Top Ten Dying Game Genres - News
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 20 February 2011 / 16,983 Views
Had someone told me a few years ago that point and click adventure games would be all the rage, and that Facebook applications would be popular I would have laughed in their face. That was then and this is now, times have definitely changed for a few game genres. Handheld gaming has exploded bringing supposedly “dead” game genres back into the fold such as the aforementioned point and click games. Other types of games have not been as lucky, and if something doesn’t happen pretty quick these types of games could be heading to the big gaming store in the sky. Here are the Top Ten Dying Game Genres in no particular order.
Alternative Sports Games
I can remember back in the mid to late 1990’s when the X-Games were a very popular fad that everyone pretended to be into at the time. Video games were produced, ESPN put some of the edgier stuff on their secondary channels, and folks like Tony Hawk started appearing on chat shows. As soon as this media blitz began, it was a ticking time bomb as to when extreme sports would stop being “cool”. I think that when a lot of the new sports made their way into the Olympics, it really took the in-your-face attitude of the whole thing away, making it mundane. You can definitely see this change happen with the comparative sales of such games. Games like Tony Hawk Pro Skater seem to be increasingly less popular with each and every game, snowboarding games have all but disappeared and the occasional compilation game has been absent for a while. I guess being extreme isn’t cool when everyone’s doing it.
PC First Person Shooters
Put your flaming pitchforks down. With this statement I don’t mean that the PC is not a viable market for these type of games or that nobody buys them on that platform; but strictly “PC Only” shooters have been going by the wayside for a while. It seems that nearly every shooter that comes out has either been modified and ported to all consoles, or made for consoles first then ported top the PC. What this usually means is a lack of features that were previously seen as a given to the PC crowd. Even simple things like dedicated multiplayer servers seem to be getting removed from most games. Some see it as greed, others see it as a lack of trust in the PC market. Whatever it is, most PC fans are not happy.
Survival Horror
With each subsequent game in the Resident Evil franchise comes a ton of new features and modifications that are a double edged sword for genre purists. On one hand, these newer games bring new technologies and situations not imagined by past gamers. On the other, most of these games have been slowly edging away from what makes a survival horror game a survival horror game – dire situations, weak or limited weaponry, and isolation. Once you add multiple clips of ammo, huge expansive levels and squad mates to the mix, what differentiates that game from an action game such as Gears of War? I guess one could look at the genre as some sort of stepping stone to a larger genre, but others are starving for the real thing.
Shoot ‘Em Ups
Occasionally a game like one in the Bullet Hell series comes out and drives the fans wild. These games are infuriatingly hard and cater to a very small proportion of gamers out there. These games make me sad in a way because they have basically replaced the more explorative and other-wise “casual” shoot ‘em up market. “Back in the day” gamers were blessed with games in the Gradius, Salamander, and even R-Type franchises all the time. These were by no means easy games, but they were a bit more “friendly” than the oppressive games of today.
Puzzle Games
Puzzle games will never go away, and many are still very popular, but have we seen any real innovation to the genre in a long time? Bejeweled may be extremely popular and can sell like hot cakes, but are the concepts and such in it really all that different than two decades of “falling block” puzzles? What we need is a new type of puzzle game to catch on. Games like World of Goo are a great sign, but we need more.
Scrolling Beat ‘Em Ups
An attempt has been made to resurrect some scrolling beat ‘em ups of yesteryear with limited success. There was a new Final Fight game, and nobody liked it - in fact folks HATED it. It seemed to take all the fun out of the franchise and try to replace that with gritty realism. Until developers realize that some games are better off as the popcorn fluff that they used to be, I can’t see this genre rebounding.
Mascot Platformer
About a decade ago, a lot of developers looked at the successes of games such as Crash Bandicoot and Sly Cooper amongst others and said “we want some of that!” Pretty soon we had a game based around every Australian animal you could imagine, all ripping off the older mascot platformers. The popular franchises did not help the situation by pumping out at least 5 sequels each, all increasingly shallower as the last. Now platform games have moved away from cutesy characters and instilled some realism, especially in games such as Uncharted. Can the Mascot platformer come back?
Isometric RPGs
I refrained by saying “western RPG” because many are actually thriving, just not in the same vein as they used to be. Long ago many of these “western RPGs” were all overhead isometric games, much in the same vein as Diablo. The upcoming Diablo III is a good sign that games like this may not be as dead as they have been, but one wonders if it will kick off a new slew of like-minded games or be an odd novelty. Many of these games, such as Fallout, have moved away from their roots and embraced other play types such as the ones found in first person shooters and even action games.
“Classic” JRPGs
With games like Final Fantasy XIII and Resonance of Fate moving away from the “tried and true” tropes that make up most Japanese Role Playing games, many fans of older titles are clamoring for some “old-school” games in this genre. This can be traced to an increasing habit of these developers trying to appease what they feel western gamers want, only to alienate long time fans. Most of these games have been relegated to handhelds or the occasional console release, but limited success has hindered many of these from coming to the west. These games will never truly go away, but we all might have to learn Japanese to play them.
