starz36 Wrote - “I really hope this is not the case, I play Horizon like any other game, 10h in it, move back to Motorsport. Horizon is very fun, but lack length. The marketing crew can say whatver they want about 700+ events, but it is pretty much 7 times the same 100 events…”
What strikes me more now than ever before, is the absolute need for me to play Horizions in order for me to climb the Tierage pile,
I’ve almost completed Forza 5 and 6, have some left to do admittedly in Forza 4, but have completed all but 1-2% of previous Firzas, but in order for me to now rise in tierage, I “must complete” Forza Horizion 1&2 and the Fast n Furious game as well IF I’m to rise above tier 8 in Forza Motorsports.
That alone tells me that the two game are SiameseLy linked to each other, and slowly being “blended” together in order to become one - in due course.
The day that happens, ten years of support for a franchise goes out the window, and I move to another game as my base racing game. Which is nothing in and of itself, as I’ll be replaced by several other very casual gamers, The franchise will make more financial income from my departure, than it would if I stayed.
Every genuine hardcore racing game player will be happily replaced with several casual gamers that don’t care one way or another if a cars gauges are incorrect, or the aerodynamics aren’t right with a certain class of GT car, or that the Hybrid System isn’t working properly.
The team won’t care less, as they simply be focused on supplying more bang for your buck for the casual console player. That buys the game then puts it aside, while others basically do the same. Use, rinse, repeat…
I spoke with a manager of a leading Sydney gaming store recently that I knew from my Xbox website days. He said he gets more ‘repeat’ business from the casual player than he does from the hardcore players. He sells more new and used copies of Forza than any other racer, but to the casual gamer.
The hardcore racers are purchasing on day one, and often pre-ordering, but he did say that pre-orders were lessening as years roll on. So it’s in their best interest sales wise to sell and cater for the casual gamer purchaser, NOT the ardent fan base that might exist for a certain franchise. That buys once a year, rather than several times a year.
All of which make perfect and logical financial sense when one thinks about it.
Do you continue to work on a game that is growing smaller each iteration financially due to heavy licensing fees, cost of production etc etc.
Or, do you recreate the game to cater for the ever growing audience that’s in the ‘here and now moment’??? That cares less about exact replicas, or the latest supercar or hybrid racing car that’ll cost tens of thousands to even get hold of, yet alone reproduce.
It doesn’t take a math genius to work out which way the pendulum swings, now does it. Money in the bank talks louder than the fan base does in the end.
