The Great Video Game Crash of 2015?

Last week, Activision Blizzard Inc. announced that Bungie’s upcoming game, Destiny, was going to cost them $500-million to develop and promote. When I first read this news I was taken aback. Isn’t this the same industry that is in the middle of massive layoffs and, despite the shocking commercial success of the Playstation 4, isn’t Sony in the middle of its own unique financial crisis? In the Globe and Mail report on the Destiny’s mammoth budget, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is reported to have stated that the budget of Destiny “dwarfs Hollywood spending on some if its biggest films.”

[Master-Chief]

Didn't people predict a crash last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that....

[Godmars290]

Considering creative terms - how just about every AAA production is a FPS, how publishers are over hyping while devs under-deliver - its already happened.

[URNightmare]

Sounds like you've been gaming on Xbox :(

[Prime157]

The question is: as more people predict the crash, especially people in the right place, why do you ignore it?

Anyone involved in economics gets it... booms and busts, bull market vs bear market, growth and recession...

A crash is only a reset, usually, and quite frankly isn't a bad thing...

Will gaming crash? I don't know, I love it but I do recognize that things like DLC and map packs are WAY OUT HAND... but commercialism is still there...

It will pop, but when? These people like to predict when, but that's usually because they START to recognize the problem and think they are geniuses for the "epiphany" they had. Some one will get lucky.

[MasterCornholio]

I believe that the COD FPS market will crash due to stagnation of those types of shooters. The ones that will survive will be the FPSs that try and do something different like Destiny for example. I honestly dont see gaming as a whole crashing because we are in a renaissance of indie games that are bringing a wave of fresh ideas into the industry. Something that AAA companies can adopt once they see it as being sucessful. Like you said gaming is like the stock market it has its ups and downs and when one part crashes doesn't mean the whole industry will crash. Thats the way things are.

:)

[avengers1978]

With games like Witcher 3, the division, the order,uncharted 4,halo 5, quantum break and Zelda U coming out next year I expect more people to be buying PS4, Wii U, and XB1s, I don't think there will be a crash.

[3-4-5]

Crash? lol

There are so many potentially GREAT games being released in 2015.

It's going to be the complete opposite of a crash, it's going to be a huge boom, and a lot of new IP's will be announced.

[kechledon]

I am not talking about an "economic" crash only. Maybe a crash of "identity." I think the industry is just fine, but I do think that there are a few things that need to be worked out here and there. The title of the piece is a bit hyperbolic. :S

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

If its supposedly about an identity crash, then what exactly is the point of the downward sloping graph you put as your thumbnail?

Flame bate title with a thumbnail to match.

[kechledon]

I said I wasn't "only" talking about an economic crash. What I am trying to say in the opinion piece is that the video game industry doesn't really know what do next and I go in to detail about how and why that could have many effects on the industry at large. The thumbnail captures the sense of diminishing returns-- it's meant to invoke an industry that can't keep doing what it is doing and expect the same results. I don't know what flame "bate" is-- are you talking about flame "bait?" Was I trying to piss people off? No, I was sharing my opinion. I am trying to evoke some sort of conversation, though.

[Spotie]

For clarification, that number for Destiny was over the life of the game, including dlc and possible sequels, over ten years.

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

Man just stop. Trying to find some sort of backward logic to justify your obviously flame bait article is pure comedy.
as if you seriously picked out that title AND that thumbnail in the mindset that "people will see this and it will illustrate to them a sense of diminishing returns".

i dont even really want to argue. you know someone really has no defense when they take time to point out a minor spelling error.

[ArtificiallyYours]

Too many people misunderstand what the VideoGame crash of the 80's had been all about.

[porkChop]

So what do you think it was about?

[kechledon]

Go on...

[Necro_559]

Oh god, shut up. The gaming industry is actually bigger then it ever was. Quality control is way higher. And you just wont see crashed like that anyone anyways. And really, it wasnt really a crash in the 80's either. You mention the PS4 success but the X1 is doing just as well. Outselling the X360 and every previous generation before it in the same time. Both consoles are doing massively well. Let the bandwagon hate and make up drama but the X1 is doing extremely well. And its doing that well even after what MS went through with the X1 reveal, $100 more and in half of the territories of the PS4. Its doing good. But its the same price as PS4, selling out in Japan and has the superior line up of game in 2014. Its going to catch up to the PS4. But i am getting off track. The 8th gen attach rate is better then any previous console launch. Not only that BUT DO YOUR RESEARCH. The $500,000,000 is a 10 year deal of games and advertising. Its not just $500,000,000 for Destiny(1) man..... Its $500,000,000 for 10 years of Destiny. I am really starting to dislike N4G. I keep forgetting that anyone's website can get an article published on here. In fact, most gaming is seeing a bigger revival. And almost every analyst says the 8th gen will be more successful then the last. Selling 100,000,000 each.

[sic_chops]

Then go away if you don't like it. You try to pass your opinions as comments in your replies. If you wanna say that xbox one has a better line up of games in 2014 then that's fine but you must state that that is your opinion.

[LemyAtom]

Certainly no crash in monetary terms...the release list for 2015 with all those delays is pretty busy.

As for identity...COD has attemoted to leech any sense of identity out of the industry for years, this is nothing new. What we do still have though is a fantastic indie scene which is arguably the best it's ever been. There are plenty of great games out there beyond the generic COD franchise, and I'm sure it will soon fall from grace. I tend to steer clear of most shooters nowadays as they are often so similar. Sniper Elite 3 has me tempted though. TESTICAL SHOT!

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

.

[sprinterboy]

Why do people think there will be a game crash? seriously gaming is not going anywhere. Bungie pumping £500m into Destiny is nothing especially when they are supporting the game for 10yrs. Half of that budget will be on advertising alone.
What I do see however is the Indie scene taking a hit, ok its gonna be great for a yr or 2, but when the psn/live stores get over saturated with indie titles lots of small indie companies will feel the pitch.

[drjonesjnr]

What a load of crap. What a negative nancy

[The 10th Rider]

Yes! I've been waiting for a great Crash Bandicoot reboot for a while. It's even coming next year...2015 is looking better and better!

Wait, that's not what this is about? Darn, got my hopes up for nothing.