Players aren’t happy with today’sPlayStationShowcase, and while some degree of bitching is always to be expected, I am astounded at what gamers have to say. There are some valid criticisms of the stream – there weren’t enough first-party games, barely any PlayStation exclusives, and too few gameplay trailers. There were some noted absences too, like Factions 2. But many comments have said that this year’s showcase was particularly bad because there were too many games that nobody cared about, like indies and new IPs. Complaining about the games not being established or big enough is mind-boggling to me.
Lead Features Editor Jade King has written about how PlayStation’s pursuit of big prestige gameshas caused it to leave behind true creativityin the form of smaller games and indies. That’s never been more apparent, but what’s scariest is that fans are the ones egging them on to do so. I love indies, and I put many more hours into indies than I do triple-A games. I’m interested in the experimental, unique games that we get when indie studios are able to take big creative swings. Triple-As, while incredible in their own right, are less likely to take those big swings because of the sheer cost of them, the risk it involves which rises exponentially as triple-A budgets soar, and possible objections from higher-ups. Having indie games on the roster increases PlayStation’s reach to different demographics.
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I gasped when I saw Revenant Hill’s trailer. Sword of the Sea looked cool too, as did The Talos Principle 2. The combat in Phantom Blade Zero looked excellent, so intricate and dynamic that they needed hand animations, and I was impressed to see a Chinese game on the lineup. Fairgame$ looked like it might have potential, though it’s too early to say, and Helldivers 2 piqued my interest despite me never having heard of the first game. But these are not huge IPs like Spider-Man, The Last of Us, or Horizon, so too many people just don’t care.
Gamers want bigger, better games. As a direct result,prices are ballooning for both developers and players. Developing a game can cost up to a billion dollars now, it takes longer to finish a game, and games are having to pay $70 for a single game. It’s unsustainable for everyone, but indies help to flesh out lineups and add important diversity. I would rather play as a cartoon cat than yet another random white dude with a gun, and I’d rather get a smaller game that I know I can finish with my busy schedule than a triple-A that’s padded to hell, has a 60-hour campaign, and costs five times as much.
More than that, some of the comments are truly IP-crazed. Spider-Man is a great game, with great stories and great combat, and I’m excited to play its sequel. I’m looking forward to the remastered Metal Gear Solid games, too, but I’m not exactly thrilled every time a new addition to an already huge franchise comes out. It’s just a reminder that PlayStation, and its studios, are trying their best to milk a formula that works, instead of trying to create something new, because that’s a more reliable way to make money. Assassin’s Creed is the clearest example of this, releasing games that only get worse and less consumer-friendly with each iteration. New IPs are good, and so are indies, because creativity is necessary to keep the industry alive.
Am I thrilled with the PlayStation Showcase? No, but I wasn’t expecting to be. It’s a free stream marketing new titles. It was fine, but what’s not fine is the closed-mindedness from gamers who are inexplicably afraid to try something new, something that hasn’t been mass-marketed and force-fed to them. It’s okay to open yourself up to new experiences once in a while instead of kneeling at the feet of triple-As, saying ‘another, please sir’. They’re right there in front of you, just give them a chance.
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