2015 Sucked for Gaming: A Blog Post, Like Comment and Subscribe

[Warren Castille]

Originally I wanted to do a Favorite Games of 2015 or something now that we're almost done with the year, but the train of thought ended up derailing when I realized 2015 sort of blew. I will say that Undertale was a lot of fun, but I'll couple that with being glad I beat it and had my share of it before the Internet At Large got a hold of it and meme'd the fuck out of everything about it. In no particular order, this is what bummed me out about gaming in 2015:

 

1) Payday 2, one of my favorite games to log time into until October, announced that they would be including microtransactions in the form of weapon skins and crates. Overkill as a developer was one of the surefire "I can trust these people" teams I thought I didn't have to worry about trying to fuck over their consumer base. The game has a lot of DLC that comes out pretty regularly and tends to only cost a couple of bucks for a new map or some new weapons, but looking at it now? It's a 30 dollar game with 120 bucks of DLC available.

 

Beyond that, last year they announced a sort of crowdfunding thing. They told people that, for 20 bucks, you'll get the mystery box sometime down the road: A cool piece of something that'll make it worthwhile, and that that sort of investment was "only for the true fans, who'll put their money where their mouth is." I was one of the 50,000 suckers who ponied up the cash, and then Crimefest 2015 happened. On day one of their annual birthday party celebrating the game's release, they announced weapon skins. Not only did they announce weapon skins, but they announced they would have stat boosts on some of them. These skins come in a safe, which you'll sometimes get after completing a level, but can only be opened with a drill that costs 2.50 in their cash shop.

 

Mind you, Overkill said at game launch that they valued their players more than that and would never implement microtransactions.

 

Better, they later announced that the 50,000 people who gave them a collective million dollars? They'd get a special safe with a special skin inside of it! Maybe. It's one of twenty-five skins, and you only get one, and it might be a shitty-quality one without stats on it (because of COURSE the weapon skin might be a shitty quality statless perk for 20 dollars!). To make sure you could use it, though, they also gave away 7 pieces of DLC alongside of it. DLC that came out a year or so ago, over the course of 2015. You know, the kind of stuff that "true fans" already owned. It wasn't even keys, either, so you couldn't pass them along to a friend. They just credited them to your account in case you didn't own them. Which majority of the people who blindly tossed 20 dollars away did.

 

So tl;dr Fuck Overkill and I'm sad my hang-out bro game turned to shit and I've uninstalled it.

 

2) Killing Floor 2! Tripwire was one of my OTHER not-quite-indie developers who I thought I could trust okay. Killing Floor 1 got a lot of play in my library and while there was a lot of DLC for it as well, most of it was just vanity stuff or character packs or side-grade weapons that didn't really impact the game at all (except for you, Flare Revolvers!). Killing Floor 2 seemed like a no-brainer, even though it was released as Early Access. Still, I wanted to play it and I was glad to plop down my money when it became available in April. The game was due out at the end of 2015, but it seems pretty unlikely.

 

Half of the game's classes aren't implemented yet. They had to rebalance a lot of the perks because they were all pretty fucking worthless. This is Early Access though, so it's sort of expected, and I know the team is hard at work on...

 

Wait. Hold on a minute. What the fuck is this bullshit? Killing Floor 2 has ALSO announced the implementation of weapon skins and bullshit in the same format as CS:Go and Team Fortress and Payday 2: You get a box, you give them money to open it. To their limited credit, they said that they'd only putting vanity in there without it impacting gameplay at all, but... Well, to say I don't trust a developer in Early Access is an understatement.

 

KF2 has been in Early Access since April 2015, with no release date in sight, with half of the game actually there, but the cash shop is up and running and being worked on alongside the rest of the game. For fuck's sake, whatever happened to just buying a fucking game?

 

Oh well. At least it's better than Evolve, a game that costs 40 bucks with 225 dollars in DLC available.

 

Or Star Citizen. Snicker.

 

Edit: AND ANOTHER THING: FUCKING NINTENDO FUN CLUB CLOSED.

[Zhavi]

IDK man, I got a sexy messenger bag from the last shadowrun kickstarter. Does that count?

 

Your post has made me realize how few videogames I actually played this year. I'm gonna lose my cred at this rate.

[Warren Castille]

IDK man, I got a sexy messenger bag from the last shadowrun kickstarter. Does that count?

 

Your post has made me realize how few videogames I actually played this year. I'm gonna lose my cred at this rate.

 

My Steam backlog is hundreds of games long, so I feel you. I've beaten like... four games in 2015. Fucking MMOs, man.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

I'm sorta glad my video game budget pretty much just stays with FFXIV and the occasional humble bundle to make it look like I have steam games.

 

...along with the PC ports of Final Fantasy: Pink Cloud Runs Through Shiny Hallways. (I actually like XIII's gameplay. ...and the visuals/music are very nice)

[Zhavi]

IDK man, I got a sexy messenger bag from the last shadowrun kickstarter. Does that count?

 

Your post has made me realize how few videogames I actually played this year. I'm gonna lose my cred at this rate.

 

My Steam backlog is hundreds of games long, so I feel you. I've beaten like... four games in 2015. Fucking MMOs, man.

