Dead Services (The Jimquisition) In a recent installment of "The Jimquisition," Jim Sterling dives deep into the collapse of several game services from Square Enix, framing the discussion with his signature humor and biting criticism. This episode highlights the dismal fate of titles like Babylon's Fall, Chocobo GP, and Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, all of which were marketed as live-service games but quickly fell out of favor.
Key Highlights
Rant Against Game Culture: Sterling criticizes the gaming industry's reliance on developers' promises of ongoing support for live service games, arguing that these commitments are often empty. He asserts that many publishers, including Square Enix, prioritize profit over player experience, leading to disastrous outcomes for new titles.
The Downfall of Live Services: The video outlines how these games, designed to create long-term engagement, ended up being shut down prematurely. For instance, The First Soldier, launched in late 2021, is set to end operations within a year, demonstrating the industry's precarious nature. Sterling laments that such short lifespans reflect a larger trend where games are abandoned once they cease to generate sufficient revenue.
Square Enix Under Fire: The discussion notably targets Square Enix's approach to game development and service management. Sterling expresses his disdain for how the company has handled multiple high-profile titles, drawing parallels to its notorious history with microtransactions and aggressive monetization strategies.
Cynicism of Continuous Support: Sterling declares, "Don’t trust these games," emphasizing that the promise of continued content and improvements rarely materializes. He recalls the infamous promise of long-term support for another failed service, Anthem, providing a backdrop for his skepticism toward future projects.
Comedic yet Critical Tone: Throughout the episode, Sterling balances heavy critique with humor, making light of some grim realities in game publishing. His trademark comedic style makes this topic, although serious, entertaining and relatable for viewers.
Conclusion and Community Engagement
Sterling's entertaining rant serves as both a wake-up call and a satirical commentary on the gaming industry’s often misguided ventures into live-service models. It's not just a critique of Square Enix but also a broader commentary on game development practices that could resonate with any gamer who feels let down by recent titles. Given the level of audience engagement with these topics, what are your thoughts on live-service games? Do you think there's any hope for improvement in how companies manage ongoing game support? Share your experiences with live services in the forums! Feel free to check out related discussions on game monetization, development practices, and personal experiences with live service titles!