You're out of touch

 I'm out of time

There are many instance within the world of business that indicate a product or producer as being 'out of touch'. In fact, entire massive empires have fallen under this pressure. Blockbuster once held itself as the biggest in the world before falling for the hare-brained belief that Netflix wasn't even worthy of being seen as a serious competitor, which led to them failing to diversify as the viewing world moved away from rentals and collapsing under the pressure of trying to change far too late. But the circumstances are not always as dire, the stakes not always as large as the very reigns of society changing from one age to the next, and the downfall not always as tragic. Sometimes, when we're talking about video game companies, all it ever amounts to is developing a reputation. (Then again, reputations can be killers- depends who believes them.)

The most common example I think we see of this so very often is that of the 'out of date genre'. The game developed for an audience who are no longer there, by a people who were clearly following the trends of yesteryear. There's a real contention with this one because no video game genre is truly ever without it's fans and those that love what they love are terrified of admitting them are suddenly part of the niche when once they were among the majority of the industry. And yet that is exactly the character growth that MMO developers and players had to come to terms to when it became abundantly clear that this was a style of game that was just no longer in step with the ever day gamer, or even just the spirit of gaming as it came to be known.

Designed to be labours of extreme time investment, MMOs grew to a length of almost arbitrary bloat as everyone attempted to reiterate upon the uber-successful World of Warcraft formula. That alone ran up against gamers who had, you know, jobs and other requirements out of life. But even more fundamental than that, most MMOs tried to capture the very same online social meet-up atmosphere they had grown up with back in the days of Ultima Online and EverQuest. These games were as much hang-out spots as they were video games- but as internet communication grew ever more ubiquitous and easily accessible- the MMO became redundant as a social space, just as the physical spaces too did. MMOs that persist today tend to be cognizant of this and intentionally design themselves for other players- but an effort had to be made to get this way and many wasted their efforts on an out-of-touch dream.

Of course, if you were to ask people about game-types that are common but 'out of touch', there is a chance you'll land on 'The Bethesda formula'. Giant roleplaying games that focus more on the world simulation and roleplaying aspect of their games- controls and action can come across as somewhat clunky in even the most fluid of their catalogue. At their best, which would be Starfield, Bethesda titles land just outside that special sweet-spot within which the best shooters of the industry are separated by a hairs-breadth of fine adjustments- but given how elite that club is that might as well be a wide gulch separating lovers of responsive action from the relatively antiquated Bethesda modal. Some even call it tired.

And the blame will forever land on the Creation Engine which the deeply confused insist has been recycled since 2003 despite the fact the modern version of the engine literally boasts an integer signifying a revolution. But a narrative started will spread. At the end of the day those who want Bethesda to jump ship to one of the shinier engines in the market are absolutely delusional if they think that would improve their games. Without the modability of the creation engine Bethesda games would loose the vast majority of their appeal. But not everyone mods. Not everyone knows how to, or is willing to learn. (As has been made apparent by Fallout London and everyone's frank refusal to read basic instructions.) And to those that don't- Bethesda games just feel old-hat to play.

But what is the undisputed king of 'Out of Touch' video game publishers? Why that's an Ubisoft special- the fake voice chat. You know how it is- you're watching a gameplay reveal trailer for an upcoming cooperative multiplayer game and you hear the dreaded sound of voices that belong to no character. That's the game trying to simulate what you and your buddies sound like on the mic playing the game- you know, assuming you and your friends are perfectly cordial twenty-something perpetual-role-players that play games in a manner that literally no one else on the earth does. Calling out the environmental storytelling and treating it like a serious investigation into the serious details of the world, rather than just running around in circles whilst you trade turns reading chapters of 'My Immortal' at each other. (Just me?)

I always like to look at this style of video as a glimpse into what the developers want us to play like. Soaking in the details of the carefully crafted world and reading into the story clues, instead of just scanning around for loot chests and bunny hopping to the next shooting gallery. Calling out when we're reloading? Like serious, who the hell does that? Are we going to lay down covering fire from the AI? The day you make AI that's smart enough to try and flank when your clip runs dry is the day when such a behaviour can ever be considered warranted. Otherwise you are extolling the characteristics of the kind of online weirdoes who typically ward people away.

I wave my torch around and cry 'Heresy!' but the truth is I do find something honestly endearing about this delirious attempts to capture the community spirit that only seems to exist in the whimsical fantasies of marketing agents. There's something so adorable to think that these people actually think we play games like that, or look for those sorts of experiences from our gaming sessions. It's like the idealised Norman Rockwell postcard of the games industry that totally paves over the slur ridden, gatekeeper infested, sullen and sulking abaddonian breech that is our cursed little industry. May we forever live that perfect way in their heads, if not in reality.