I’ve been gaming since I was 5 years old, starting with the PS1. I’m now 30 years old, so that means I’ve been playing video games for 25 years.
I’ve played thousands of games and often spend hundreds per year. To put it into perspective, I’ve bought and paid for 13 games so far in 2023 just on my PlayStation 5 (not taking into account PC games). I play a lot because I suffer from PTSD and video games help a lot with my mental health.
It’s a fact that the quality of video games has declined over the years. Gone are the days when a game was released without bugs, and with all the features that were promised. Unfortunately, this is something that many gamers have come to accept, even though they shouldn’t have to.
When it comes to game releases, only a small handful of developers have earned my trust to get things right and listen to the community. Some of these developers include Insomniac, Sony Studios games, Bethesda, Quantic Dream, and a few others. I am often worried about what huge developers like Ubisoft, Activision, or EA are not going to do with their games.
I will individually discuss a few games to explain why most AAA developers don’t care about players.
Let’s talk about Call of Duty. One of the biggest complaints that players have is the skill-based matchmaking system, which is hated by the majority of the community. Despite the backlash, Activision continues to implement this feature. In addition, many players feel that their wishes and requests for Modern Warfare 3 have not been met. Some even consider it to be a glorified DLC that costs full price and will likely include a lot of microtransactions. It’s unclear whether Activision cares about addressing these concerns.
FIFA or now lesser known as EA Sports FC 24. Ultimate Team is an entirely different beast on its own but let’s take a look at career mode. The possibilities are endless with that mode but yet they seem to mess it up year on year and make it a repetitive mess. Again, if you look at the wishlist for career mode in particular, it’s crazy.
I am continuing with EA, and I am eagerly waiting for the release of UFC 5. However, I am disappointed to learn that it is only a minor upgrade on UFC 4. Despite having great gameplay, the career mode has a lot of potential for improvement. Features such as press conferences, training camps, and the ability to create rivalries could make the game even more exciting, but unfortunately, they have not been implemented.
Ubisoft just can’t catch a break at the moment either. Mirage is average. Assassin’s Creed hasn’t captured what they did with the Ezio series, almost getting close with Origins but they keep trying different things that no one asked for instead of sticking with what worked well initially.
The points I’m getting with those examples above (I could be here all day discussing individual examples), is that if they listened to the feedback of their players, they could easily create masterpieces but they don’t.
It’s disappointing to see game developers releasing half-baked games and then patching them on day one. It’s not unreasonable to expect a bit more effort from them. When popular games like Call of Duty, UFC, Assassin’s Creed, or any EA FC (FIFA) title are announced, you’d expect the community to be excited, but instead, there’s always a sense of doubt. People wonder if it’s worth spending their hard-earned money on these games. If you look back at Call of Duty around 2009, each title was fantastic and people were excited because they knew the game was going to be good.
As I scroll through Reddit, I notice that some people are unsure whether to skip purchasing MW3 or not. This was not a common dilemma in the early 2010s. During that era, there was no doubt about whether to buy the next FIFA or the next Call of Duty game. However, things have changed over time, and now people are unsure about their choices.
I understand that online gaming has become increasingly dull due to the prevalence of cheaters in the community. However, it seems that developers are not taking enough action to address this issue. Every new update in games like Warzone or Fortnite seems to bring with it thousands of new cheaters. I often come across people on TikTok live streaming their gameplay with blatant cheats like wall hacks and aim bots. Even after three weeks, the same account is back again with another live stream showcasing the same cheats. This raises the question of whether or not they even care about the impact of cheating on the gaming experience.
I understand that developers need to make money, and from a business perspective, I reluctantly agree with microtransactions. However, I do not support predatory practices. If the microtransactions are limited to cosmetic items such as skins, as in the case of Fortnite, I am fine with them. This is especially true for Fortnite, which is free to play.
Games that make billions of dollars and yet fail to improve their product are unacceptable. EA FC 24, in particular, has been labeled as the worst FIFA game ever due to its terrible gameplay that raises questions about whether scripting is involved. EA has the potential to create a FIFA experience that is eagerly anticipated each year, but for me, I have lost interest in the game entirely.
When you take the latest Spider-Man game, for example, the hype surrounding it was immense. The developers listened to the feedback from the first game and implemented it in Miles Morales and further improved it in the sequel. They added new features such as web wings, new suits, a bigger map, the ability to switch between Miles and Peter with the press of a button, new abilities, and much more. They introduced so many new mechanics for players, and the game’s reviews are glowing as a result.
EA FC currently has a user score of 2.5 and a critic score of 7.6 on Metacritic. In comparison, Spider-Man has a score of 9 on both fronts. While it’s important to note that these are two different games, the fact that EA FC has received such a low user score speaks volumes about their disregard for player satisfaction. Ultimately, the user score is the most important metric as it reflects the opinions of the actual players.
It is essential to improve the state of gaming. The big game developers must take feedback into account and implement it in their games. I understand that yearly releases limit the time for implementing new features, but honesty is crucial.
Sports Interactive Games has announced that Football Manager 2024 will not have many improvements, but the company is working on improving the game for the 2025 version. As a result, the company has reduced the price of the game, and players are satisfied with this decision. Similarly, WWE took a year off after receiving negative reviews and came back with a much better product. As players, we appreciate honesty from game developers. We understand that certain improvements may take time, but we would prefer to be informed about upcoming changes that are highly desired by players.
I still feel disappointed about UFC 4’s marketing that claimed you could create a rivalry by knocking out your sparring partner. However, I have played the game several times, but this particular feature has never happened. Thus, honesty is crucial in marketing.
This article is more of a rant than a professional piece. I’m just frustrated as a gamer. I don’t expect this almighty perfect game every time but I do expect effort and care put into the products that we pay our hard-earned money for. Why should we buy a game and it feels like a slap in the face? It needs to be said that the state of the gaming industry needs to change in a major way. Developers need to listen to the general community. I know some developers do listen to pro players but sometimes this isn’t enough for the casual gamer who works a normal full-time job and has kids or other priorities and likes to play a game to unwind.
