Have We Hit Peak Game?

Article conversion of my X thread, found here

JP Minetos

In 2023, a surprising statistic emerged from the gaming industry: 60% of games played were 6 years or older. This revelation sparked a conversation: Have we reached the peak of gaming innovation?

Looking back over the past few decades, new games were often synonymous with technological breakthroughs. From the transition from 2D to 3D graphics, to the advent of online connectivity, each era brought about a paradigm shift in gaming possibilities. Games like Super Mario 64, Half-Life, World of Warcraft, and Skyrim pushed the boundaries and redefined what a game could be.

These games are only 7 years apart.

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However, around the 8th generation of consoles and the launch of Nvidia's 10 series GPUs, the correlation between hardware innovation and game quality began to wane. With computing power reaching new heights, developers found that truly great games could be built at this level.

The rise of LiveOps further cemented this shift. Games like Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Fortnite, and Minecraft showed that a well-designed core experience could be continuously expanded upon, rather than necessitating a complete rebuild with each iteration.

Yet, as LiveOps flourished, some publishers seemed to prioritize quantity over quality. Franchises like Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty churned out new iterations year after year, leading to a sense of stagnation among players. How much better was a late 2010s CoD compared to the iconic Modern Warfare 2 (2009)?

In contrast, the indie scene witnessed a resurgence. Games like "Pal World" and "Lethal Company" emerged as a response to the flood of shovelware, returning the focus to innovative gameplay loops.

Moreover, user-generated content (UGC) tools and platforms like Overwolf and Mod.io empowered developers to harness the creativity of their communities. Fortnite's Creative mode, where 40% of players spend their time, is a testament to the power of UGC in extending a game's lifespan.

For traditional flat games, LiveOps appears to be here to stay. The era of "Soccer 2" seems unlikely. Yet, this doesn't spell the end of gaming innovation. While 60% of games played last year were "old," exciting developments in VR, real-time AI generation, cloud, devtools, BCIs and rendering are pushing the boundaries of what's possible in gaming.

The dogma of new games equating to unequivocal improvement is fading. The gaming industry is entering a new phase—one where innovation is measured not just by technical prowess, but by the ability to captivate and engage players over time and utilize new mediums to make experiences that redefine "games".