A reader questions why there are so many remakes and sequels during Summer Game Fest and other June showcases, concluding that gamers themselves are to blame.
The Disappointment with Recent Showcases
I, like many others, have been disappointed by the recent showcases from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Summer Games Fest. But I think we have to ask ourselves and the industry: what do we actually want? I'm a PlayStation guy with a sprinkling of Nintendo. I love the PlayStation Studio third-person formula games, Resident Evil, Housemarque, and own a Switch 2 only for Mario and Zelda games (not going well there so far!). So I feel I have a decent breadth of gaming knowledge to give a credible opinion.
The Problem with Sequels and Reskins
It struck me from these showcases that the new God of War and Wolverine are games I know I'll buy, but like GC and others have said, they're effectively just reskins of other games. Where's the innovation? They've both been broadly well received, and GTA 6 is the most anticipated entertainment product ever. Yet we all know how it's sort of going to play. Another sequel. But what can developers do that is vastly different and innovative, that will appease everyone? To give two clear examples of something different, VR bombed, and most people are unwilling to play a home run like Saros? The three upcoming games I've just mentioned will likely be in the top five biggest games in the next 12 months.
Nostalgia as a Driving Force
It's also telling that the biggest winners from the showcases look to be a Zelda remake from 28 years ago and a Resident Evil from 26 years ago. The same can be said of Hollywood a lot nowadays. Recently I've watched the new The Running Man, Scream 7, Scrubs reboot, Malcolm in the Middle reboot, and the latest Avatar. All sequels, reboots, or remakes. They're selling, and we're all buying.
A Call for Innovative Ideas
GC recently ran an article where the Bloober Team CEO was asking on LinkedIn for ideas and feedback from gamers about something a horror game could do only on the Switch and not other formats. I read every single one, and it was great to actually see some innovative creativity. Using the microphone, the game environment changing in docked mode compared to handheld, and the game being aware of your own surroundings and mimicking voices back to you were some of the highlights. Off the back of Piotr Babieno's LinkedIn post and this article, I'd like readers of this and the Inbox to write in with their own suggestions of new or innovative games or ideas.
Stagnation in the Industry
I still believe Returnal is the best game of this generation. Astro Bot and Astro's Playroom are the best ways the DualSense has been used. But the dial hasn't moved enough in the past six years, and it can't all be blamed on Covid, console availability, or chip shortages. Nostalgia is clearly a hell of a drug. I actually started playing the original Code: Veronica this week, as it's the only mainline Resident Evil I've never finished. I'll get the new (old) Zelda too. I owned both originals also! I'm part of the problem; we all are. But is there anything we can do to change it?
