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They’re the 3rd largest video game company and the current highest valued company (by market cap, so yeah not a perfect metric) in the world.
They became that big of a video game company by using their ridiculous amount of money to buy up a bunch of other game companies, reducing the competition but hoarding the IP. While they might not be the “only” company in town I think it is safe to say that they’re doing the most buying and consolidating
That was my take too. “We’re spread too thin”… Then why the fuck did you buy up all these companies? Sure sounds like they just gobbled up all the good IP to hoard like a dragon on its pile of gold. Or to make sure those IPs don’t make it to Sony exclusives, wish the FTC would hang them by the balls since they’ve basically done opposite of what they promised during the mergers.
I think they came to the wrong conclusion. Yes those games were cheaper, but really they were just good, and mostly finished at launch. Didn’t feel like we were nickle and dimed for more DLC or season passes or mtxs, we got whole games that were fun.
All the big “AAA blockbuster” games anymore are reskinned, half finished versions of the last version, and the only thing they’ve put a ton of time into is analyzing how to get addicts hooked and spending the maximum amount on micro transactions.
Check out Project Highrise. Felt pretty similar to the nostalgia.
Or https://www.myabandonware.com/game/simtower-the-vertical-empire-3f2
Don’t forget taking forever for an initial patch release, despite there being multiple game breaking bugs.
The state the game was at release was absolutely awful.
The only folks who kept playing that I know were folks grinding for the final levels/achievements/weapons. Which consisted of playing in unenjoyable ways like using bad load outs, doing stupid crap like tagging a billion guards, etc. Who wants to pay money for an unenjoyable grind?
They released a decent patch, some new content and DLC but everyone has already moved on. They totally screwed themselves, sucks it’s an IP that I like, but more games need to fail like this so publishers stop doing the same bullshit
Definitely a case of “good, now go do apple again”. The mobile marketplaces being locked down and tied to services is bullcrap. If I want a run of the mill open source android OS and to be able to use Gmail (or drive, or some other Google product ) I should not have to allow Google full access to the knowledge of every app I run and the screen time and my location information… Etc, etc.
But I do think the apple win on a technicality will be revisited at some point.
And to be clear, I freaking do not like Epic. But this fight they’re on the side I agree with. Open up the mobile platforms.
Love that your example was riven. Was my first thought on the title.
The myst games, their newer game Obduction, the Talos Principle. Those puzzle games all are awesome and take some pen and paper.
Escape from mystwood mansion, the house of da Vinci are a couple others that feel the same way.
Less adventure, more “must optimize!” games like Satisfactory, Factorio are other games that require me to bust out pen and paper or at least a website, spreadsheet or calculator.