By Robbie Butler
Those readers that are interested in video games may know that the industry is somewhat under pressure. Much is now written about a so-called “crisis” in the sector with little innovation and very few new titles.
The industry is not immune to crisis. In 1983 the industry faced a crisis leading to the bankruptcy of some important players.
The current problems are not dissimilar. In 2023, the industry experienced large scale layoffs, which affected both established and emerging game development studios, impacting employees, projects, and the overall landscape of the gaming industry.
Today it was announced that Football Manager 25 – a mainstay in the annual gaming release schedule – has been cancelled. Those behind the game said, “Due to a variety of challenges that we’ve been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently haven’t achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team”.
The statement continued “Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline. Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close – however, we’re too far away from the standards you deserve.”
I have no idea if the current versions of these games are good. Due to a combination of reasons, I stopped playing – what was then Championship Manager – many years ago.
One of the reasons for stopping was due to the sheer complication of the newer titles. As technology improved, the games became a closer representation of reality. I came to the point where the game was so realistic, it was hardly a game at all, and my enjoyment ceased.
In my mind at least, these games are about escapism. They are not supposed to be realistic.
In my introductory economics lectures I introduce students to economic models. I make it clear that he use of models is widespread in economics. Models have assumptions and, these influence how models operate. They are a representation of reality, not reality itself. We don’t need to model reality. We already have it.
If one arrived in a foreign city and needed to get from A to B, they often use a map. A map is nothing like the reality. It is rather a series of lines drawn on paper. Yet it works. If you offer someone a perfect representation of getting from A to B (via a simulator) the problem they have remains.
Maybe it is time to make these game simple again. They don’t need to be close to reality in my view. That’s what they are games.
Those readers that are interested in video games may know that the industry is somewhat under pressure. Much is now written about a so-called “crisis” in the sector with little innovation and very few new titles.
The industry is not immune to crisis. In 1983 the industry faced a crisis leading to the bankruptcy of some important players.
The current problems are not dissimilar. In 2023, the industry experienced large scale layoffs, which affected both established and emerging game development studios, impacting employees, projects, and the overall landscape of the gaming industry.
Today it was announced that Football Manager 25 – a mainstay in the annual gaming release schedule – has been cancelled. Those behind the game said, “Due to a variety of challenges that we’ve been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently haven’t achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team”.
The statement continued “Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline. Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close – however, we’re too far away from the standards you deserve.”
I have no idea if the current versions of these games are good. Due to a combination of reasons, I stopped playing – what was then Championship Manager – many years ago.
One of the reasons for stopping was due to the sheer complication of the newer titles. As technology improved, the games became a closer representation of reality. I came to the point where the game was so realistic, it was hardly a game at all, and my enjoyment ceased.
In my mind at least, these games are about escapism. They are not supposed to be realistic.
In my introductory economics lectures I introduce students to economic models. I make it clear that he use of models is widespread in economics. Models have assumptions and, these influence how models operate. They are a representation of reality, not reality itself. We don’t need to model reality. We already have it.
If one arrived in a foreign city and needed to get from A to B, they often use a map. A map is nothing like the reality. It is rather a series of lines drawn on paper. Yet it works. If you offer someone a perfect representation of getting from A to B (via a simulator) the problem they have remains.
Maybe it is time to make these game simple again. They don’t need to be close to reality in my view. That’s what they are games.
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