Out of all the “GOTY 2008” lists I’ve read, I couldn’t find one that featured a “winning” game that I felt any attachment to, not even Dtoid’s winnerLeft 4 Dead. It seems that gaming journalists are growing more and more out of touch with what makes a game not only worth playing, but also worth owning. I know a lot of the guys who write “PERFECT GAME! 10/10!” reviews for titles likeGTA IVandGears of War 2are paid off to do so, but that doesn’t change the fact that gaming reviews are growing ever less effective at helping gamers assess a game’s level of objective quality.
[viaVideogamepricecharts]
A lot of people’s GOTY,GTA IV(Xbox 360) comes in at a shockingly low $20.75, which is about one third of what the game is worth new. My personal GOTY 2008,Super Smash Bros. Brawl, comes in at a respectable $30.70, about three fifths of its retail value, and Dtoid’s pick,Left 4 Dead, comes in at a whopping $49.99, one of the highest of the bunch. However, none of them compare to toWii Sports‘s mark-up price of $24.00, which is a hell of a lot more expensive than free.
According to Henrick’s report, the overall trend is that the more “hardcore” a game is, the less it’s going to be worth in the long run. Apparently “casual” gamers tend to hold onto their games for longer, presumably because they actaully value them. “Hardcore” gamers don’t get as attached, which I guess means that they don’t like the games that they buy as much.
So to recap, Hardcore gamers don’t like games that much, and casual gamers actually value videogames. Your popcorn has been pissed in,film at a eleven.
