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We’re at a point in the ninth console generation where we’re seeing one trend rise and another fall. This cycle took a while to mature with the pandemic and resulting supply issues, but right now we are seeing a rise in the action/adventure genre and a fall in live service gaming. The action/adventure rise in popularity is no mystery. Franchises like God of War, Elden Ring, and Horizon. are dominating the market and reaping the rewards. I attribute this to the gameplay, cinematics, and the overall time and effort put into storytelling and game design – some may as well be epic movies. With the impressive visual presentation the new consoles can provide, the action/adventure genre has seen an incredible upswing.
Where one trend is rising, another one is falling.
The live service gaming genre has seen a decline. Not even four months into the year, and some big cancellations have been announced. Live service games are ones that require an internet connection through all gameplay, most of which are multiplayer. Fortnite and World of Warcraft are two immediate examples that are both successful. A lot of these games are free to play while encouraging players to purchase more content for an enhanced experience. Others may require a monthly subscription but still have an in-game store for additional purchases. While I personally play quite a few live service games, there are only two that I’m loyal to and put money towards. The rest I play for maybe a month then move onto something else. The one I’m most loyal to is Destiny 2, which has historically had some rocky moments in live service decision making. But for the last three years, I’d say they’ve done well with giving fans their money’s worth as far quantity of content. That’s why it’s a major player in the market, along with Call of Duty, Apex, Fortnite, etc. These franchises have taken the market with each having their own percent while the 1% category is labeled, “other.”
How are the games in the “other” are holding up?
Earlier this year, Marvel’s Avengers announced cancellation of all new content and support in 2023. This started a domino effect in live service gaming. Rumbleverse, Knockout City, CrossfireX have all been canceled, as well as mobile games Apex Legends Mobile and Battlefield Mobile. It doesn’t stop there though – major franchises such as Destiny 2 have begun releasing their “beginning of the end” content with no word of a Destiny 3. Final Fantasy XIV is also rumored to be on its final content. Do the big franchises have anything to fear? Not immediately. Fortnite and Call of Duty are too popular to bring down unless the studios themselves just don’t feel like making money anymore. However, the upswing in action/adventure game popularity is something to keep an eye on. Square Enix is already taking a big risk deviating from the RPG format that Final Fantasy has ridden high on for so many years into a God of War type for the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI. The success will help determine where the franchise goes, and with the mystery surrounding the future of FFXIV, it seems like Square Enix is tipping their toes in both waters while saying goodbye to the failed Marvel attempt.
Where do we go from here?
I think live gaming service has been milked and if you’re creating a game, stay away from it. Rocksteady announced their upcoming game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will have live service elements. This left many scratching their heads, because it’s supposedly a single player game. It was then announced that it will be delayed again upon reaction to the news and gameplay presentation. It sounded like an attempt to hit two birds with one stone. The problem is live gaming has its major players who have dominated the market so long, they’ve become the market. Any new live gaming service launch is going to be fighting for its life and shouldn’t necessarily think their game being featured on Steam and console marketplaces as a good thing. Avengers, Rumbleverse, and Knockout City were all offered in online marketplaces in hopes for added player base and…here we are.
We’re going to see a number of these games call it quits – some will surprise us, some won’t. The market has been made, and with that comes a number-of-active-players quota that live service games live and die by. Meanwhile, this will be a cycle that sees the action/adventure genre rise once more until the next best thing in gaming comes along. It’s not a bad thing that players are going back to a simpler, single player lifestyle. While playing with others is fun, nothing beats watching a story unfold without a headset on or a voice in your ear. Let’s enjoy it before a new cycle starts.
