media attention economies

where platforms and creators fight for every second of our time so because not everyone is a hardcore gamer when trying to appeal to the average person not only do video games have to fight movies and TV for your time but the internet as well this has shaped not only how we experience games but also how they're made take cont content creators for example platforms like YouTube and twitch have turned gaming into a spectating activity almost a new form of entertainment some of the biggest names think Tim the tatman ninja or valky have millions of fans

who watch them play rather than play themselves and because of this shift games are now developed with an emphasis on being streamable or sharable because if a game can't be in your hands Marketing Executives at least want the game on your mind I mean haven't you ever wondered why C couch Co-op modes have pretty much disappeared from Modern games online multiplayer isn't the only reason the explosive growth of live streaming gave Gamers a whole new way to connect with games making couch Co-op become less and less of a priority so resources were diverted towards making

games as clippable as possible yes the video games can clip Farm too in fact fortnite is a great example of this from the beginning fortnite's bright visuals fast-paced action and endless in-game events made it the perfect game for a younger audience that could be found on YouTube and twitch the game slowly built itself into a platform to create moments that are fun to watch and easy to share like surprise crossovers with Marvel or Star Wars characters in many ways fortnite is as much of an entertainment experience as it is a game designed to go viral

speaking of going viral to keep up with the demands of the attention economy games are now more like Live Events developers release new updates timed events and limited time modes to keep players engaged even adding real world entertainment experiences directly into games remember the Travis Scott concert in fortnite that was a groundbreaking moment not just in gaming but in entertainment over 12 million players logged in to watch making it a huge success this event blurred the lines between gaming and a live performance creating a spectacle that was meant to be shared streamed and rewatched on

social media but for some players this shift makes games feel less like a personal experience and more like a commercial spectacle since then games like Roblox and Call of Duty have started to bring more and more of the real world into their virtual world games which once felt like an escape from The Real World are now more of a blurred line between between the two but live streams and real world crossovers aren't the only way Gamers interact with Games social media also plays a huge role in shaping our relationship with video games back in the

day you'd go into a game with very little idea of what to expect maybe you'd see a trailer during an NFL game or on Spike TV after Star Wars episode 3 rolls credits maybe you'd hear about it at the lunch table at school or through a promotion with Mountain Dew maybe if you knew where to look there'd be Forum posts about it online but now by the time a game launches you're served via algorithms walkthroughs Easter eggs spoilers reviews and hot takes all over Twitter Reddit and Tik Tok heck most of the time modern games

have huge controversies months before release it's incredibly hard to tune out all the noise to the point where it can shift your idea of a game's popularity or even its quality think of a time where you saw a really funny clip that made you buy a game like lethal company or a time where you saw a hot take that changed your mind on buying a game did you drop a Tik Tok clip into the group chat as a way to get your friends to buy pal world or Hell divers 2o and let's consider Elden ring

within hours of its release the game was everywhere on social media boss fights builds secret areas and strategies were dissected online transforming the experience for players who got served Elden ring content that mystery and discovery that used to define older RPG games started to feel like a shared public Journey rather than an individual Adventure in a way social media made the experience more social but it also changed how personal and immersive it could feel I'm not saying this is a bad thing more access and information on a game before you spend your hard-earned money is

a good thing shout out to Rad Brad for his playthroughs back in the day if you know you know I'm just saying that we have Twisted ideas of a game's fun before we even boot it up and install the day one patch and then there's short form content think Tik Tok and YouTube shorts these platforms have trained us to consume content in seconds making it harder for games to hold our attention if they're slow paced or complex Gamers today expect excitement right away and many games now cater to this demand think of Call of Duty

war Zone's rebirth Island map the game drops players straight into a map 10% the size of the standard Battle Royale map with the ability to respawn in seconds compared to the goog and buyback system on the standard VR map this creates intense firefights keeping the pace fast and Stakes low there's little downtime just constant action to match the quick consumption culture that Tik Tok and short form platforms have popularized for players accustomed to this instant gratification this can make the slower paced big battle royale map that war zone offers feel tedious slow and even boring

so to wrap up the entertainment shift Theory we need to understand that we're left with a gaming landscape shaped by the demands of social media streaming and short form content and games are designed to capture attention deliver sharable moments and often prioritize spectacle over fun for some this evolution is exciting a way for games to stay relevant in a fast-paced world but for others it makes gaming feel different less personal and less immersive almost like it's designed for someone else so now that we've talked about Theory 1 and two let's move on to our last

