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[CoconutKid]

I posted this on the Kalypso forum. Maybe you will find it interesting.

Lots of sales for too long ----> Company grows to be complacent ----> Company releases trash games/underdeveloped stand alone expansions for a cash grab ----> Hit titles become garbage ---->Company loses gamer respect (sooner or later) ----> Reduced sales

It used to be EA, and now it's Activision. If EA didn't publish Mass Effect I'd still hate them.

You didn't include the pernicious effect of the conglomeration which occurs when small studios do one or two brilliant games and then their crew stalls -- and grabs the cash from selling out to a bigger holder of venture cash. Just look at what "Kalypso" is doing.

Now can you tell me when in this cycle which is killing computer gaming by folding it into the Borg of the constant connection of tweet, twitter, faceboob, and electronic suppositories - the venture capitalists are reclaiming their money?

One thing is clearly evident - the risk capital interested in popular computer games has transferred their interest to Europe. The North American market for games is now a slave to the hand-held devices connected to wall-sized TV screens. All of the highly touted American innovation is being sucked into the development of "apts" (applications) for hand-held devices.

I opine that this is the latest bubble which will grow really big before it bursts in competition with the hard drug market - the real money maker in the U.S. Why buy gold when you can stock up on morphine or herion?

Of course I recognize that my entire thought process can't be captured in a short discussion board post. However, I hope you will grasp a part of it.

[crowebird]

In some part I agree, but I am inclined to say selling out for smaller studios is the wrong word.  If they have a few hit titles, but still don't have the capital to create their next big game (maybe they want to expand their horizons), getting venture help or going to a company like EA is the solution.  It is not necessarily the fault of these smaller companies going to a big name publisher, it is that companies like EA only care about the profit margin and not about the quality of the product.  The developers may believe hey to make this great we need 2 years, EA says ok well do the best you can you got 1 and a half.

Now comes the bullshit of Nickel-and-dime, where it seems companies are creating content for a game that is already in and then removing it from the game so they can sell it as DLC. (i.e. [although broad]: I will sell you this brand new car, but you have to buy the radio and speakers separate [which should be part of the full experience as a default] to get the full experience).
This is evident in day one DLC, or premium versions of the same game.

(I could take this onto day one patches, but again the fault of the publishers for pushing a product that is not complete, but with the "everyone is connected" mentality, it seems most companies know people will still buy the game.  They can do one or two patches that help but don't fix some issues that people have been complaining about and assume that is good enough and then they ignore the game [while the gamers continue to complain, but the company no longer cares].  Problem is it seems there is nothing we can do about it - well there is but people continue to buy games that EA makes, which the only way things will change is if you affect their pocket book).

-- Not sure if I hit on what you were going for exactly (or if I even made sense), but felt like venting a little.