» Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:33 am
I don't want to put Bethesda down...I think that they make overall good games. I think they've become "one of those big games companies," though, and I think they're the reason I get discouraged about modern gaming. As a result I think they (Bethesda) tend to start out with good ideas that end up lacking in execution. Big gaming companies tend to make big budget games, and big budget games need to sell a lot of copies to turn a profit. The feeling I get is that because of this the game companies aren't willing to take very many risks, so they end up trying to make games that appeal to as wide an audience as possible. To do that they use formulas that are proven to sell units, which results in watered-down games with way-too-familiar gameplay and high production values.
I've been gaming for a long time as well (got my first gaming machine 28 years ago), and for a while now I've felt that most of the AAA titles are essentially the same 5-10 games I've been playing for years with a fresh coat of paint slapped on them. I end up waiting until most games are dirt-cheap before buying because I don't want to pay $40+ to play a game I've - at least in some sense - played before. I think that's one of the reasons the indie scene has become so attractive...fewer people with more direct design input seems to result in more design risks taken, which leads to more original games.