 

It's bad enough for me that a friend gifted me a copy of The Cat Lady and I still haven't even put the code into steam. Though probably that has more to do with shitty memory, procrastination, and lack of sleep. Eh, you know.

[Kage]

Your post has made me realize how few videogames I actually played this year.  I'm gonna lose my cred at this rate.

Ever since I started playing FFXIV, the number of games I play dropped considerably.

 

In fact, I think for 2015, I only actually played Mortal Kombat X outside of FFXIV

[Virella]

Maaaaaaaaan

 

I'm so salty about Payday 2, I fucking love that game. Or used to. Didn't play it for ages, got no intend to returning after the shit the devs are pulling off now aye.

[Aya]

Warren,

 

Please rephrase this using the names of wrestling moves.

 

~Aya

[Aedan Marceaux]

I appreciate the sentiment behind not wanting to support any -further- development by not purchasing anymore DLC/skins/whatever than what you already have... but you already own the core game... and aside from the free content they push out (such as those annoying SWAT vans with the turrets) that is content you own and can continue to play and enjoy without supporting OVERKILL.

 

I mean, if you're done with the game and truly not getting anymore enjoyment out of it, then by all means uninstalling and all is fine. I just don't understand the "I don't support what you're doing, so I'm uninstalling your game that I fully own and no longer pay for!"

 

They already have your money for that... keep playing it. I know I will. *shrug*

[Coda]

I was sad about Payday as well, till I got a hold of Vermintide. But yea, not the greatest year I'll admit. Most of my favorites are indies or smaller budget, like aforementioned Vermintide, Darkest Dungeon, Invisible, Inc., and the like. MGS5 was fine play-wise I guess, and FO4 will be good once Bethesda releases the GECK for modders.

 

Other than those, I think I played older backlog releases more than actual new titles. That makes me a little sad.

[ɴᴘᴄ]

My pickups in 2015 have kept me pretty pleased. Endless Legend, Dungeon of the Endless, This War of Mine, Elite: Dangerous, Pillars of Eternity... stuff that, for the most part, still continues to give me my money's worth.

 

Most people I know who play stuff like Payday and KF are in agreement with Mr. Castille, though. I second the sentiment about Early Access as well.

[Enla]

My pickups in 2015 have kept me pretty pleased. Endless Legend, Dungeon of the Endless, This War of Mine, Elite: Dangerous, Pillars of Eternity... stuff that, for the most part, still continues to give me my money's worth.

 

Most people I know who play stuff like Payday and KF are in agreement with Mr. Castille, though. I second the sentiment about Early Access as well.

 

Pillars of Eternity is amazing and I still need to finish it.

For the most part though it does seem like the gaming industry tried to pull a lot of shit this year.

[Melkire]

Don't trust crowdfunding.

 

Don't pay for DLC or cash shop items.

 

Don't shell out cash for expansions that should have been part of the core game.

 

Voila, follow these three easy steps and you are on your way to helping make a difference in the video game industry.

 

Vote. With. Your. Wallet.

 

 

Signed,

 

Someone Whose Last Major Purchase Outside of MMOs was Dark Souls.

[Leggerless]

I don't know man...

 

Endless Legend, Pillars of Eternity, Elite: Dangerous, Dungeon Defenders 2...

 

The average may be worse compared to other years, but there's still plenty of gems that continue entertaining after their release date.

 

Edit: Totally forgot about Shadowrun. Definitely good too.

[Berrod Armstrong]

I just played FFXIV all year lol.

[Enla]

Don't trust crowdfunding.

 

Don't pay for DLC or cash shop items.

 

Don't shell out cash for expansions that should have been part of the core game.

 

Voila, follow these three easy steps and you are on your way to helping make a difference in the video game industry.

 

Vote. With. Your. Wallet.

 

 

Signed,

 

Someone Whose Last Major Purchase Outside of MMOs was Dark Souls.

And most importantly, DON'T PRE-ORDER VIDEO GAMES. So many companies ignore low scores and criticisms if they feel they made back their money on the pre-orders, and even just waiting a week for reviews goes a VERY long way to help curb this behavior.

[Virella]

I just played FFXIV all year lol.

That's what I mostly do! With some odd single players next to it

 

I admit though, I'm a whore for Crusader Kings II, but that game is a fucking pain with DLC crap as well, so I gotta share Melkire's sentiment here. Fuck DLC crap. Seriously though, Game of Thrones mod is super fun to play.

 

Besides that I played quite some Witcher 3, because I get to bang hot sorceresses? Sign me the fuck up. Joking aside, I got a massive ladyboner for Geralt. Didn't get the DLC though, although it is severely tempting seeming everyone is so positive about it, and it actually seems worth it.

 

And some Fallout 4, but in truth, I'm just waiting for more mods, because fuck the character models of that game, and I'm a vain bitch 90% of the time.

[Miza]

These past couple of years have kinda worn on me as a gamer. I'm finding it easier to pass on games coming out than ever before. The only new game I liked this year was Witcher 3 and even that had its own problems. Then again, I've been out of the PC scene for some time until just recently, so I'm sure there's some stuff I probably missed. I really regret buying a Wii U around launch at this point. Done with Nintendo for the most part.