Theory let's talk about us the players in this final Theory called The Players Paradox gaming used to be a niche hobby but today it's more diverse than ever and with that diversity comes a whole new set of tastes expectations and experiences that are transforming what we want from games one of the biggest shift is in who playe today's gamers are older more diverse and more Global than ever back in the day the stereotypical gamer was a teenage dude in his room now the average gamer is 35 years old and nearly half of all gamers are

women games like the Sims have tapped into this expanding demographic bringing gaming to people who wouldn't traditionally consider themselves Gamers Mobile gaming has exploded becoming accessible and easy to fit into everyday life with some games like war zone mobile being closely tied into the progression systems found in console war zone which is just another way to get people to move to a more hardcore version of the game think of it like a Gateway but this overall shift in who's playing has also led to a more fragmented gaming landscape where everyone's idea of what a good

game is looks very different some people like Battle Royal while some despise them some want new stories from different perspectives and some want to return to the 2010s era of the silent protagonist bald guy looking cool fun fact this was a very popular character design during the PS3 and 360 era because rendering a buzz cut on brown hair is the easiest style to render wavy or long hair can look like Play-Doh or a Lego piece blonde hair can look odd in different lighting situations and black hair can look textureless or lacking depth well the more

you know but it's not just about who's playing how we play has changed too for a lot of Gamers there's now a greater focus on multiplayer EXP experiences live service games and content that updates over time today's players expect games to grow and evolve with new updates and content drops keeping the experience fresh take Destiny 2 for example Bungie turned the game into a live service experience offering frequent content updates expansions and seasonal events players stay invested over years instead of moving on after the campaign ends but for players who miss the days of contained

single player Adventures or even the m multiplayer Arenas of 2009 this shift towards ongoing games can feel like games never truly finish anymore they're never done there's always more to buy more to do more to keep up with a NeverEnding slog another big change is the relationship between Gamers and developers today's players are more than just fans they're consumers with strong voices thanks to platforms like Reddit Twitter and comment sections on Tik Tok and YouTube Gamers now have direct Chan channels to share their opinions demand changes and sometimes even influence game development an oldest example

of this is Mass Effect 3 when the game's ending disappointed fans they voiced their frustration loud and clear the backlash was so intense that BioWare actually released an extended ending update to address player concerns it was one of the first times a major Studio made such a change in response to Fan outcry and a preview of how much power the Gaming Community would go on to have in the future and we've seen time and time again game studios buckle and change from the push back from their fans whether it's a broken release like cyberpunk 2077

getting backlashed that led to constant fixes or destiny 2 where Bungie reversed their decision to Sunset paid content after a year of push back from the community well this direct influence can be great for gamers it can sometimes lead to developers overcorrecting or listening to the loudest parts of the internet instead of their entire Community this is called adverse selection let's say you launch a game it sells a ton but people quickly leave so you ask your community why you get the exact wrong answers because the things that your existing players may like are the

exact thing that drove people from your game this phenomenon has happened to tons of games left in the ashes of History games like Elite dangerous Planet Side 2 and EverQuest then there's the elephant in the room the ability to make money playing games and talking about games online today's Gamers aren't just players they're competitors and for many aspiring content creators the rise of platforms like twitch YouTube and Tik Tok has made streaming and content creation a dream job for millions of people and with that comes a new level of intensity games that were once played

for relaxation or fun now have an entirely different feel I know you guys have experienced this feeling take fortnite which started as a casual colorful building game and eventually evolved into a battle royale quickly became known for its intense competitive Culture The Game's popularity on streaming platforms attracted skilled players who turned it into a highstakes experience where every match felt like a million-dollar tournament and for many players it was that thanks to the in-game tournaments and support for the competitive scene from epic it's became more than just a way to chill with the boys and

