It's not so much an industry issue, as a AAA issue. Find indie gems, be happy.

Good thing there is absolutely nothing stopping you from playing old games only.

There are so great games. You just need to change your mindset.
Back in the "hay day", and given your (guessed) age there weren't that many "big studios". I'm still from the ZX Spectrum years and a lot of games were made by a couple of guys in some garage. They had a good idea and rolled with it. Obviously things evolved. And while those early games were made out of blood, sweat, tears and heart, game have gotten better overall. Yes, the current state of some games might not be as good, but maybe part of it is us.
There are many great games out there.

Firstly, you don't need to get games on day one. I don't buy games or DLCs on day 1. If I catch them on a very good sale, I might pick them up. I've bought amazing games for under 20 euros. Some for under 10. I really don't need to play the most recent stuff.

Second, look at indie games. Maybe even look outside steam if that is your jam. Itch is an interesting platform. A bit of a mess, yes, but if you put in the time you might find a couple of gems for next to nothing (or nothing, some are just free or "name your price").

Third, many great indie games on steam. Obviously a lot of times the most popular and more expensive games get to be the talk of the town. It's normal. Popular games and games with a bigger advertisement budget get more visibility. But look deeper. Some of the best rated (and most popular) games on steam are indie games. Rimworld, Kenshi, Oxygen not Included and so forth. Besides, there are so many great older games. I still play Fallout 4 (yeah, that anniversary release was a **** show). I still play Dungeon Keeper 2. Even Rimworld and Kenshi (two of my favourites) aren't young chicks anyhow.

Forth... maybe it's not just the games. It's us. My first Timex 48k (ZX Spectrum clone) came with an Arkanoid clone and Chuckie Egg. And for maybe a year those where the games I had, loved and played the hell out of. I didn't have anything else and I just adored to play them every day. Right now we are spoiled for choice. There thousands more games and (possibly) we have more money to buy games. Back then I could buy a game at my local news stand for what would now amount to about 10 euros if we factor in inflation. That is not the only criteria though. I can afford to spend well over 10 euros a month or a week on games. Back then? Not even one a month.

Fifth, games are fundamentally done more or less the same way. Coding. And a 48K game could be amazing but was tiny in comparison to a 10GB or 100GB game. The coding still has to be done (and it's a lot more code), the programmers still have to be paid. It's not one guy in a garage making a game in a couple of days. It hundreds of people going at it for years. This one time I made an arkanoid style game in a couple of hours (if memory serves me right it was done using C++). Games these days look much, much better. Much more realistic. Sure, there are other things to consider, but we, as older people, also have (or should have) better reasoning to chose wisely. And I still awe at amazing graphics, just also chose playability.

Ultimately, if the games today don't suit you (and given that games sell now more than they ever did, there is a market for it, just a different market) then you can adapt, live in the past or just give up gaming. I don't think you are that old to go on with the "back in the day...." line. Maybe gaming just isn't for you any more, pick some new hobby.

A side note about games these days. Most gamers these days demand graphics. 10K, 300FPS, smooth lighting effects, DLSS, RT and whatnot. So studios need to deliver that. Yes, there are games with pretty much no graphics at all (well, my favourite is Rimworld) that are stellar and have huge sales, but would a GTA 6 with graphics like San Andreas attract many players even if the "action" and story were amazing? I don't think so. And San Andreas is my favourite GTA ever.

引用自 x：

There are so great games. You just need to change your mindset.
Back in the "hay day", and given your (guessed) age there weren't that many "big studios". I'm still from the ZX Spectrum years and a lot of games were made by a couple of guys in some garage. They had a good idea and rolled with it. Obviously things evolved. And while those early games were made out of blood, sweat, tears and heart, game have gotten better overall. Yes, the current state of some games might not be as good, but maybe part of it is us.
There are many great games out there.

Firstly, you don't need to get games on day one. I don't buy games or DLCs on day 1. If I catch them on a very good sale, I might pick them up. I've bought amazing games for under 20 euros. Some for under 10. I really don't need to play the most recent stuff.

Second, look at indie games. Maybe even look outside steam if that is your jam. Itch is an interesting platform. A bit of a mess, yes, but if you put in the time you might find a couple of gems for next to nothing (or nothing, some are just free or "name your price").

Third, many great indie games on steam. Obviously a lot of times the most popular and more expensive games get to be the talk of the town. It's normal. Popular games and games with a bigger advertisement budget get more visibility. But look deeper. Some of the best rated (and most popular) games on steam are indie games. Rimworld, Kenshi, Oxygen not Included and so forth. Besides, there are so many great older games. I still play Fallout 4 (yeah, that anniversary release was a **** show). I still play Dungeon Keeper 2. Even Rimworld and Kenshi (two of my favourites) aren't young chicks anyhow.

