Games are becoming increasingly expensive, and this has a lot to do with the graphics, which need to be more detailed and better than ever. But is it even worth it? Gaming insiders have a critical view and explain what many players really want.
What is holding gaming back? Games are getting more expensive. This is partly due to developers wanting to use increasingly better and more detailed technology to elevate the graphics to the next level. For example, Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man 2 cost 300 million dollars (via Forbes). That’s on Hollywood blockbuster level.
High costs and a significant production effort lead to problems. A game with a high budget must also generate an incredible amount of revenue, and employees are needed to work on the gigantic games.
The high costs inevitably lead to significant failures, and this results in studio closures or massive layoffs. In a recent article, however, gaming insiders also explain: Graphics are not as important as one might think.
One of the biggest flops of 2024 was Concord:
Good graphics do not necessarily mean good sales
What do the insiders say? In an article from the New York Times, several gaming insiders express their thoughts on the drive for better graphics. Right at the start, Jacob Navok, a former executive producer at Square Enix, is quoted. He mentions that graphics are more interesting to gamers in their 40s and 50s. Young gamers play Minecraft, Roblox, or Fortnite.
Joost van Dreunen, a market analyst, specifies that the younger generation plays to interact with others. In games like Roblox or Fortnite, the graphics are secondary.
This is also evident in other numbers. According to the New York Times, Luigi’s Mansion 3, a cartoon game on the relatively weak Switch, sold more units than the graphically impressive Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Rami Ismail, a game developer from the Netherlands, believes AAA games have maneuvered themselves into a difficult situation. Traditional games have become too expensive, while live service games are too risky.
This has been noticeable in several examples over the past few years. Star Wars: Outlaws sold even worse than Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (via TheGamer). Live service games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Skull and Bones flopped hard.
Of course, there are still major AAA games that sell well. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, for example. However, that is shrinking. Live service games like Fortnite are self-sustaining and generate more income than elaborate AAA games. Another important factor is time. AAA games have a long development period.
At the end of the article, Ismail poses the question: How can we as an industry make shorter games with worse graphics, produced by people who are well-paid to work less?
How about you? Do you still regularly play the big AAA games, do you prefer to stick with tried and true games, or do you immerse yourself in small indies? Let us know in the comments. Even successful live service games do not last forever. Destiny did not do well in 2024: Destiny 2: Bungie loses even more employees, this time even the bosses
