4. Esports Still Going Strong
Just when you think it might be slowing down, it just comes back stronger, for both old and new games. You know it’s becoming mainstream when newcomers like Fortnite is willing to back up their world cup with a US$30 million prize pool, which was going to be the biggest pot for a gaming tournament ever. But good ol’ Dota 2 wasn’t gonna sit quietly, with their TI9 bringing in over US$34 million in prize money.
Additionally, there seems to be a competitive scene available for almost any game with a community, and many more opportunities for players (especially young ones) wanting to take competitive gaming seriously. Fighting games continue to grow, and I’m glad Nintendo is finally taking the competitive community for Smash (somewhat) seriously, rather than hiding behind that silly excuse that it’s meant to be a casual game only.
Nowadays it’s almost impossible to jump into Twitch and not be able to find some type of esport event happening. Gaming isn’t only getting better for casual fans, but also for the hardest of the hardcore as well!
5. Independent Hideo Kojima
Yes, I know, everyone is excited about Death Stranding, but in my eyes, this is more than just the game, this might be one of the first high-production titles to be made under a single artistic vision. As much as we’ve been seeing small indie games sprouting up, triple-A titles have been going the opposite way—unfinished games, pay-to-skip, pay-to-win, loot boxes, bad dlcs, yearly releases with minimal change, just to name a few. Just look at how Konami massacred Kojima’s work with Metal Gear Survive, as soon as he left. It’s become obvious, like many other high-cost businesses, triple-A gaming was becoming more and more about the bottom line. This is why Kojima Productions becoming independent makes me so excited, if it goes well, it could give birth to a new type of game. A rarely seen triple-A quality game made under a single artistic vision—the film industry can do it, why can’t we? With what we’ve seen so far from Kojima’s unhindered vision in P.T., and the incredibly weird world of Death Stranding, I can’t wait for what’s to come. I know there is no guarantee that this is going to be a good game, nor that this is going to start a wave of triple-A passion projects but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with some optimism on Thanksgiving!
What are you thankful for? Tell us in the comments below or on social media.
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