Forth... maybe it's not just the games. It's us. My first Timex 48k (ZX Spectrum clone) came with an Arkanoid clone and Chuckie Egg. And for maybe a year those where the games I had, loved and played the hell out of. I didn't have anything else and I just adored to play them every day. Right now we are spoiled for choice. There thousands more games and (possibly) we have more money to buy games. Back then I could buy a game at my local news stand for what would now amount to about 10 euros if we factor in inflation. That is not the only criteria though. I can afford to spend well over 10 euros a month or a week on games. Back then? Not even one a month.

Fifth, games are fundamentally done more or less the same way. Coding. And a 48K game could be amazing but was tiny in comparison to a 10GB or 100GB game. The coding still has to be done (and it's a lot more code), the programmers still have to be paid. It's not one guy in a garage making a game in a couple of days. It hundreds of people going at it for years. This one time I made an arkanoid style game in a couple of hours (if memory serves me right it was done using C++). Games these days look much, much better. Much more realistic. Sure, there are other things to consider, but we, as older people, also have (or should have) better reasoning to chose wisely. And I still awe at amazing graphics, just also chose playability.

Ultimately, if the games today don't suit you (and given that games sell now more than they ever did, there is a market for it, just a different market) then you can adapt, live in the past or just give up gaming. I don't think you are that old to go on with the "back in the day...." line. Maybe gaming just isn't for you any more, pick some new hobby.

A side note about games these days. Most gamers these days demand graphics. 10K, 300FPS, smooth lighting effects, DLSS, RT and whatnot. So studios need to deliver that. Yes, there are games with pretty much no graphics at all (well, my favourite is Rimworld) that are stellar and have huge sales, but would a GTA 6 with graphics like San Andreas attract many players even if the "action" and story were amazing? I don't think so. And San Andreas is my favourite GTA ever.

Worst post I ever read and direct from ChatGPT... This is HORRIABLE! Worst of all direct from a kid with absolute zero Experience.. :(
He not even read my post.................................. Cringe as F

引用自 SWENinja：

Worst post I ever read and direct from ChatGPT... This is HORRIABLE! Worst of all direct from a kid with absolute zero Experience.. :(
He not even read my post.................................. Cringe as F

I will gladly take that as a compliment. Never wrote a "horriable" post before.

Those are some really rose colored glasses you have there.

引用自 x：

引用自 SWENinja：

Worst post I ever read and direct from ChatGPT... This is HORRIABLE! Worst of all direct from a kid with absolute zero Experience.. :(
He not even read my post.................................. Cringe as F

I will gladly take that as a compliment. Never wrote a "horriable" post before.

ChatGPT have no respect

I think the problem is the gamers. Many of them seem to be bored with gaming, and hark back to their younger days when games were new and exciting for them.

引用自 Pocahawtness：

I think the problem is the gamers. Many of them seem to be bored with gaming, and hark back to their younger days when games were new and exciting for them.

I still find myself playing games that I enjoyed back in the 80's. Although I don't fully agree with everything said by OP it has become more about cash grabs and cash cows than making a truly good game in say in the last 5 years or more. I see very few and when I do find one I can tell no love or pride was put into making it. To many want to release a game and let someone fix it for them. To many rehashes of the same thing, just a new title to sell. I think the last game I bought that was different and good was Death Stranding. You will always find things in games that could have had a little more work or an exploit overlooked sometimes put in, but lets say TES 6 does release, I would say we would be lucky if it even booted up until a patch was released, and other game companies are quick to follow in that regard. Had high hopes myself for the Sacred 2 remaster, just take a look yourself at what is being said.
Sometimes I do find gems that I have thousands of hours in even though I am older gen, but even those are older games for some, Craft the World, Dragon's Dogma DA, even Terraria, my favorite is RPG and Strategy genres though. Wish Sirtech was still around to make more like Wizardry 8:)

引用自 Pocahawtness：

I think the problem is the gamers. Many of them seem to be bored with gaming, and hark back to their younger days when games were new and exciting for them.

Not just gamers. I guess it's part of human nature... good old "back in my time...". Music was better, movies were better, games were better, cars were better... Older generation talk. But let's be real. I absolutely adored some ZX Spectrum games that I played for hours and hours. But come on. Comparing games today with absolute monsters like Arkanoid or Space Invaders?
They were the best of that time but we have come so, so far away from them.
And yes, a lot of games are cash grabs, poorly designed and so on. But we have so much to chose from these days. Steam alone has more than 100k games.
I for once am glad I'm not still playing Chuckie Egg, Jet set Willy or Renegade. And Match Day... loved the game, hated the music... lol

Most of the things you’re complaining about are mainly a problem with live-service games or games from huge AAA studios IMHO. There’s a lot more to modern gaming than those two categories.

引用自 Pocahawtness：

I think the problem is the gamers. Many of them seem to be bored with gaming, and hark back to their younger days when games were new and exciting for them.

IDK, with the exception of Custer's Revenge, Atari 2600 games kinda sucked.

Been gaming for 30 years and absolutely agree. Without indie games it would be a total graveyard.

Those are some really rose colored glasses you have there.

I have over 35 years of gaming under the belt abd it never has been better.