I think all of us who play video games have the strange feeling that something is wrong. That there is a bubble about to burst that is somehow limping along despite the million-dollar numbers, and it seems that no one is steering in a market increasingly directed at a consumer and not an active player. If you liked Fortnite, you’ll like these other fifty generic Fortnites. If you liked Overwatch, we’ve created a hundred identical games with nothing that stands out. Have you ever felt this way? Don’t worry: you’re not alone.
Rayadium Album
Do you remember Disco Elysium? It was an amazing game that became a mass phenomenon, and everything seemed to indicate that it was going to give birth to a franchise. Instead, the studio ZA/UM fired almost everyone and they have dispersed into small mini-studios where everyone is waiting to release the spiritual sequel of the game that truly resonates with the audience.
One of them is the screenwriter Dora Klindžić, who, after her experience, is very clear about what is happening: “I think this industry is over. But, luckily for everyone, video games are not.” In fact, the studio she set up afterward, Summer Eternal, aims to fight against the big companies that want to interfere in her art, which is very commendable. We will have to see if she succeeds, because the industry may not be as dead as she claims.
The idea is clear, of course: “I subscribe to the accelerationist view that the only way to achieve better conditions is by entering crises that highlight the contradictions of society and force us to remake the world.” For now, Klindžić has made it clear that his anti-capitalist view of the industry does not necessarily translate into a sequel to Disco Elysium and that, really, no one should expect that as the first game from his studio. But of course, on the other hand… We are all aware that this is exactly what we are going to compare it to, right?
