Gaming Industry Prioritizes Shocks Over Skill—Are Players Getting Shortchanged?

The State of Gaming: Are We Trading Substance for Spooks?

Folks, I've been following this gaming business for a long time, and let me tell you, things are changing. Not always for the better, if you ask me. Seems like every year it's less about solid gameplay and more about… well, jumping out of your seat.

This week’s big news? Steam’s having another one of these “Scream Fests.” Spooky games, discounts, the whole shebang. Now, I'm not saying a good scare is bad, but when the biggest announcement is a Halloween sale, it tells you something about where the industry’s priorities lie. It's all thrills and no substance, I tell ya! Back in my day, we wanted challenges, stories, character in our games. Now it’s just who can make you scream the loudest.

And speaking of scares, there’s this new free-to-play horror game on Steam, “Lethal Company” they're calling it. From the creator of “Cult of the Lamb,” whatever that is. Free is good, I suppose, but I'm always wary of these things. Usually means there’s microtransactions lurking around the corner, nickel and diming you until you’ve spent more than a full-priced game.

Now, Xbox Game Pass is adding a vampire survivor-like game. Fine. More games to distract folks. Though, speaking of Game Pass, they’ve gone and raised the price by ten dollars. Ten dollars! That’s a lunch these days! It’s a slippery slope, folks. First, it’s ten dollars, then it's twenty, and before you know it, you’re paying more for a subscription than you are for the games themselves.

There’s some talk of Borderlands 4 coming, and apparently they’re crossing over with some other franchise. Honestly, I stopped paying attention after "crossover." These things rarely work. Feels like a desperate attempt to grab headlines and milk existing fanbases.

And the most concerning news? Apparently, Fatshark isn’t making a Vermintide 3. Now, I haven't played that particular game, but the fact that a developer is abandoning a potential sequel to keep supporting an older title… it just doesn’t sit right. It speaks to a lack of innovation, a reliance on what’s already working instead of pushing boundaries.

Folks, I’m starting to worry about the future of gaming. It feels like we're losing sight of what makes games truly great – compelling stories, engaging gameplay, and lasting value. Maybe I’m just an old man yelling at clouds, but I fear we’re trading substance for spooks, and that’s a frightening thought indeed.