Post to share opinions on the future of Western video games, movies, and VA.

[Siegburn]

As the title says, I would like to know your opinion on how you view the current situation of these three categories regarding the industry crisis:

1. Are Western AAA games on the verge of dying? I think so, because if the news about Sony leaving California to return to Japan is true (that wouldn't be a bad thing), that would mean the death of their industry there. Knowing that they make garbage games that fail every month, they spend too much on activist employees who develop games nobody wants, and then they close studios only to relocate them elsewhere. Without Sony, they'll be on their own, and we know all of them except Rockstar will die because they don't have the legs to support their next failure. Another detail is the layoffs due to AI; if they already release broken games, now they'll be rendered, haha.
2. This point is extensive because it involves the entire Hollywood industry, as they are releasing mediocre movies and losing too much money, resulting in layoffs to cover losses. Last year, Hollywood ended the year with a loss of over 8 billion, surpassing pandemic losses. Now, with the news about AI and Netflix's purchase of Warner, the film industry will shrink into a niche trying to survive, but only those that aren't "woke" will make it.
   
   
3. Here it's the same as above: AI voices. The strike that happened was useless, and honestly, I still don't understand how on earth they thought of "negotiating" with the bosses without a lawyer. It's the lawyer who would help ensure they aren't thrown out like dogs, according to what's agreed in their contract, and the law doesn't back them up either. But here, the only thing that matters to me is that Japan is developing AI voices for dubbing. So, if they replace the horrible voices of activists with real professionals, we all win.

 

[Arkus86]

Not dying. Changing, perhaps, but not dying. Some of the large companies might not be doing well right now, but others like EA and ActiBlizz are doing great despite their failures. Then there are Larian Studios and Baldur's Gate 3. And MMO's and other online multiplayer games, where there is a number of very popular Western titles. So yeah, you can't say Western (AAA) games are dying, just because you are focusing on some prominent games that failed.

As for movies, the industry is moving to streaming platforms and might not be living its golden days right now, but it is far from dying too.

 

[foxes]

There are many issues listed here that would require separate discussions, which would lead to several more... But I'm glad for the emergence of AI and the excitement it's creating.

I've worked in the gaming industry and in various entertainment and cultural sectors. The main problems for me personally are pretentiousness, self-righteousness, and bias. Imagine, there are many talented people in the world, but they have to work as loaders not because there's a shortage of hands. But because so many people are applying for the same job. They are forced to reject them for silly reasons so as not to have to choose between equally good candidates. And even after getting a job, you're still forced to compete within the team according to the same silly rules. And all this creates yet another problem: a lack of fulfillment.

How much do you have to overcome to create something that's in your head, or to find a way to apply your skills, and even get feedback? What I've listed is just a small part, the very beginning, and of all the many, only a few make it to the end. We can say that we have platforms where you can publish your work. But what about people who can play an instrument but don't have their own songs? What about graphic editors who don't have orders because there's little demand for them? And so on. You might think AI only complicates this, but no.

It displaces those who enjoyed the advantage of selection. Now, anyone can create what they were lacking with the help of AI. And no longer suffer from being uncommunicative, unpresentable, or lacking someone on their team to develop their project. I just wait and hope that all these monopolies will collapse thanks to AI. And the people who didn't give a damn about everyone from above will turn out to be just like everyone else. Yes, that's right. A man who receives millions for his vote will condescend to people who are no worse than him.

It's the same with all these mega-games that are crushed under their own weight and internal corporate carnage. Everyone has more and more opportunities to create something truly new and interesting.

 

[BigBadBoi]

1. The major ones are currently going into a freefall but I don't see them crashing and burning as hard as subisoft yet. They still have a lot of money to spare to churn out slop. They'll ust layoff more employees if they're losing enough money.
2. Hollywood always sucked ass and streaming services and platforms like youtube are already killing them by a thousand cuts especially since COVID hit. It's barely surviving through a few major hits tho.
3. AI voices suck ass. Just go hire people NOT a part of the circlejerk that is the western voice acting industry. There are some VAs are pretty decent and talented tbh but their talents are squandered by hack voice acting directors as well. If you've searched around for the SAG AFTRA controversies the voice actor "union" is basically a clique of the most insufferable people imaginable fleecing their members by taking a good chunk of their pay along with a hefty joining "fee". Not joining is also problematic because they have connections and will blacklist you. Good thing the genshin voice actor drama exposed these parasites.

 

[foxes]

AI voices suck ass.

You can always voice it yourself, and the AI will just change the tone of your voice. And it will be of high quality. Deepfakes in "Hollywood" are worse than what outsiders do.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

1. Western Triple AAA gaming has had too much bloat over the years at the giant corporation level due to DEI policies. Also, they're too invested into photo-realism and way too little in the question of... 'is it fun?' The pasts success has given way to pretentiousness as the golden age of Triple A games was around 10-15 years ago. Many of these companies think they can dictate what fans will like because of the amount of love gamers had for them in the past, and are now failing because of that self-importance.