Music Genre
After the cancellation of any future Guitar Hero games, and Rock Band looking equally dismal, it seems that over-saturation has nearly killed the music genre. One has to ask companies like Activision “does the world really need over twenty entries in the Guitar Hero series in less than five years? Couple these games with an equally large amount of games like Rock Band, Band Hero, Rock Revolution, and even DJ Hero and one can see why the genre is dying.
So what’s the verdict, are these genres dying? What are some others?
For more top tens click the banner below:
More Articles
Am I the only person who thinks that the Racing genre is on its way to death. When you think about it, look at how popular racing was in the last two generations compared to this one. Of course Mario Kart will never die, but indie racing games never sell well anymore and even the big names like Gran Turismo and Need For Speed don't sell as well anymore. The only place they are doing ok is with Nintendo.
"a lot of developers looked at the successes of games such as Crash Bandicoot and Sly Cooper amongst others and said “we want some of that!” "
what a coincidence! thats exactly what the developers of those games did.
@ Zlejedi
I agree. Space combat & simulation games is really the genre that is dying. Or you could argue died 10 years ago and now survives on one or two decent releases a year.
IMO the last excellent one was Freelancer in 2005.
(Although that got a reception like Fable does, where it's an excellent game, but omitted lots of promised features...)
I want more isometric RPGs. I want a new Champions of Norrath, Baldur's Gate, etc. Those are my favorite kinds of games.
I'm glad the music genre is dying.
Ouch Oo
I agree with the survival horror genre being on this list. The only game I can think of lately which actually qualifies as a survival horror would be Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
On the other hand, I'm unbelievably glad that music games are finally dying off.
If it wasn't for SFIV, fighting gmes would have been on this list.
puzzle games: the fact is that Solitaire is free and is one of the most played games ever
Tony Hawk games were fun to play right up to post underground were it got stupid and skating went out in general. All those skate parks i go past are now drug nests for gangs and there is rarely any skating down.
beat'em ups?
go check castle crashers, scott pilgrim vs the world.
they are really great games, and people who play them really like them.
I disagree with pretty much everything on that list, there are a few that are right but most are just way off, where the hell is spaceship flyer on that list of dead genres?
Basically everything has transitioned to faster pace games. Which is somewhat true, I felt Red Dead Redemption was slow so I never really got into it as others did.
im trying to think of a good jrpg maybe ff8 definetly not ff7 or anyother
"So what’s the verdict, are these genres dying?"
No. They're just not as hugely popular as they used to be.
NEXT!!!
Streets Of Rage STILL a EPIC game!!!
The games have been relegated to handhelds. Not regulated.
I agree with all except classic jrgs as my ds has so many that revitalized the genre for me but consoles do not have these classic rpgs though i hope that will change with the coming of xenoblade and dragon quest X.
for the love of god, did people even read the damn thing!! He already mention portables for JRPGs, I think he was really referencing the lack of them on the consoles, which is kind of true
Classic JRPGs dying? Have you touched a PSP or DS this gen? Cause there was a 50% chance of a classical JRPG being in them.
RPGs in general really needed to evolve from what they used to be. Turn-based and isometric were definitely fun back in the day, but they just don't hold a candle to more action-based RPGs like Mass Effect 2, Fallout 3/New Vegas, Kingdom Hearts, Demon's Souls, and even MMOs.
hit or miss, but that RPG thing is spot on. i miss my turned based RPG's. i even got FF10 again. this new crap square enix has come up with has me leaving the franchise and i just got started.
@Naum:
You can't imagine how much I agree with you.
aw...side scrolling beat em ups. I still play Streets of Rage on my Genesis.
@Naum
Totally agree.
Did author really have to invite his own genre of mascot platformers (especially when shitload of platforms are on Wii) only to completly ignore tradicionl genres like space simulators or turn based strategy?
@ OniBaka
And isn't the PSP stumbling in sales everywhere except Japan? That fits in line with what the article said.
i don't think any type of rpg will truly ever die as long as their are people who are half as intelligent as they use to be back in the day o never mind rpg's might die its a shame people are idiots and losing interest in the good old rpg's i still love them and will always love them till the day i die/ as long as in my lifetime we don't lose them in any form i will be happy but after that its out of my hand/ but still a shame
I sure do miss all these great turnbased RPG's that was released during the SNES/PS1/PS2 era, everything now is pretty much buttonsmashing, taking away the good old time were you could lean back on your sofa and relax giving out commands in you own time
which means that every genre is dying except driving, sports, and 3rd person shooters!?
I liked horror games despite I haven't finished even one of them because they are so scary and I always have to play with a friend (and this friend generraly never comes). :P
whats left that ain't dying?I think you counted every damn genre expect motion control crap!!!
Classic JRPGs? No way....PSP is the king of these games.
I miss Isometric RPGS :/
rts might have to be there as well bar starcraft
