The article (as far as I read) fails to mention the that layoffs have hit then entire tech sector. Not just games.
I lost my job (iOS dev and actually a games dev job) twice in ‘24. I don’t think it is necessarily a reflection of the games industry.
There are some really nice games this year, if you know where to look. I’m playing Uncle Chop’s Rocket Repair and it’s awesome. So fun, so inventive, great visuals, mechanics and soundtrack.
Deadlock has also gotten a fair chunk of my time. I scratches the same itch as DOTA and a little bit of CS too.
Creeper World got a new instalment, too. Different from the 4 mainline games, it’s new and fresh and fun.
I am in IT, also lost two jobs this year, and getting a new one took like 3 weeks and some trying, which is unusually long
it’s good to hear things like this because my friends are taking 6 months to a year to find a new job and they’re all smarter than me
Ooh, new Creeper World? Underrated games, though the concept was tough for me to get my head wrapped around for a little bit.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2257010/Creeper_World_IXE/
I blasted through the campaign. If it’s anything like 4 I’m expecting 4000 good community levels.
Another article i scrolled past before seeing this was stating Steam broke their record releasing over 18,000 games in 2024.
How can anyone have enough time to even try them all?
I dunno about you but I don’t play every genre of game. So like 70-80% of those are off the table immediately. I’d also be curious how many of those are the drop in the bucket nsfw games that get released every few days. Really need to toggle the ‘adult’ setting on my Steam account. Although sometimes the title alone is gold like ‘Hitler: BDSM Bunker’…
Maybe gamers are getting older in general and realizing they don’t have the time to dedicate to intensive games that are like taking on a 2nd job and studying for college.
I prefer games now where I can do the grindy stuff mainly AFK and do the challenging stuff solo in short bursts. No more 2-3 hr clan raids and shit like that anymore. Hell, sometimes I just start up MAME and set some classic arcade scroller to god mode because I just want to blow stuff up for a few minutes.
While some gamers are getting older the number of players does keep increasing with newer generations like alpha picking up controllers. Many millenials and older zoomers may have more disposable income but also much less time to play, backlogs of hundreds if not thousands of games and bunch of good old games they just keep coming back to.
However gaming doesnt exist in a bubble. Social media platforms, streaming services are also competing for our attention. The whole entertainment market is so saturated that only ways to increase profits is to enshittify or win marketshare from competition.
Same. I’ve found my spark again in VR gaming and generally go to the arcade style more! Ain’t nobody got time for a 10 tier skill tree
Beat Saber is still my fav. Modded to have custom tracks. It can be good for a little cardio. Just make sure you have your headset sweat cover on!
Depends what you like. I’ve been enjoying Space Pirate Trainer and Gun Club VR. Single player FPS types where you shoot down waves of attackers. Hands down favorite, though, is Half-Life: Alyx. Great story, very immersive, and the use of VR is top notch.
Single player.
- Half life Alyx
- Vertigo / vertigo 2
- Moss / Moss 2
- Walking dead: saints and sinners
- A fisherman’s tale
- Wanderer
- Star wars squadrons (YMMV)
Arcade-style games.
- Pistol whip
- Until you fall
Tech Demos.
- The lab (free tech demo by valve with some cool games)
- Job simulator
Multiplayer.
- Contractors
- Pavlov
- Legendary tales
Lots of good indie stuff, not much from AAA. My recommendation: try new single player or co op stuff. Stop recycling content.
I was pretty surprised by the barrenness of my wishlist. There’s been shockingly few titles I’ve been that excited about. Almost nothing in the AAA realm. And the few things that I am waiting to come out have been on that list for several years already…
