February 25, 2022 will be a day that will go down in the history of the video game industry. On this day, a year ago, FromSoftware launched Elden Ring, the successor to the Souls saga that reinvented itself and gave way to open worlds as a concept to explore and discover a gigantic map.
Over the past year, we’ve realized that you don’t have to invent mega-innovative mechanics, reinvent the wheel, or change the essence of your game to create an iconic product that’s on the verge of perfection. as is Elden Ring. And it’s not like we can expand on the raves this game already has, but it’s always good to remember and keep in mind why this will go down as one of the most memorable games of all time. .
Elden Ring, the validity of a game in present times
Currently, and with the inhuman number of video games released every week, it is very difficult for a development studio to keep its video game updated and supported by a large number of players for a long period of time. This type of behavior in the market is easily given for multiplayer games or with particular styles such as roguelike or farm. Now, Elden Ring has stayed in the top positions for a full year regardless of rival and without being directly multiplayer.
Its competitors have passed fleetingly through the minds of players, being only passing experiences to rest in Middle-earth, but sooner or later, Elden Ring remains in everyone’s imagination, surpassing any other metric presented over the years. time. This undoubtedly reflects the quality of the game’s design and its importance as a product for the industry, as it does not represent any negative value as a business model.
How to be profitable and relevant without advertising and bad practices
The question of industry sales is sometimes not very telling, as the separation between physical and digital copies in some regions is not recorded as rigorously and accurately as we would like. And it is not necessary to be the first place to show that we are facing a great video game, since there are sagas and regions with important numbers that always follow a trend; this with the case of FIFA and Call of Duty as flagship sagas and Japan with strong tastes among players.
Now, being a niche game, Elden Ring has managed to surpass 20 million copies sold in just one year. If this trend continues, it can be expected to become one of the best-selling games in history, reaching marks like Red Dead Redemption 2 with nearly 50 million. But what has been said is not a question of numbers, but of what is behind it, since the sales strategy is the game itself, the popularity of FromSoftware and the good comments from the community .
I say it’s healthy for the industry because most “hits” these days are games with harsh advertisements or practices unfavorable to workers or players. Games with overwhelming micro-transactions that inflate game revenue and send people into a wave of addiction; but there is also excessive advertising, which, without being a negative practice, shows us that it is a deceptive model for attracting attention. And there are many examples, from FIFA or Diablo Immortal with their business models; to Cyberpunk 2077 or Stray with its intrusive and misleading advertising.
Elden Ring lacks all of the above, which is why it succeeded with the purest of the hobby, gameplay.
Set the trend and all that comes
Dark Souls marked an important trend during the development of video games, they created a “genre” and managed to imbue its essence in many games today. It’s positive, for those who want to live experiences like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro or Elden Ring, they can do it because they are a source of playable inspiration for the developers.
With Elden Ring, it’s different, since nothing new has been created. So, what will come out of this game? There’s nothing we can take from this title to suggest that a game was based on it, but it is based on Souls. In this way we have a unique and unrepeatable game with the possibility of continuing to grow and become infinite.
Considering the possibility, we know that this 2023 we will have a new DLC to expand the playable area and continue several side missions that apparently have been left halfway in this whole world. If so, players who haven’t tried the game will be able to play a huge world with over 100 hours of content. But it will also be good for the old ones, because we want to have new areas and things to do, with powerful bosses and without the need to resort to mods.
Play it, it’s worth it
There is a rejection by many players of this genre of games, since the difficulty does not seem friendly and the mechanics seem difficult to understand for newcomers to the saga. Now that’s completely understandable, but I consider this game to be a good entry into FromSoftware games where you won’t really suffer your entry.
I’ve played it several times already and I still find ways to play it and enjoy it without suffering the “injustices” of a development that seeks to demand its players. In my case, I realized that the accessibility for this type of games has been implemented through many mechanics for new players, who will not suffer from the experience.
For all of the above, and if you haven’t tried this wonder, I hope you give it a chance in the future to be able to experience hours and hours in Middle-earth, traveling from place to place. another in search of treasures and challenges. which still remain in effect today for Elden Ring.
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