Next Gen - Death of the M-Rated Game?

[Dhruin]

We previously coverered some NPD data that suggested M-rated games were declining and it generated some discussion, so I thought it worth taking a look at this followup article at Next-Gen that tries to dig into the numbers a little (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9309&Itemid=2). Author Matt Matthews tries to correlate the NPD data against Gamerankings (a methodology he acknowledges is imperfect) and finds an even sharper decline:
Now, where did all the M-rated games go? They're down in absolute numbers and as a percentage of the market. In my count they're dropped from 148 releases in 2005 to 79 releases in 2007, a more dramatic drop than the one shown in the ESRB's numbers for ratings assigned.
More information. (http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/newsbit?newsbit=8115)

[guenthar]

This could be linked to a below article about the consolidation of the gaming industry into a few large companies. Large corpoations are only in the business for the money and by making all their games T or lower on rating they see that as trying for the largist market possible.

That would limit M rated games to small developers and maybe a couple by the big companies so they can get that audience and to show off technology.

[Zakhary]

I need tits and excessive violence :(

[guenthar]

M rated means you can do storylines that wouldn't work in a non-M rated game.

[zakhal]

Large corpoations are only in the business for the money and by making all their games T or lower on rating they see that as trying for the largist market possible.


You mean sex&violance doesnt sell? :) Perhaps they dont have enough resources to develop both adult AND teen games so they focus on one group only. Theres no way they would ever abandon teens so teens it is. Welcome mickey mouse and sonic the hedgehog roleplaying saga.

[txa1265]

Yet I would argue that if you look at the past several years that M games have played a disproportionate role in the best games out there.

[BillSeurer]

Large corpoations are only in the business for the money ...

What is a corporation supposed to be in business for? Gosh, to make money. If they make more money with T games than M games then it is in the best interests of their stockholders for them to make T games.

[Alrik Fassbauer]

What is a corporation supposed to be in business for? Gosh, to make money.

Well, I see it a bit differently than you.

Ages ago, the reason to do "business" was a) to supply people with goods they want/need, and b) to gain some profits.

The point where I see it differently than you is the scale of the profits.

In small companies, the profits are rather there to maintain the company and its employees.

But with a certain size of a company, this becomes out of control, so to say, and the "maintaining" principle is lost. The company just accumulate more and more like it will never ever stop. It has gone out of control, because the reason behaind gaining profits isn't anymore to maintain a company, but just to become bigger.

The only thing I see as similar like this is cancer.

[Squeek]

Funny how the direction of television and film seems to be going one way while video games are going in the other. Critics of all the increased nudity and violence in TV and film also blame corporate greed.

[doctor_kaz]

I don't understand what's being talked about here. Good M-rated games sell very well. Gears of War was a massive smash hit. Bioshock to a slightly lesser extent. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and The Witcher were successful on PC. GTA IV will probably sell 10 million copies across all platforms by the end of the year.