Are creative games taking a breather or are big franchises hogging the spotlight with the same old game? And why?
The latest game in BioWare’s fantasy role-playing series went through ten years of development turmoil
In early November, on the eve of the crucial holiday shopping season, staffers at the video-game studio BioWare were feeling optimistic. After an excruciating development cycle, they had finally released their latest game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and the early reception was largely positive. The role-playing game was topping sales charts on Steam, and solid, if not spectacular, reviews were rolling in.
Its easy they called the die hard fans people in their nerd caves who will buy anything and then went woke to reach modern audiences....insulting the nerds in their caves along the way showing utter contempt for their fan base. very hapy it failed and any company who insults their fan base and treat their customers with contempt and insults, in future, i also hope fail.
It’s disappointing but not surprising to see what's happening with Dragon Age: The Veilguard and the broader situation at BioWare. The layoffs are tragic — no one wants to see talented developers lose their jobs. But when studios repeatedly create games that alienate their own fanbase, outcomes like this become unfortunately predictable.
There’s a pattern we’re seeing far too often: beloved franchises are revived, only to be reshaped into something almost unrecognizable. Changes are made that no one asked for, often at the expense of what originally made these games special. Then, when long-time fans express concern or lose interest, they’re told, “This game might not be for you.” But when those same fans heed that advice and don’t buy the game, suddenly they're labeled as toxic, sexist, bigoted, or worse.
Let’s be clear: the overwhelming majority of gamers have no issue with diversity, LGBTQ+ representation, or strong female leads. In fact, some of the most iconic characters in gaming — like Aloy, Ellie, or FemShep — are proof that inclusivity and excellent storytelling can and do go hand in hand. The issue arises when diversity feels performative, forced, or disconnected from the narrative — when characters or themes are inserted not to serve the story, but to satisfy a corporate DEI checklist. Audiences can tell the difference.
When studios chase approval from a vocal minority that often doesn’t even buy games — while simultaneously dismissing loyal fans who actually do — they risk not just the success of individual titles, but the health of their entire studio. Telling your core customers “don’t buy it if you don’t like it” is not a viable business strategy. Because guess what? Many of us won’t. And when the game fails commercially, blaming those very fans for not supporting it is both unfair and self-defeating.
Gamers aren’t asking for less diversity or less progress. We’re asking for better writing, thoughtful character development, and a respect for the franchises we’ve supported for decades. When you give people great games that speak to them — whether they’re old fans or new players — they will show up. But if you keep making games for people who don’t play them, don’t be surprised when those who do stop showing up
I thought the writing and character development were fine. Sometimes things just dont resonate with people.
Do not miss the Final Fantasy IX lottery commemorating its 25th anniversary and see the new merch release by Square Enix.
I’m hoping Xbox Showcase will be where the Remake gets announced… freaking all this stuff with FF9’s anniversary and still nothing on the Remake…
Square Enix announced its financial results and the continued strategy for the Medium-Term Business Plan that will span two more years.
"big franchises hogging the spotlight with the same old game"
This, cause most of the news stories come out of America who are obsessed with First Person Shooters.
Yes. Many developers are afraid to be creative or try anything new in fear of mass rejection. So best thing to do is touch up he game engine, adjust the graphics, give the game a polish, add in a few things and make 3-5 months of DLC. And volia. Generic game number 8. And for generic game number 9 add in one new mode and a new weapon.
Creativity is having a hard time with big budget games, just like big budget movies. The second the budget starts to soar - the less changes developers are willing to take, and rightly so. We've seen a lot of good games this gen with big budgets that tried something new and were punished for it. That's why we're seeing creativity in smaller, downloadable games. When less money is at stake, your more inclined to take more risks, the publishers, investors, managers are less involved trying to steer the project into what they believe to be profitable territory.
That's what scares me about next gen. As the hardware power increases, the costs to develop on that hardware increase - the less risks developers are likely to take. The less likely they'll be to stray from the formula.
In the meantime though, there are some great companies putting out a lot of creative works as DLC. Those are the guys to watch.
Not at all, look at the indie scene.
Creativity is still in gaming I would just say less than last generation. Developers in this recession are scared to take a risk so they go with generic ideas or make a small twist to lure in the crowd. I miss creative game ideas to be honest some of my favorite games are those creative ideas, even then a creative game should not be milked like a cow unless it can continue to deliver something new each experience. Like first hearing of bioshock 2 I was skeptical and actually skipped it to wait for bioshock infinite to be in another unique area. Keep gameplay fresh and inventive and you will always have fans