[PhantasticPanda]

IMO I wouldn't say it sucked. And as someone else said before, you/we already own the cores games that is already pumped with additional content. DLC skins and vanity items? Well, that's all up to the playerbase to do with that, and we do know people can be vain sometimes. It seems to be a trend now, a trend that I see some positives from. For example:

 

Halo 5. All map pack content and content-related DLC's are all free. And we're taking about a high-budget triple A-game here. How are they gonna make money? BOOSTER PACKS. That only affect the only non-competitive game mode in the game, as well as cosmetic appearances. These booster packs are still achieveable by simply playing the game. Real cash is there for those who have the money but don't have the time.

 

Overwatch, a Blizzard game, has also announced that all maps and character releases will also be free. And I have no doubt that they'll implement some sort of cosmetic item shop to make some extra cash from the game. People like bling bling and flashiness.

 

There have also been game releases I've been more than satisfied with. Fallout 4, Witcher 3, AC: Syndicate, etc etc.

 

Personally, I hope that above trends continue with major games, especially for multiplayer games. Paid DLC content splits up the online community and does more harm than good and potentially the game will die out quickly. So why not make money from vanity instead? It doesn't harm the core content, and its completely optional.

[Sylentmana]

I don't know, this year didn't seem too bad. I had a lot of fun with Undertale, Fallout 4, and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Well, that's pretty much it. I'm mostly looking forward to summer next year when Overwatch is supposed to come out.

[Zhavi]

Don't trust crowdfunding.

 

-snip-

 

Vote. With. Your. Wallet.

 

 

Crowdfunding, to me, is a non tax deductible donation to developers and game ideas I like. As in, that's my nudge to keep trying to someone I already trust or whose ideas I like. If you're doing it to invest in something other than ideas in the clouds (where you expect nothing in return or expect it to crash and burn), you're gonna have a bad time. That said, everything I've put money towards I have been very pleased with.

 

edit - especially that messenger bag. That thing is hot.

[C'kayah Polaali]

Don't trust crowdfunding.

 

-snip-

 

Vote. With. Your. Wallet.

 

 

Crowdfunding, to me, is a non tax deductible donation to developers and game ideas I like. As in, that's my nudge to keep trying to someone I already trust or whose ideas I like. If you're doing it to invest in something other than ideas in the clouds (where you expect nothing in return or expect it to crash and burn), you're gonna have a bad time. That said, everything I've put money towards I have been very pleased with.

 

edit - especially that messenger bag. That thing is hot.

 

Yeah, same here.

 

I'm very choosy about the games I contribute to, and I've been pretty happy with them so far. Planetary Annihilation is a really fun retro 4x game that pushes all my fun 4x game buttons. Elite: Dangerous has exceeded all my expectations. Kerbal Space Program managed their own crowdfunding scheme in the form of buy-in-alpha development, and I haven't regretted buying that, either.

 

For 2015, my game list pretty much consisted of FFXIV, Elite: Dangerous, and KSP.

 

In KSP, 2015 saw me finally figure out how to build multi-part nerva-driven spacecraft, saw me figure out how to orbit multi-part space stations around other planets, and how to consistently manage orbital mechanics at long range.

 

In Elite: Dangerous, 2015 saw me take my first really long range trip (hello Sagittarius arm of the galaxy). Exploration in that game really feels fantastic, largely because of the lack of MMO-style teleports and the fact that you only have one character per account. The lack of teleports means long-distance travel take time. A lot of time. My exploration Cobra manages about 900 light years per hour while still scanning systems and the like, so my trip out to the Sagittarius arm (about 10,000 light years) took about 11 hours of game play spread out over a couple of weeks. 11 hours during which I couldn't engage in other aspects of the game, like trade or combat, because I couldn't just log into an alt. And when I finally decided to turn back (it was more a lumpy oval, because I wanted to cross the rift back to the Orion arm in a different place), I faced 11 more hours of travel to return. And when I got back? It felt like a serious achievement. I have not experienced a sense of achievement like that in a game in a long time. It was strong enough that I've signed up for a fleet exploration group that's planning on taking a 10+ week trip out to the far side of the galaxy. Which, of course, means a 10+ week trip back. But I'm thinking I might just take the long way back on this one...

[Teadrinker]

Don't trust crowdfunding.

 

 

I kinda disagree with this just because I know devs who's projects wouldn't get up off the ground without it. They honestly do try to do good work.

 

There are scumbags that tend to just walk away with money though. :dodgy:

[111]

Don't trust crowdfunding.

 

 

I kinda disagree with this just because I know devs who's projects wouldn't get up off the ground without it. They honestly do try to do good work.

 

There are scumbags that tend to just walk away with money though. :dodgy:

 

Pillars of Eternity was Awesome, Shadowrun was awesome.

 

Not all crowdfunds are bad :C

[Aaron]

Bloodborne & Witcher 3 have occupied me all this year aside from XIV.

 

Oh and CoD III.

 

But 2015 was the calm before the storm. Everyone knows 2016 bout to be lit as fuck.