We like new IP. We just don't want trash at launch.

Never even heard of them. For a start we want no always online bullshit, no battle passes or micro transactions. No stupid launchers either.

The future of entertainment is bleak as fuck.

So for the next 20 years all AAA game publishers will do the game equivalent of only releasing MCU/DC reboots, sequels and prequels?

Everyone should start prepping for cheaper and crappier "AAA" titles moving forward.

Game devs should unionize

What gamers want is innovation and overall fun gameplay, sequel or not. I've heard rather little coming from AAA studios of interest to me as of late 'cause they've all gone to creating endless battle royales, action RPGs or looter-shooters that all play near identically, all with the same military or techno jungle aesthetic that just doesn't appeal to me. It's all gunning for their game to get big on that e-sport sponsorship money or find some way to load their games with micro transaction pay to win gambling BS. For the most part, small and indie studios are doing as well as the AAA big boys because they are able to put more creativity into their games on smaller budgets. When a big AAA game such as BG3 does succeed, it's because they put as much or more effort and care into innovative and entertaining gameplay as they do into fancy ray tracing graphics and cash grab mechanics. Games like BG3 are as praised as they are because they are complete games that work like they should out of the box, no day 1 patch/DLC or extra money required for the full intended experience. We get the quality we expect for our $60-$70. Whether that's a brand new IP or a sequel doesn't matter much.

Execs see baldurs gate 3 doing great and they don't get further than the title lol

I bet it's a PR stunt to cover the fact they are just downsizing their mismanaged business.

You may not agree, but they are right. We are not most people. They want, and they have, that sweet “lowest common denominator” market, and they will take advantage of that until something else generates more cash. The “lowest common denominator” demand more CoD and whatnot. They don’t care if it’s bad, because them and all their friends will buy it and perhaps even have some fun. The big studios converging on vapid cash grabs instead of creating interesting content is depressing, sure, but hardly surprising in a world where morals and ethics don’t matter, where you can get away with the absolute most heinous, reprehensible acts, and suffer zero consequences.

I don’t really care though. The indie scene is unaffected by this, and has only gotten better every year for as long as it has been around. It’s fucking GLORIOUS already, and it’s not going anywhere because it’s not run by an oligarchy of publicly traded shitfactories.

Yeah if the sequels are good and not like Payday 3...

Sounds like parent company is Disney

Ironic for a company that published indie hits like Terraria and fresh mainstream games like A Tale of 2 Sons.

This does not reflect the whole gaming market but rather the failure of publishers to innovate well and make new things people like. Big publishers are risk averse and it's a common path them as they get bigger, and care more about shareholder value or venture capital. They won't take risks, and can't accept failures so they retrench. It's not a recipe for success as that end of the games market is already dominated by big publishers churning out annual versions of their mass market games.

A publisher like 505 r ally only has two possible futures on this road - go bankrupt as they can't compete or get bought out by a big fish who want their IP.

It doesn't say much abou the games market as it's actually very large, vibrant and varied. A publisher like 505 is not on the vanguard of the games market and like most people I had to look them up to even see which games they had published. This is just yet another company being mismanaged into oblivion and well beyond its hey day.

Why do these ghouls run businesses in an industry they clearly don't have any faith in or understanding of,

sequels of what?

My highest play time game is probably minecraft, and my recent go-to is slay the spire.

Sequels are seen as safer profits (there is an existing market) so they get more investment and more investment tends to make better games.

This doesn't mean its what people want, it just means that name recognition means its cheaper to market a hit game with previous versions acting as a marketing boost. Its a feedback loop.

All you See Sweets can keep trying to quantify what it is gamers like. The truth is its ephemeral until it is materialized and on our screens. You never know how fun your thing is until milliona of people can access it. So stop trying to codify it, or find a formula. There is none. Make fun shit, take all the risk. Make new shit that no one has ever made before. But for the love of fps fucking please don't pretend you've drilled down on what gamers like. Thats a promise to fail.