Gamasutra - The Cycle of Life
The second game analysis piece today is from Gamasutra and is titled The Circle of Life: An Analysis of the Game Product Lifecycle. The article contends that specific game (sub) genres have a clear life cycle, with the public becoming enamoured with new genres and then eventually becoming bored with it over time, ultimately leaving the genre a small niche with only a small group of hardcore devotees. Seem familiar? The actual example used is the Adventure genre, although clearly it could be applied to CRPGs -- if you accept the premise:
During the niche stage, the audience begins to fragment. Not surprisingly, people have difficulty maintaining nonessential skills at elite levels for long periods of time. Burnout erodes communities from within and many players lose both their skills and their urge to keep buying new games from the genre. The virtuous circle that produced the homogeneous market of gamers falters. Their addiction fades.