Has the time come?

[unbound]

Many giants fall. The biggest problem is the ability of the new, small companies to get noticed by the buyers. Far too many people get excited when they hear about the latest title from their favorite company, and far too many people don't even give the newcomers a chance because they don't recognize the game.

Furthermore, far too many people get excited by the big production visuals and not the actual substance of the game (you see this a lot with movies too). And that is not a realm where the newcomer can compete.

Oh, some exceptions pop up from time to time, but, as a rule, people are too beholden to their corporate favorites. Just try saying something good or bad about Apple, and you can see the loyalists run in to defend or attack. The corporations love your loyalty, but will not reward you...they just keep counting on it.

You want change? The only path to change in a marketplace is to vote with your pocketbook.

Not thrilled by WoD? Know that Blizz can do better? Stop your subscription. There is no other answer.

[The One Percent]

When I read threads like this discussing business, I realize why so many are poor.

[Wildmoon]

The reason this industry is going the way it is now is in part influenced by gamers themselves. Why would you make big full-fledged games when you can make cheaply made and accessible but fun games then rake even more profit? Blizzard is not falling soon. They are shifting into the direction this industry is going and they seem to be really successful. Hearthstone is ridiculously successful for what little investment they have invested into creating this small little game.

In the end, I don't give a fuck about all these companies financially. I just play games I acknowledge as good games and ignore bad ones.

[Afrospinach]

The industry decided genres were dead, even though they were not.

But they are niche so in a sense they may as well be dead to them. I doubt they actually said any genres were dead either, they just stopped putting out titles because of meager profit outlooks. I would not hold my breath for the indie scene top become mainstream again. I always liken it to what has happened in the music industry, you have your pop and whatnot with a huge business surrounding that. This is CoD and such, don't expect them to go away any time soon because it WORKS, even when it's bad.

It may still make sense for some studios to be putting out stuff like Wasteland 2, but for an AAA, probably not, probably never again. The idea that these outside title are just better and should be the go to, well that concept exists in other entertainment industries too. Flat out, not everyone has time to cultivate good taste and are happy with a mac and cheese. I don't think there is anything particularly special about video games that means it should be any different. We are more connected and accessible than ever before, if this big shift or awakening was going to happen I would really have expected it to do so by now but pop icons and marketing schemes still rule the day, which brings me to my response to the OP - Get real.

Activision and EA are in some strife, but that is more mismanagement than their titles doing poorly.