Is the Horror Genre Dying Out?

More and More 'horror' games are becoming more action oriented than actually scaring the daylights out of us...so one has to ask: Is the horror genre of gaming really dying out???

[Godmars290]

Given that single payer is...

Though I could see someone applying the online mechanics in Journey into a multiplayer horror title.

[Linsolv]

I wouldn't say that single player is dying out, per se. I think that the suits have noticed that you can make more money from games with multiplayer, but that doesn't seem to matter all that much to the smaller devs like Double Fine and Obsidian, never minding indie devs.

[morganfell]

I agree the SP isn't dying out. The issue lies in the fact that the tripe spewed out under names such as Resident Evil is no longer horror. Smaller indie titles such as the Slender series have taken up the calling and with them the genre is very much alive.

We can't properly gauge the fate of the genre until we stop including games that despite their roots no longer belong in the genre.

[ABizzel1]

Hugely disagree.

Single Player is here to stay, and the driving force behind many games. Multiplayer is a good addition and some games are all about the multiplayer (Specifically shooters), but the Action-Adventure and RPG genres are all about single player and they're the biggest genres in the market (well RPG has been a bit slower than normal thanks to lack of JRPG's).

As far as horror games, the problem with them is that people develop the mentality once you've played one you've played them all, which is unfair but kind of true. If you play or watch too many scary movies you know when to expect the scares, and you get that sense of somethings about to jump out at me in a minute, so developers need to be conscious of prevent gamers from getting those feelings and actually scare them. Another thing is a lot of people don't like to be scared or admit it so they don't even bother with horror games no matter how good they might be.

I don't think the Horror genre is dead, but I do think it's one of those genres that needs to see very few releases per year.

[MestreRothN4G]

The single x multi question is not related AT ALL with the horror genre issue.

Demon's Souls, Dark Souls (invasions) and Search and Destroy can provide much more tension and scares than most "horror" recent titles.

The problem is not multiplayer at all.

[MysticStrummer]

SP isn't dying.

I like the idea of a huge open world zombie game where you can run into other survivors. DayZ doesn't have nearly enough zombies to qualify. Players shouldn't be able to communicate unless they find walkie talkies or are in close proximity to each other. Maybe they could leave notes or something if they wanted to alert other survivors about a place to gather and make a stand. Or a group could see a flare go up, then decide whether or not to chance a rescue. The longer you stay in one place, the more zombies will gather, until they inevitably get in. Players should be able to get bitten, then try to hide the bite from their friends until they turn and attack. If their friends find out, they can kill the infected one right away or let them stick around to help as much as possible before ending it. We need more zombies onscreen than Dead Rising, but have a much darker look to the game. I have lots of ideas for different genres. Holla at me devs!!! :)

[Robotronfiend]

Once "Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs" releases we will have this discussion again. :-) Dead Space, Amnesia, Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth are a few great horror games.

Horror games are like horror movies. The truly great ones are rare. Even when they remake great horror movies, often something intangible is lost or a poor decision is made along the way (The Thing is a good example).

I think it is a perception issue. There are just so many more games releasing now that it feels like there isn't enough offerings from the horror genre, but that's good. Some genres are better sampled than gorged upon and horror is one.

Not all genres should be developed, handled, and marketed the same way.

[rezzah]

Well said.

[DeletedAcc]

The last of us

[TheOneEyedHound]

I am hoping this game is scary.

[Conzul]

From interviews with those who've played the demo, it seems it may be the most horrific game of this gen.

[Joe_Jack]

I'm afraid so. Dead Space is not Dead Space anymore and Resident Evil isn't Resident Evil anymore. They are now just more 3rd person shooters. The Last of Us in our last hope for a good horror game I suppose.

[FlameHawk]

Completely agree, RE is now a Action game rather than Horror.

[Linsolv]

Maybe for consoles that's the case. More and more I've been thinking that consoles being a closed market is what makes their games suffer. A lot of smaller studios making games like Scratches, Amnesia, and Slender (to name the first 3 that pop into my head) can't really afford 10,000 for a dev console when it's not going to add that much to their revenue without being able to advertise.

[IcicleTrepan]

The horror genre is not dying out. I think the action market is bigger, so it's easy to make your game less scary to make more money. To greedy companies it's a no brainer.

[FlameHawk]

I don't get how if a game is scarier, it's more expensive to make?

[IcicleTrepan]

probably because you didn't read my comment fully as then you'd see I never said that at all.

[Megaton]

Been dying out for years. The only freshness the genre sees currently is through the indie scene on PC. All of the old AAA staples have gone full-Gears.

[TheOneEyedHound]

Ask pachter he knows everything! Don't ask people on N4G.

[Mr-SellJack]

Shinji Mikami
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...
(....it must be heartbreaking to see his creations ruined
especially resident evil and devil may cry)
will roll the table once he announces project zwei which will be the last game he directs and it is a "true horror" game
Big respect to that dude
btw this game is effin scary!
u can tell by these pics:

http://www.google.com/imgre...

http://ps3.mediagen.fr/proj...

http://media.officialplayst...

[rezzah]

Thanks for sharing that information, loved his games.

I hope he doesn't leave the industry since he will stop directing. His ideas can aid in creating new great games.

[Eldyraen]

Its not dying out so much as changing. Its like how horror films have changed so much over the years where half of them now think a ton of gore and brutality is all they need. Dead Space is almost a perfect example as its not nearly as scary as they reduced suspense in exchange for more action.

To me one of the scariest games this gen has to be Condemned as it had plenty of in your face action but it was the suspense that kept everything flowing perfectly. First time playing it was a huge treat especially as a launch title. It had just about everything you want in a horror, thriller, etc which hasn't really been duplicated yet this gen for me. Dead Space started off great and was horror more in vein of RE... something fundamentally different from shooting grotesque mutants than going toe to toe with more realistic psychopaths in contemporary settings.

[xBigxBossx]

I think the main issue is the lack of new horror IPs. A big part of horror is the mystery and unknown. With annualized releases of "horror" games, it destroys the exploration and fear because I know what's coming and what the games all about.

[Max-Zorin]

Looks like it. Whether it's a horror game or movie, nothing is scary anymore. The trailer might look good, but nowadays it just cover up the fact it'll be trash most of the time.

[BitbyDeath]

Just wait til 'Until Dawn' releases.

[BuLLDoG909]

I disagree.
Survival horror games in the making.

"Outlast"
"Shadow of a Soul"
"Among the Sleep"
"Slender: The Arrival"
"Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs"
"Doorways"
"Project Zwei"

to name afew

[Robotronfiend]

I am unable to read that as anything other than "Herzog Zwei". I played too much Sega Genesis.

[Roper316]

only on consoles, there are a few coming out on PC which is why I picked up a PC to game on over X-mas.