I think there are too many movies on games these days. If I want to watch a movie, I'll watch TV or go to a theater. But don't make us sit for 5-10 minutes waiting for exposition and story. *^^* We just want to play!
True, they aren't even doing it properly as well.
JRPG's are the story genre. They were the genre to actually introduce story telling into it, while having gameplay. So, essentially the genre cannot be engaged with without expecting this. However, other genres do not have this. Yet, a lot of games are doing that. It is like, if you want a lot of story, you play JRPG style games.
If you just want to play for more gameplay, you play other genres.
The major problem though is that the gameplay have taken quite a hit on both ends. I have said this before, but look back to Valkyrie Profile 2 Silmeria.
This is a perfect example on how to mix cinematics with gameplay. The Soul Crush system is linked into the gameplay. The game is essentially, a combo fighter semi-turn based. It uses a very complex system, with most battles being like a mini dungeon. You have to also set up the field with Dais to give yourself an advantage, since stats means pretty much nothing in that game.
Anyway, when you initiate the Soul Crush. Each character has their own, and a cinematic scene plays out. Fast, but slow enough to admire. And it keeps that intensity throughout the whole game, just building it up more and more.
It appears now, that they are not understanding the proper separation and how to effectively link it in. Even the mechanics have become so barebones. Slow, surface level, etc. They focus so much on the movie part, which isn't even anything good, just mid.
Take FFX, they linked in the cinematics into the battle itself without dragging out the time. They actually used it for both purposes.
I just don't understand what they are doing anymore. Some research says they are risk averse. Which is true, but also kind of misleading.
The broad appeal that just ends up creating a mid game is kind of right, but not the full picture. Take into account that they have a large hierarchy, and nothing much can get done unless they go through that long line. Along the way, the people working on the game are still getting paid, so increased cost due to mismanagement.
So, they end up with a bloated budget, and become risk averse as a reason. They try to make games, for people who really don't play games, and we get the current mess we are in.
Their mismanagement leads to costs so high, that they need more and more unreasonable numbers just to break even.
And what do we get as a result? The most water down game. I remember the time when quality was just nonstop. However, as they grew larger, they started to get trapped in by the hierarchy system, and ended up shooting themselves in the foot.
Which, without proper consumer pushback, they will keep doing it.
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