The other half of it is that the golden age of gaming attracted a lot of investors who DO NOT care about gamers or what gamers want. So many developers are trying to please investors and adopting models they think will be profitable or 'more profitable' by doing copy cat live service games simply because they found one of them was immensely profitable.

They forget they are an entertainment industry, and they can only squeeze so much before people just decide to start a different hobby.
Instead, when they fail, they start gaslighting their would be customers, but in reality it's still just entertainment.

2. Hollywood is suffering from the same thing as Western Triple A gaming. They think they are smarter than their viewers and that whatever garbage they write will be eaten up and praised, simply because they pay media outlets to praise them.

However, with streaming, they can't expect movies to make as much money as before. So large expensive projects aren't going to fill seats at theaters, and more money is being spent on long series that will take up more time. The problem with a long series however, is that due to the length of episodes, they often lack the same quality as a 1-3 hour movie where seconds are much more important.

Also, the quality of writing and acting has gone down. Most of the current media seems to forget they are a movie, and thus they forget to show and instead result to making characters talk too much which often affects the emotional impact of a scene. There are no more strong visuals where characters will show emotions with their just their face, and everything is always verbalized which eventually makes characters seem whiny and unlikeable.

Writers often forget they are writing for a visual media, not a cheap web novel, and it shows in the way most modern shows are today, which only appeals to a niche audience instead of a broader one unless it has some sort of exciting flare to.

3. I personally don't enjoy, or like AI. I don't even use Chat GPT or any of the programs. I find AI to be inaccurate and often flawed as it is only the result of algorithms and not actual intelligence or rational thought. Simply put, AI has no critical thinking skills, so for any good result you'll need someone to monitor its results.

AI can be used to perform tasks in that someone isn't able to do themselves, but the results will often be mixed and things may seem off.

 

[BearlyAlive]

Strange that most problems seem to stem from the same root, they're replacing expertise with a checklist because "the numbers support our ideas", yet the numbers they pull are either biased or entirely fake. And they lack passion.

VA was always a cesspool, so maybe AI acting can finally break it down so it can be rebuilt into something at least resembling legal structures. Or at least get good voice directors, especially for japanese stuff... If a name is in katakana and not obviously japanese, then u is silent unless stretched, damnit! The amount of "Aruku" instead of "Arc" or similar stuff pisses me off. But that's my fault for being a translator, I guess...

 

[Arkus86]

Also, the quality of writing and acting has gone down. Most of the current media seems to forget they are a movie, and thus they forget to show and instead result to making characters talk too much which often affects the emotional impact of a scene. There are no more strong visuals where characters will show emotions with their just their face, and everything is always verbalized which eventually makes characters seem whiny and unlikeable.

Strange that most problems seem to stem from the same root, they're replacing expertise with a checklist because "the numbers support our ideas", yet the numbers they pull are either biased or entirely fake. And they lack passion.

Recently I have seen the 2025 Snow White. It... was not terrible, but the checklist was obvious, and the most memorable part of the movie for me is, how poorly most of the songs were done. In one in particular, the actress outright sounded like she just wanted the scene to be over.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

My opinion is that if they fall or don't fall, someone will still be there making something that I'll get. So I don't really care. Just like how people want me to hate the Harry Potter author, whats-her-name, like I'm obligated to care about the drama.

 

[Siegburn]

Recently I have seen the 2025 Snow White. It... was not terrible, but the checklist was obvious, and the most memorable part of the movie for me is, how poorly most of the songs were done. In one in particular, the actress outright sounded like she just wanted the scene to be over.

I watched the movie review and it's just like you said—the woke checkbox is way too obvious. And about the songs, I guess you heard them in the original language? The review played the song in my language and the voice was… "nice," I guess, but Disney songs are so generic these days. Except the ones before 2010—those were total bangers you could loop 'til you got sick of 'em.

My opinion is that if they fall or don't fall, someone will still be there making something that I'll get. So I don't really care. Just like how people want me to hate the Harry Potter author, whats-her-name, like I'm obligated to care about the drama.

Couple things about your point—you're not wrong, but I wanna highlight this:

1. You're right, but we're talking about the U.S. games and movie industry. An industry that's slammed and on its last legs. It's true that if they die, someone else will step in—that's how it's always been. The problem is that the rep of U.S. entertainment is in the gutter now. If you saw the news about The Gayest Things, you'd get it—if the whole world is rejecting you, it doesn't help for someone to just take your spot. The only real future would be niche games and movies that cater to a non-woke sector, but that'll be a strictly domestic market because they lost the international one a long time ago.
2. The Harry Potter author makes bank from her franchise royalties. Meaning, as long as there are Potterheads, she'll keep making money and will never lose.

 

[SouthernMaiden]

As the title says, I would like to know your opinion on how you view the current situation of these three categories regarding the industry crisis:

1. Are Western AAA games on the verge of dying? I think so, because if the news about Sony leaving California to return to Japan is true (that wouldn't be a bad thing), that would mean the death of their industry there. