I think that's just age. "back in my days" hype for 3D GTAs was insane, but basically none of us care about GTA VI. Older people still care but on a smaller scale, e.g. my friend is hyped about Path of Exile 2.
Big video game releases kinda don't feel like events anymore
- Thread starter dex3108
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Citation needed? How aware are you of the spaces younger generations discuss things in? They might not necessarily be expressing excitement in the same venues older audiences frequent.
Hard disagree, FFVII Rebirth's release felt like a huge event to me personally and so did Tears of the Kingdom's last year. Ditto for basically every single new Smash character reveal and release. I think this comes down to a matter of personal perspective and your relationship with the concept of getting hyped for releases you care about
And I'm in my 30s, so I don't think a lack of hype is necessarily tied to getting older either
Big same — case in point!
And I'm in my 30s, so I don't think a lack of hype is necessarily tied to getting older either
Big same — case in point!
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I think part of it is getting older and maybe being less into the hype culture in general, speaking personally. There's so many games coming out these days in general especially with indies thrown into the mix that a lot of it feels like hopping from one thing to the other. Another aspect is AAA game design at least the action adventure third person stuff has been feeling pretty stagnant for a minute now in terms of variety. So many open world games with not that great open worlds to explore, I admit part of this is genre fatigue in general.
The last games that felt like big events where the games actually left a longer lasting impression without that "onto the next thing" sort of transition for me was Elden Ring, TLOU Part II, and BG3. These are once a gen type games that really stand out from the rest. Its becoming harder and harder to wow me, these kind of games kinda ruin the others in a way. Now I still enjoy other games, but it doesn't hit me nearly the same. I'm also like this with film and TV, I gotta see something like Better Call Saul or Succession to feel like I watched something that will stay with me years to come. Everything else is a temporary distraction.
The last games that felt like big events where the games actually left a longer lasting impression without that "onto the next thing" sort of transition for me was Elden Ring, TLOU Part II, and BG3. These are once a gen type games that really stand out from the rest. Its becoming harder and harder to wow me, these kind of games kinda ruin the others in a way. Now I still enjoy other games, but it doesn't hit me nearly the same. I'm also like this with film and TV, I gotta see something like Better Call Saul or Succession to feel like I watched something that will stay with me years to come. Everything else is a temporary distraction.
GTA 6 and Witcher 4 will be massive for the industry as the next big gaming events.
ES6, I don't know. Starfield was supposed to be on that scale but they fumbled big time.
Also, people staring at the clocks on their screens at a countdown timer to unlock the game is the new "camping outside of stores" so we can blame Digital media for that.
ES6, I don't know. Starfield was supposed to be on that scale but they fumbled big time.
Also, people staring at the clocks on their screens at a countdown timer to unlock the game is the new "camping outside of stores" so we can blame Digital media for that.
Part of this is just about getting older. But I also think the digital age devalues all things in certain ways. You're always going to have less emotional attachment to something you preloaded a week before and booted up at midnight in your living room by yourself. Vs something you had to go to the store to preorder then wait in line with other people for. Some of them probably your friends.
It's only this, really.
Personally, I'm still super excited for the stuff I've always been interested in (racing games, new FPS multiplayer stuff, anything Nintendo). Hopefully I never lose that.
Because marketing dollars would equal a larger budget which would then entail an even bigger amount to recoup. There is already a lot of pressure on the big names, adding more fluff just to make it "an event" means more chances of Devs being cut.
I highly doubt that, most kids these days care more about fortnite and roblox than Pokemon
Games can be big events still and it happens more often than you can think. These two smaller releases palworld and helldivers captured the zeitgeist crazy. I had non gamer friends asking me if I had played them lol.
But yeah it's only reserved for the biggest. What GTA 6 will do once its date is approaching or even elden ring dlc next month, will be special.
But yeah it's only reserved for the biggest. What GTA 6 will do once its date is approaching or even elden ring dlc next month, will be special.
I mean they care about Fortnite and Roblox too, but sales for Pokemon games keep getting higher, not lower. It's a gargantuan franchise.
You're getting older of course, but thanks to the democratization of games there are far too many games for one game to be an event. Used to be if something big hit your whole friends list would be playing. Not anymore. Games can still be an event for you personally. I still stand by Starfield and I hope they sand off the rougher edges so other people can enjoy it like I do. If that doesn't happen? Oh well, doesn't take away from how much I enjoyed it. Imagine fun, or how big a game feels being tied to how many people like it online!
The last year i remember feeling absolutely stunned when certain games released was 2013. Bioshock Infinite, The Last of Us, GTA V. It felt so different. But i was teenager then, and after becoming an adult, you know, our perspective changes and all that. But i eventually feel a little bit like that again, every now and then. Arkham Knight did that to me, and so did Red Dead 2 and Marvel's Spider-man. But it became much more rare, at least to me. Like so many people already said here, i think we're just getting older.
I'm sure someone has mentioned it already, but imo it's because of Digital Stores.
Not having to wait in line with other gamers who are excited as shit for the big release. I remember God Of War 2 event at the Sony Metreon in San Francisco. Cory Balrog was there, you got to meet him.... it was sick.
Edit- now that I think about it, they could still pull it off... have a celebration event that starts around 5-6pm for the evening... and those who want to stick around, great... those who want to get hope to play it at 9pm, they can.
Not having to wait in line with other gamers who are excited as shit for the big release. I remember God Of War 2 event at the Sony Metreon in San Francisco. Cory Balrog was there, you got to meet him.... it was sick.
Edit- now that I think about it, they could still pull it off... have a celebration event that starts around 5-6pm for the evening... and those who want to stick around, great... those who want to get hope to play it at 9pm, they can.
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Hype-reliant culture gorged on content bucket now facing waning interest in too much of a good thing.
"but what about 'insert new shiny thing here' we should be excited for that shouldnt we?"
The last E3 where Nintendo featured on stage and had them laughed out of the show essentially was the beginning of the end for this mentality, it was a long time ago now of course but they saw the winds of marketing and such changing early enough to switch (ahem) to the Direct format.
"but what about 'insert new shiny thing here' we should be excited for that shouldnt we?"
The last E3 where Nintendo featured on stage and had them laughed out of the show essentially was the beginning of the end for this mentality, it was a long time ago now of course but they saw the winds of marketing and such changing early enough to switch (ahem) to the Direct format.
1. You aren't an easily manipulated child anymore.
2. Over-saturation and Over-stimulation, game news and hype used to be condensed into monthly magazine releases.
3. Don't get me wrong, I love getting excited for a game I'm anticipating, but there are just so many things in life more important than a videogame; and with the average "gamer" being around 35 years old, I'm sure this is true for many.
TLDR: yeah, there's less hype, and that's ok
2. Over-saturation and Over-stimulation, game news and hype used to be condensed into monthly magazine releases.
3. Don't get me wrong, I love getting excited for a game I'm anticipating, but there are just so many things in life more important than a videogame; and with the average "gamer" being around 35 years old, I'm sure this is true for many.
TLDR: yeah, there's less hype, and that's ok
What are people talking about?
Zelda Totk was an event!
Ellen Ring too.
The launch + launch games for the Switch 2 will be an event.
There are plenty more, that, if you are a fan of those games, you will be excited as a child:)
Zelda Totk was an event!
Ellen Ring too.
The launch + launch games for the Switch 2 will be an event.
There are plenty more, that, if you are a fan of those games, you will be excited as a child:)
How would you know though? It sounds like you are projecting your feelings onto other groups of people.
Infernal blend of instant gratification, physical media being nearly irrelevant, information overload on demand, nothing special done by publishers for most releases, homogenization of delivery methods across digital storefronts, and no lack of want for gaming options. Some of these things are awesome for accessibility, bringing diverse talent into the industry, and so on. Other aspects have completely ruined a lot of magic for a game's launch.
It's not necessarily "better" than seeing a few screenshots of a game in a magazine and having to wait months on end for it to come out, only imagining what it could possibly be like in your mind, the immense pleasure of finally getting your hands on a (expensive!!) physical copy in the store, cherishing the ride home and devouring the manual, finally taking the physical copy and putting it in your system... and getting to experience the audio and visual for the first time. Then you'd go to school and talk about it with real humans, invite them over to play with them, etc.
Nowadays everything is so standardized - game gets release date, shows up on digital storefronts (which are kind of all the same), you download it. You might have already watched someone live stream huge portions of it, or analyzed trailers and seen it in motion plenty of times before ever starting it up. You might be on a subscription service that made it available, so there isn't even a value proposition you had to consider.
For me the most hype I've had for something lately was Godzilla Minus One because it was simply impossible to get my hands on it. I heard about it after it had already left theaters, and there was no way to stream it, not even any pirated copies that weren't awful camvideos. I actually pre-ordered it from Japan and was - honestly pretty stoked about it in the 2 months leading up to that. (Of course I also avoided watching ANYTHING related to it. Kind of a herculean task when algorithms everywhere just throw topics you might like at you.)
It's not necessarily "better" than seeing a few screenshots of a game in a magazine and having to wait months on end for it to come out, only imagining what it could possibly be like in your mind, the immense pleasure of finally getting your hands on a (expensive!!) physical copy in the store, cherishing the ride home and devouring the manual, finally taking the physical copy and putting it in your system... and getting to experience the audio and visual for the first time. Then you'd go to school and talk about it with real humans, invite them over to play with them, etc.
Nowadays everything is so standardized - game gets release date, shows up on digital storefronts (which are kind of all the same), you download it. You might have already watched someone live stream huge portions of it, or analyzed trailers and seen it in motion plenty of times before ever starting it up. You might be on a subscription service that made it available, so there isn't even a value proposition you had to consider.
For me the most hype I've had for something lately was Godzilla Minus One because it was simply impossible to get my hands on it. I heard about it after it had already left theaters, and there was no way to stream it, not even any pirated copies that weren't awful camvideos. I actually pre-ordered it from Japan and was - honestly pretty stoked about it in the 2 months leading up to that. (Of course I also avoided watching ANYTHING related to it. Kind of a herculean task when algorithms everywhere just throw topics you might like at you.)
I get because the majority of people just stick to their favorite GaaS, which wasn't a thing back then, also mobile is a thing.
I'm with the people that say information overload on-demand. Back before the internet was so ubiquitous you had to wait a whole month to find out about the stuff coming out , except for that one friend who had an uncle at Nintendo. Now we tend to have most of the information we need about a game well before it releases. Honestly, I'm happier for it so I don't waste my energy on trash
It's just a manufactured never ending set of games, escalating in pomposity but without really adding anything particularly interesting or exciting.
I really don't care all that much for "big" games because of that. I've been enjoying so many other indie and smaller titles that feel more meaningful and draw me in for lots of other reasons.
I'm sure there will be big games that catch my eye. Like I'll generally keep an eye on From games, or Valve games maybe, but it's often because it isn't as frequent, and I have some trust they are attempting something worth my time, rather than more of the same or a rebranded mimicry of some other game wrapped in a different brand or theme
I really don't care all that much for "big" games because of that. I've been enjoying so many other indie and smaller titles that feel more meaningful and draw me in for lots of other reasons.
I'm sure there will be big games that catch my eye. Like I'll generally keep an eye on From games, or Valve games maybe, but it's often because it isn't as frequent, and I have some trust they are attempting something worth my time, rather than more of the same or a rebranded mimicry of some other game wrapped in a different brand or theme
Besides the getting older thing I don't think that's true?
It's just the games that get the community going are rarely AAA single player games that cost 70$ (though we still get that 1-2 times a year. With things like BG3, TOTK, Elden Ring etc).
Like, Palworld was an event, Helldivers was an event, a new fortnite season can be an event. etc.
People still get very exited for game releases.
It's just the games that get the community going are rarely AAA single player games that cost 70$ (though we still get that 1-2 times a year. With things like BG3, TOTK, Elden Ring etc).
Like, Palworld was an event, Helldivers was an event, a new fortnite season can be an event. etc.
People still get very exited for game releases.
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Tears of the Kingdom was a big release for me that felt like "the old days" - but yeah that doesn't happen as often anymore.
There will be mroe shadow drops than before. blame the Corona crisis for killing most of big video game events and thus big marketing programs. People and companies got cold since then.
It's because too many big games competing for attention and only those "huge" releases manage to become an event. The other reason is that gaming marketing in general sucks these days.
It didn't really work for me. I used to love zelda games and fell out of love with them after years of just more of the same. BotW was a great reimagining of it that felt great, but I still felt it was leaning on its formulaic nature, but first time doing it in that way with a lot more freedom and organic moments was nice enough.
Playing TotK had initial fun to it and seeing what they were doing, then it just felt like I was back to the same old formulaic methods. And now with an added cheap garry's mod x fortnite tacked on. It works to have those translated into a narrative driven, explorative game... but it just both didn't feel like a zelda game anymore, and simultaneously followed same old formulaic tropes to guide the game forward. Felt like I was wasting my time so dropped it.
You're older and there are way more games, thus far more interest division. It's kind of like how television options are huge now and feel much less entire community is watching versus pockets. You have to find your pocket these days, there is simply too many options for most single things to feel huge for everyone.
Something like Halo 2 felt like it took over the world back then but sold only 8 million copies, these days that number isn't near the upper limit for a big release.
Something like Halo 2 felt like it took over the world back then but sold only 8 million copies, these days that number isn't near the upper limit for a big release.
I used to love when games I had no interest in dropped and I could still grab my shit at midnight. Lol I remember everyone lined up for Bioshock Infinite and being like... can I get my copy of Tiger Woods 14?
I don't know, I'm going to be going crazy with anticipation for GTA VI next year. I was hyped as hell for Starfield last year. And obsessed with Elden Ring the year before... For me there's always something around the corner to look forward to.
Last time I felt truly hyped for a game was StarCraft 2 Wings of Liberty. Age is def a major factor.
Big events for me are re-releases of rare, hard to find games and fan favorite remasters/remakes.
Hard disagree. Downloading a game and having it ready for you the moment 11pm (or whenever) rolls around is so much nicer than having to drag my ass over to a GameStop midnight release.
Every game I've bought at launch for the last couple years has arrived with some glaring bug / performance issues that made me wary of playing it right away. If publishers wanted hype and release date purchases they should have made sure their shit was good to go for launch. They've successfully trained me to not care about their games until at least two months later when they're actually functional (and cheaper).
I think it's partially us getting older, but also the younger demo that would be generating hype is too busy with live service games.
Smash, Zelda, and Rockstar games are the only big event releases left, but they still feel that way at least. Elden Ring kinda approached that as well. Whatever Larian does to follow up BG3 might generate that level of excitement.
Smash, Zelda, and Rockstar games are the only big event releases left, but they still feel that way at least. Elden Ring kinda approached that as well. Whatever Larian does to follow up BG3 might generate that level of excitement.