How much is too much?

[Sstavix]

I read an interesting little article right here on Joystiq about the number of new games to appear on Steam this year. According to the article, if things keep going the way they are, there will be more than 2,000 new games on Steam by the end of 2014.

I do like the indie game movement and the fact that the Internet makes it easier than ever to get games published and distributed. But I'm fearing that we may be reaching a saturation point. Just because a game is available to purchase - even if cheap or free - does not necessarily mean that the game is good. Even most game review Web sites struggle to look at, play and review all the games they receive (there just isn't enough time in the day - I'm sure it's why this site has a constant call-out to anyone who wants to write reviews). So there may be some games that are true gems that most people simply overlook amidst all the rubbish out there. Sturgeon's law comes to mind, but even 10% of the games out there being truly worthwhile to play might be generous.

Or am I being too pessimistic? What do you think?

[JOJ650s]

I see what you mean as I recently got an android device,
and it's rather hard to findout what is a good game for it.

Though when it comes to Steam I find things a bit different.
Mainly because I don't try to find new games,
I already own a fair number of games to finish or master,
why search for more games to add to the list?
(Not to mention non mobile games tend to cost quite a lot more money.)
So instead I have the games find me, like through deals like Steam sales,
humble bundles, and/or hearing about it from friends.
Then if I find the game to be really interesting, I'll put it on the wishlist and wait for a sale.

[ccgr]

I think Steam's Greenlight program is a good and charitable way to doing "flood control"

[TDog9631]

Steam Greenlight "works." The issue is it doesn't do the job well enough. What it really is in some ways is Valve just being too lazy to curate the content on their Steam service. It's also way too easy to rig it and get your required votes via bribery and deception.

[FamilyFriendlyGaming]

I am noticing a trend with many indie games now-a-days. They are one trick ponies. They have an idea to do something interesting and cool in a game. They do that one things really well. Outside of that one thing - the game is lacking, or feels unfinished. Few are doing what Mojang did - constantly upgrading and improving.

Then there is the problem of holding our interest. With the: "next please," mentality in video game reviews it starts to feel like a fast food establishment. Quantity over quality. There is never any time or interest to go back and play anything. Starts to feel like an assembly line. The games all start to feel the same. It kills loyalty to any company, brand, or franchise.

The funny thing (to me at least) is it is making the PR persons job harder. They have been using the piece meal strategy for years to get even more free press for their clients. Their clients pay them to convince us to promote their products. We may get a reviewable copy for all our hard work. We may get stiffed, even though our work makes their client money. As more games come out, the competition for our time increases. This is killing really small indie developers who do not have the money to hire a PR firm. They waste their time trying to get attention. There is not time or money left for them.

[Sstavix]

Then there is the problem of holding our interest. With the: "next please," mentality in video game reviews it starts to feel like a fast food establishment. Quantity over quality. There is never any time or interest to go back and play anything. Starts to feel like an assembly line. The games all start to feel the same. It kills loyalty to any company, brand, or franchise.

Or even genres. This is the main reason why I've never been too fond of the First Person Shooter. Run around, shoot things, get a bigger gun, hit the exit, repeat. It was always the same thing, whether it was Marathon, Doom, Duke Nukem or any of the other dozen demos that I had tried in the past and quickly grew bored with. The few FPS games that I've played and really, really liked are ones that have another gimmick to them, and are almost universally lauded for their innovative approaches (Metroid Prime and Portal are the main ones).

The funny thing (to me at least) is it is making the PR persons job harder. They have been using the piece meal strategy for years to get even more free press for their clients. Their clients pay them to convince us to promote their products. We may get a reviewable copy for all our hard work. We may get stiffed, even though our work makes their client money. As more games come out, the competition for our time increases. This is killing really small indie developers who do not have the money to hire a PR firm. They waste their time trying to get attention. There is not time or money left for them.

That's kind of what I was thinking, and it's interesting to note from JOJ650's comments that it is the same way from the player/consumer's perspective, too. There are getting to be too many games that really good ones can get lost in the shuffle.

Thing is, what can be done about it? I don't think anything can be done - with programs that help people make games (from Unity to GameSalad) to Internet-based distribution services (Steam, Apple Store, Google Play) people will be prompted to make games and offer them, whether their motivation is to make a quick buck, or because they like to play games, or even just because they want to troll another developer.

But with more people on the Internet as well, it means that the player base is broader than it ever has been too. It's possible that, just like with YouTube videos that end up going viral, the same might happen to games. So it might be all right, with a good game receiving an accelerated rise to the top thanks to hundreds or thousands of people clicking "Like." And the bad games might receive fleeting recognition - if any - before crawling into a corner and dying of obsolescence.

Addition: Interestingly enough, Jeff Vogel (of Spiderweb Software) posted a message to his blog about this very topic today. I wonder if he's stalking me....

[FamilyFriendlyGaming]

Sstavix,

Your right about the genres. I know people who won't even try a puzzle game because "it will get too hard." If a game is too hard and ends up stressing them instead of relaxing them, then they will drop it.

The industry goes in trends. I remember the mascot trend in the 16-bit era. Every company had to have their own gaming mascot character and build games around them. There was the fighting game trend. There was the FPS trend. The MMORPG trend, etc. Currently we are in the indie trend. Like every other trend, it is everyone jumping on the bandwagon. Oh this works? Oh this sells? Clones come out. All these different people try to do the same thing with a twist, or do it better, etc.

Trends ending are predictable. What becomes the next trend is not so predictable. We all carry some of the blame. Companies are to blame for trying to have 300 games fit into an elevator that holds 15. Gamers are to blame for losing interest and moving on. Media is to blame for obsessively reporting on trends, and getting gamers excited.

The PR Piecemeal is something I wish would change. I remember Warner Bros sending out an email that for Lego Batman (the first one) they were going to send out an email once a week for ten weeks straight. They would announce two characters for the game a week. They had the pictures and info at the start, but held out and stretched it out. EA, Nintendo, Square Enix are all horrible abusers of this. How many videos do we need of the same game before it is launched? It gets to the point where you see almost the entire game before it comes out. Why play it? I have lost more enthusiasm for some games because the companies want to send out one little tidbit of information.

Another problem is there are press releases that are actually advertisements. I know its a blurred line at times. Ultimately these companies should pay for advertisements. That would help with the piecemeal. Right now they pay nothing for the coverage. So there is no penalty. Does Steam charge these companies to enter? If not Steam should have some kind of entry fee. Or game submission fee. If you are convinced your game will make money, then invest in it.

I would love to see free to download banned. These repeat pay to play apps are deceptive. I get multiple complaints every week from readers about them. They have damaged the industry and its image.

I think we are seeing the same things from different perspectives.

I don't know if Jeff Vogel is stalking you. Might be great minds think alike. I can tell you I have gotten ideas for articles from a variety of sources and places. Some I hold onto for months or weeks before fleshing out. Others its immediate. Maybe he had the idea, saw something of yours and decided to jump on it before anyone else made the prediction. It does come down to math and the numbers. Supply and demand. Get too much of a supply and prices will plummet.

EDIT:
Had a thought. Say Steam charges for every game posted on the site. They take that money and put it into a pool for scholarships for indie game developers. Let the community vote on what gets a scholarship. When the money runs out, no scholarship applications are allowed. It could be like a valve that lets games in, and when it locks down they have to wait.

[ccgr]

Steam Charges $100 and donates it to Child's Play

http://store.steampowered.com/app/219820/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;