Are arcade games going to save the industry?

[Molloy]

Most of the big game publishers are in trouble. Games with alot of CGI and storydriven content take alot of time and money to make. This must be offset by strong sales. To get the mainstream interested they have to spend a ton on advertising. This makes for some very big hits but lower profit margins and huge losses when a product flops.

I think cinema was going through a similarly edgy stage in the mid to late 90's. Eventually more traditional films made for enthusiasts on reasonable budgets began to outsell the big blockbusters that cost 100's of millions.

It's easy to see there's alot of consumer apathy amongst the more dedicated or 'hardcore' following and they are ultimately the people who drive a healthy market. Once you lose them the fickle mainstreamers will move onto another pasttime.

The likes of Ikaruga and VF4: Evo have been keeping many the jaded gamer sane in the past few months with their good old fasioned pick up and playability that doesn't ask you to set 40 hours of your life aside to get some enjoyment out of the product.

What I'm getting at is do you think that if games were once again aimed solely at the enthusiast that the casuals would follow? Could the market sustain itself better on critical acclaim instead of massive advertisement budgets? Can small time developers, even one man companies like Jeff Minter, compete in the modern market?

[Tokuda]

Quick post because I`m tired...

In answer to your thread, I hope so, but I doubt it.

Casual gamers who are after the latest titles with the flashiest graphics still make up the majority of the market.

Also, believe it or not, but arcade gaming is waning in popularity even in Japan (even though arcade games are arguably better than ever). In the UK, there has been no arcade gaming culture of any note since the days of SF2.

A very sad situation I`m afraid to say.

[?pint]

Online gaming will save gaming.

[Flojomojo]

I don't think any single gimmick will "save" gaming.

Online is interesting but isn't the panacea that the magazines would have you believe. It's neat, but not popular enough to make a splash on its own.

Pick up and play games are great -- they're what I buy the most -- but at full price, they're a terrible value for kids or the casual gamer compared to something like Kingdom Hearts or FFX.

I'm not gaming is worth saving -- an industry consolidation would separate the wheat from the chaff IMHO.

[optimusomega]

Intergration for arcades and home machines plus online play the future .

[Flojomojo]

Do you really still have public arcades? The only places for coin-op games around here are in the big theme parks and Dave & Busters.

[Smitty]

I'd say no.

Besides, I though the gaming industry as whole was making more money than ever?

Or is that just console peeps? I know lots of devs have folded in the last few years.

Casual gamers who are after the latest titles with the flashiest graphics still make up the majority of the market.

What is it with this constant bashing of good graphics?

[Rabasaurus]

I think arcade style 'quick fix' games go down better with older gamers due to the simple fact that, even though we have more disposable income, we dont have as much free time on our hands as say a 15 year old.

You cant have one single type, you need a healthy balance to keep everyone interested.

[Concept]

Gaming doesn't need saving.

It needs nuturing.

[srgbilco]

Thing is, mass-market people don't really go in for short, arcade style games like fighters or shooters. It's only (mainly) hardcore people who get that kind of stuff, and the games industry always has their support. I mean, how many people bought Dondonpachi or one of it's variants? Ikaruga, maybe, but with it's graphics it must have cost quite a lot to make, so it has to be discounted.

Mass-market types buy mainly flashy graphics stuff, which costs a lot to make, licences, which cost a lot to buy, and hyped-up stuff, which costs a lot to make and market. So there aren't many cheap games that people buy, apart from phone games, but not many people have the requiste phones so that's a moot point.

[Concept]

Mass-market types buy what's popular. Simple.

Make arcade games popular again, then maybe they'll sell more and have greater impact on the industry as a whole.

Ain't that simple though.

[Henning]

I think arcade style 'quick fix' games go down better with older gamers due to the simple fact that, even though we have more disposable income, we dont have as much free time on our hands as say a 15 year old.

You cant have one single type, you need a healthy balance to keep everyone interested.

- Rabasaurus, I'm a living example; age 30, job and 2 kids ? next month will I get my ?fixes? from Burnout 2, NBA Street Vol 2 and Matrix.

Have serious trouble holding together a 40+ hours in one session title even if I wanted to. Xenosaga come to papa when retired.

[Molloy]

In an effort to sidestep the term 'hardcore' and all the varied definitions I'm going to say 'enthusiast'. He's the educated consumer. He prizes new experiences and solid gameplay. If the industry made (cheaper) pick-up-and-play games aimed at this section of the market would the mainstream follow suit?

While there is greater potential for profit when you aim at the massmarket there's alot more risk involved. I don't think the industry is large enough to support such huge investment. Less high-profile products and more simple bread and butter gaming could make for a more profitable market in the long term.