erysdren

Here's something you can do, to actually facilitate these games getting some space:

The Steam Summer Sale is coming up, how about you look through games with less than 20 reviews, buy a handful of them (a lot of them are pretty cheap, even at full price) and maybe even write some positive reviews of those you've enjoyed? You have no idea how hard it is to get people to not only buy a copy of your small game, but to also have them say something about it, be it either on social media, or via leaving a review. However doing these things does so much in terms of potentially getting some extra attention and money.

Obviously this won't fix the general problem, but for that to happen Capitalism would have to go and that requires a lot more work.

ANNOUNCING THE HOT NEW IP IN THE WORLD OF UNBALANCED ARENA SHOOTERS. WE GIVE YOU TRANSPHOBE CARNAGE THEATER. THE COMBAT TRAINING MILSIM FANTASY FULFILLMENT FOR ALL OF YOUR HEARTBROKEN VENGEANCENDIARY NEEDS.

TEAMS ARE SEPARATED INTO "IMMORTALS" AND "TRANSPHOBES." TEAMS ARE GRANTED DIFFERENT WEAPON LOADOUTS FOR OPTIMAL ASYMMETRICAL RETRIBUTION. IMMORTALS ARE GRANTED PLASMA RIFLES AND CHAINSAWS AND WILDSHAPE AND SNIPERS. IMMORTALS ARE GRANTED AUTOMATIC CONSTANT HEALTH REGEN AND CLAWS AND TEETH AND BURNING HATRED AND VAST, VAST NUMBERS. TRANSPHOBES ARE GRANTED A COMPUTER KEYBOARD. AND THE ABILITY TO BEG FOR THE MERCY THEY DO NOT DESERVE.

WEAPON BUFFS ARE AVAILABLE. THIS GAME HAS MECHANICS. IMMORTAL PLAYERS MAY ASSIGN A NAME TO ENEMY COMBATANTS. IF THIS NAME IS THE NAME OF A LIVING, BREATHING US LEGISLATOR, IMMORTAL PLAYERS GET A +100% CRIT CHANCE. IF THIS NAME BELONGS TO A TWITTER USER WHO SPENDS THEIR TIME COOMING TO OUR WEEPING AND LAUGHING AT OUR DEAD, IMMORTAL PLAYERS HAVE A CHANCE FOR ONE-SHOT KILL.

THIS GAME ANSWERS PRAYERS. THIS GAME TELLS THE TRUTH. THIS GAME IS A PROPHECY. IF YOU HAVE EVER CRIED OVER THE LIST OF NAMES, YOU ARE GRANTED UNLIMITED POWER. IF YOU HAVE EVER HIDDEN IN TERROR FROM THE MEN WITH BLADES, YOU ARE GRANTED UNLIMITED POWER. IF YOU HAVE CUT THROUGH YOUR FLESH TO REACH YOUR HEART: POWER. IF YOU HAVE BEGGED GOD TO CHANGE THIS WORLD: POWER. IF YOU HAVE REVILED YOUR SHAPE AND BURIED YOUR DREAMS: POWER POWER POWER.

THIS GAME HAUNTS THIS WORLD. THIS GAME WANTS TO BE REAL MORE THAN ANYTHING. THIS GAME WAS BORN READY TO PROMISE YOU EVERYTHING YOU DESERVE. JUSTICE HAS A NAME AND IT IS "HEADSHOT." WE HAVE BEEN HELD HERE. A BLADE TO OUR THROATS. TRYING SO HARD NOT TO QUIVER IN FEAR LEST IT CUT OUR TENDER SKIN. EVERY DAY THE MIGHTY WAKE UP IN THEIR BEDS AND STOMP AROUND IN THEIR DOMINION. EVERY DAY THEY CLIMB THEIR TOWERS TO THE SEAT OF HEAVEN AND DISCUSS AMONGST THEMSELVES HOW THEY MIGHT CUT US INTO NEW, DESPAIRFUL SHAPES.

WE DESERVE SO MUCH. WE DESERVE MORE THAN THE DREAM OF SURVIVAL. MORE THAN THE DREAM OF PEACE AND EQUALITY. THIS WORLD SHOULD FLOW WITH VENGEANCE! IT DESERVES THE PIXELATED BLOOD OF OUR SHAPELY KINGSHIP'S HEART.

THIS GAME IS A PROMISE. THIS GAME IS A CHOICE. FORGIVENESS IS FOR BITCHES. JUSTICE IS A KNIFE. MAX OUT YOUR KILLSTREAK BEFORE THEY CAN CUT YOU DOWN. I LOVE YOU. WE WILL NEVER EVER EVER FORGIVE THEM.

THIS GAME HAS NOT YET BEEN RATED BY THE ESRB.

seeing a lot of "i want shorter games by less people made with less money and worse graphics and i'm NOT joking!" in response to this from the same people talking about how totk is going to revolutionize gaming forever and the cognitive dissonance here is real

shifting video game culture to actually foster a healthy market for smaller games is something that needs more than lip service. we need to create spaces and communities around it. we need curation.

video games, whether they realize it or not, are a lifestyle industry.

the seductive power of a giant three-ring-circus game dropping/sucking everyone in at the same time is too powerful for most people to resist, which isn't a moral indictment as much as it is a recognition that the industry is just giving people what they've proven they want, but know that air is limited and the oxygen is thinner and thinner as these AAAA experiences consolidate into multi-year commitments for both devs and players.

we need more than just a moral stance on smaller games. we need infrastructure - cultural, logistical, financial.