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.