Blog:ThunderKat's Top 5 Gaming Practises/Trends that Need to Die

Okay, so we all know that the current gaming landscape is going to shit over the past decade, but it never got as bad as it is now overnight. Over the past two console generations, some of the top dogs in the industry have turned gaming from an art form to a money milking scheme, doing so by using shady tactics to maximise profit, but at the same time, reduce the quality of the games they release. With so much to take into account, I have decided to run down 5 gaming practises or trends that I think need to disappear. Without further ado, let's get stuck in!

5. Digital Pre-Orders: As discussed in the Pre-Order Culture page, pre-ordering games had a myriad of benefits such as guaranteeing you get your copy on launch day, extra physical goodies, and even a special case. With the rise in digital however, pre-ordering has become superfluous; since digital games have zero chance of ever selling out, there is no real reason to reserve a "copy" of the game anymore since you can get it regardless. It also allows publishers to either give us useless digital rewards for pre-ordering digitally, or some extreme cases, hold already-made content for ransom to incentivise pre-orders. I make it a rule that if I ever pre-order a game, I never go digital, since I have more consumer protection if I change my mind, something you have less of on digital platforms. Just put it on the digital store a week before launch, and only unlock the ability to buy it the minute the game launches. Simple! 4. Early Access: This is one I blame Steam for simply because the idea of early access to a pre-release build, while a neat idea on paper, is terrible in practise. The biggest problem with this one is how easy it is to abuse it. We have seen many games released in early access, charge an entry fee, and yet go for months without fixes to iron out the remaining bugs; PUBG is a particular example I can think of when it comes to early access releases; it was in early access for months, it was blatantly unfinished, yet charged $30 on Xbox One, and it had loot boxes in it! Let's not forget The War Z, a microtransaction infested game that sold for $15-20 in early access, and it was a broken, unfinished that I don't think was ever fixed. My biggest reason against Early Access is simply because it can easily abused, and I don't want to see even more games broken and busted. We don't see other industries do this, so why tolerate it in gaming? 3. Multiple Editions: Oh you know this trend is getting bad when you need to consult a spreadsheet of all things, just to decide which edition you want! Take a look at some of Ubisoft's games for instance: for one title, there are often at least 5 different versions to pick from, each having varying amounts of content in them, usually the standard edition getting the short end of the stick, containing no extra content. Why not just include all of the content in one cohesive package? Because money, that's why! Whether it be Gold, Silver, Deluxe, Digital Deluxe, whatever, the publishers will extra extra for the more content-rich editions of the game, knowing that people will buy it. My solution: give us just two versions, being Standard and Collector's. Standard for those who just want the game itself, and Collector's for those who want the physical memorabilia that comes with them. That's really all we need, and if the game is any good, then profits will be high in the long term. Why complicate things with multiple editions by ransoming content for the more expensive ones? 2. Trend Chasing: Looking at EA, Activision, Ubisoft, and Bethesda in particular because these are the most guilty parties when it comes to trend chasing. This is the reason why most AAA games lack originality these; they just take one gander at the most popular game of the moment, try their damnedest to copy the mode/gameplay style, and hope for instant profit. The trouble is, most of these publishers miss the point of what makes the trendy game popular in the first place; currently, battle royale modes get shoe-horned into key franchises, as if they didn't make enough money already from brand name alone. The biggest issue with chasing trends is that it can lead to over-saturation; in the mid-late 2000's, FPS games were the big genre to sell, in the early 2010's it was all about zombie games. Currently, everyone wants battle royale. The common factor is these genres over-saturated the market and with a few exceptions, died off within a few years. To the big third party publishers out there: try leading the industry from the front instead of playing catch-up, it will benefit you in the long run! Now for some dishonourable mentions: 1. "Live Services": This model is easily the worst thing to happen to gaming this generation. The mobile paved the way for this crap, and now greedy publishers are milking it for all its worth; launching games in a bare bones state, peddling microtransactions into full priced games, inserting predatory loot boxes into E/3 rated games, and other bollocks. Most of the time, these "Live Service" games are centred around multiplayer, and rely heavily on a consistent player base to keep it alive, only to eventually shut down for good once the support ends. Anthem is the caricature of this business model, boasting a 10 year journey pre-release, and it was so bad that it might as well be considered "dead" after 6 months! The worst part of "Live Services" is when the review cycles are complete, the publisher will start to monetize it to hell and back. Whether its MTX or loot boxes, adding these in post launch is a sure fire way to get people to stop playing your game; that was the same feeling I got when Activision snuck microtransactions in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled one month after launch. Once I discovered the MTX were implemented, my enjoyment of the game was shot down in flames, and I stopped playing it. This kind of scummy, slimy business model being used at all where it doesn't belong, plus killing my enjoyment of one of the most fun kart racing games I've ever played, makes the "Live Service" model the top practise I want to see disappear!
 * Pandering to SJWs: This should be obvious, but why bother pandering to a crowd of individuals who won't even play your game to begin with? Only a mention since gamers with standards mostly tend to steer clear of these games anyway.
 * Retailer Exclusive Content: I'm not bothered by Sony getting exclusive PS4 content for multiplatform games, but when retailers try to ransom off content, it becomes a case of "want not, have not". Thankfully, this one has died off in recent years.
 * On-Disc DLC: You don't see it as much nowadays, but I would be more than happy to see the practise of putting content on the disc, and then locking it behind a paywall vanish entirely.

