EA Shuts Down Visceral Studios

[Nymeria]

JEMC said:

Nymeria said:
We can yell at EA, Activision, etc. all we want, but the market is really to blame. You make a single player masterpiece and sell millions, but some cheap game with microtransactions generates 10x the revenue at 1/50th the cost. The people out there who rationalize dumping 100s to 1000s of dollars into a single title because they keep buying loot boxes encourage this behavior.

I'm sad for the industry as an artform, but I cynically get it as a business move.

But at the same time, it can be said that a successful single player game, if well managed, can become a popular franchise that will give them millions in profits over the years, while those cheap games with microtransactions die as soon as their popularity fades, leaving those companies with the task to find the next big thing.

Nintendo model is possible, but requires talent, hardwork and commitment to quality.  Zelda and Mario are among best managed series in gaming history and have my deepest respect.

Ask another company to make "Breath of the Wild" or "Odyssey" and they simply won't be able. Ask them to make another Skinner box game and have it done by next month.