if you weren't sweaty meaning ultra competitive and highly skilled you're often left struggling to keep up this problem with sweats only got worse during covid lockdowns when many multiplayer games like Call of Duty and Apex saw a boom in their player bases but it's not just about competing many gamers today feel pressure to play What's popular rather than what they genuinely enjoy especially if you're an inspiring content creator streaming the trendiest most popular games can mean the difference between gaining followers and making your dreams come true or fading into the void of creators on social

media remember Among Us and fall guys both games exploded in popularity seemingly overnight with streamers and content creators flocking to them even players who weren't particularly into these types of games felt compelled to play because it was good for views but once the hype died down so did much of the interest the games became became less about personal enjoyment and more about keeping up with the trends a cycle that I feel has drained some of the fun and authenticity out of gaming then there's the online discourse social media has turned every game into a subject

for instant analysis and everyone's chasing the next viral opinion this works similarly to creators playing the game strictly for views but instead it's hot takes about games that get shot onto the internet for clicks views and AD Revenue these manufactured controversies come at the expense of real honest critique it doesn't matter if you're praising a game to the heavens or tearing it apart it doesn't matter if you're right or wrong if someone is angry someone is making money and in this Gold Rush the conversation around games has grown more polarized and extreme often times creating

an environment where your view on a game is shaped without even playing it take the Last of Us Part Two when it launched it sparked an enormous debate around Abby her part in the story and the ability to play as her fans were split between those who praised its ambition and those who felt she cheap in the story of the first game social media Amplified these voices creating a polarized environment where every reaction was heightened instead of nuanced discussion we saw a spectacle in the rush to go viral it felt like every opinion had to

be the loudest or most dramatic genuine balanced conversations got lost no no matter your thoughts on the Last of Us Part Two though I think we can all agree that the next time you see something about a game that makes you angry ask yourself this are you chasing angry delusions created by people who make money off your rage only you can answer that and a wrap up this Theory as The Gaming Community has aged Nostalgia has become a powerful force too many gamers have fond core memories of the games they grew up with which can

create high sometimes impossible standards for new releases when players expect every new game to capture the magic of the past it can set up modern games for failure and create this painful feeling of loss after all the word nostalgia in Greek translates to the pain from an old wound the Call of Duty series is a perfect example of this each new release is met with high expectations from fans who grew up with the original games players want Innovation but they also want the same magic they felt as kids as a result even well-made games are

often criticized for not living up to nostalgic standards it's a tension between Innovation and preservation that modern developers constantly grapple with so in order to wrap up Theory 3 we need to understand that while games have changed so have we Gamers today are not only older but there's more of us from all different walks of life we're also more competitive Trend focused and more connected to the games industry than ever before our tastes have evolved evolved our voices are louder and our Nostalgia is strong we want new experiences but we also want them to feel

like the games we loved growing up all of these changes create an almost impossible expectation for developers to meet especially when you consider the demands from Executives and shareholders it becomes a tough balance to strike okay so now with all three theories out of the way let's try to answer the question we posed at the beginning why does gaming not hit the same anymore well I think the answer to this like most things in life is somewhere in the middle of all three theories games are a business and they're built in a world that demands

constant content and constant attention and we the gamers are changing right along with them but that doesn't mean the magic is gone it's just different maybe that magic can still be found if we look in the right places Indie Games experimental titles those experiences made with passion instead of profit in the end Maybe it's less about the games not hitting the same and more about us finding new ways to appreciate them maybe if you find yourself hating games you used to play look for something else even if you've never touched that genre before just try

new things if you find yourself constantly angry at video games after reading a tweet or watching a video ask yourself why is that energy you use for being angry really worth it because gaming might be changing but the love we have for it that's something that will never die anyways thanks for watching and if you've made it to the end comment I'm a gamer down below share this with the homies and do the usual YouTube things making these videos takes a bunch of time but your support makes it all worth it