How many video games do you have right now? In fact, I rethink and clarify that same question just a little more: how many games do you think you will own at the end of this month? To that figure add those included in subscriptions such as Amazon, Netflix, Game Pass, PS Plus, Nintendo Switch Online…
Having control of the games we have access to is almost impossible. Therefore, the new obsession of the developers is not that you have access to their game, but that you return to them for months, or years. Xbox through Game Pass or Epic Games through Fortnite understood it quickly. Nintendo’s hits ask to be replayed ad infinitum.
The key to this phenomenon is given Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Super Smash Bros. with Satoru Iwata: the competition is no longer in reaching the player, but in getting the players’ time. Which has made the video game industry evolve in a very different way from past decades and explains why some projects succeed and others fall by the wayside.
In a new entry of your YouTube channelwhich we never tire of recommending at iGamesNews, Sakurai explains the very competitive moment that the video game industry is going through to the general public and, more specifically, to those who aspire to make games or are embarked on the development of one.
Are there too many games in development? The reality is that never before in history have so many been produced at the same time and all over the world. And that is a fact that has collateral effects in many aspects. Something that is perfectly explained in Sakurai’s new video and that we transcribed for you right after.
Sakurai’s video is based on a clear premise: there have never been so many people making new video games simultaneously, but that does not mean that all ongoing projects will end up working. Among other reasons, because Nobody has that much time to play. Even a small part of them. It is something absolutely impossible. So, directly, enormous competition is encouraged between projects. But that should not demotivate the developer.
I don’t know if you, as a viewer, are someone interested in making video games or are already making them. But there is one thing I can take for sure: there are a ton of people who want to make games! The number of video games already being made around the world is impossibly huge. Which means that the number of developers and other people involved in making them is even greater.
Whether for work or as a hobby, there are more people than ever making video games. And if you are a developer and this makes you consider throwing in the towel, I would say not to worry. Even if just one person quits, there will be many more wanting to create. I am one of the latter. Whether we like it or not, there is fierce competition between people and teams in the industry.
Video games, in particular, tend to consume an enormous number of hours of play, which means that we are all ultimately competing for the time that players usually dedicate to them.
Of course, experience is a degree and Sakurai has a long history. Enough to give advice to anyone considering a commercial launch. And, we are not going to deny it, when it comes to coloring our calendar, this greatly justifies the jumps and date adjustments at the last minute… When it is not about polishing problems. Which also usually happens.
“You may be creating a video game that you yourself think is fun. And that’s fine, and that’s good. But if your intention is to really release it commercially, you need to take this kind of competition into account.” [entre desarrolladores].
Remember that you are no longer just competing against the latest releases, but also those that have been created in the past as well: subscription services in particular create inevitable competition with the past. To turn the conversation on its head here, think from the point of view of a gamer or gamer. “
For some time now we have experienced very intense months when it comes to launches. In fact, we are not even three full months into 2024 and we have come across several gems for all systems, absolute essentials like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and surprise hits like Palworld, Helldivers II or Enshrouded. And things don’t look better between now and December. And if we also have a video game subscription, things get complicated. For the better, of course.
What does Sakurai think about Subscription services?
Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online, Amazon Luna… Even Netflix wants to be the Netflix of video games. The problem is that we only have two hands and one head to try to cover it all. And you can’t.
Is that a bad thing? According to Sakurai, quite the opposite: it’s a privilege that we have so many games at our disposal and that, in addition, we can choose to play the best of the best. What’s more, it is something that is not valued enough.
“It’s truly incredible how many people are making video games right now, isn’t it? How wonderful to live in these times! We can choose what we want to play among an overwhelming number of games, and play only what we want. We have the freedom to choose. And If we like a specific genre, we can choose from the best games among them. And the reason why these games exist to be played is because someone made them.
If you allow me to weigh in, I know how truly tough a game developer can be. So I am deeply grateful for all the games that are available right now. These works and services that we sometimes do not value enough require much more work than people usually think. And the relatively low price we pay to enjoy them has never ceased to fascinate me.”
So, is it worth competing in this complicated landscape? Definitely yes. Sakurai comes to a clear conclusion: generally, those who make games today are inspired by their own experiences as players and those works that fascinated them. So he invites everyone to be the inspiration for future generations of developers.
“I want to think that many video game creators have played, enjoyed, and been moved by other games that have led them to make their own games. Something that may have taken a lot of effort for one person to create can bring joy to another. I think it deserves recognition. It’s worth remembering that the reason we have these incredible worlds is because people valued this competition and supported each other.
When I myself made the leap into creating video games I gained a much deeper understanding and awareness of why games are fun. And I hope, in some way, I can help you have them too through my YouTube channel.”
The last few years have been generous in games and the bar has been raised within the industry, but – parallel to this – we have seen titans fall, projects that have gone to waste, harsh cancellations and studio closures that we thought were unthinkable. Sakurai’s words reflect the best and worst of these times for a passion that for many is also a vocation. And she reaches two clear conclusions:
- The new yardstick for measuring the success of a game is his ability to capture the playernot to reach it through, for example, the number of copies sold.
- Video game services give a new perspective to the consumer that should not be underestimated: since the best ever titles compete with new releases.
Maybe things will change in ten years. Or not. But one thing is clear. It’s impossible to get bored if you are passionate about video games.
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