YoVG # 452 GAMESCOM ONL 2024

Positive up front: there was some cool stuff announced here. Not much gameplay, yeah, but still cool things coming. We don't go game by game. Rather we talk generally about the showing and then go into some loves and hates specifically. Tiny bit of cynicism: Everything was very safe. Which adds to our fears that the next year or two will be rough for the industry and this is only the beginning. Much like the film industry, gaming is going into a downsizing and that means "safer" ideas will be the only ones pursued. That doesn't mean cheaper, though. It means less games, and more budget for the blockbusters they think will make big money. It means more shovelware and big companies trying to bottle the magic captured by indie darlings.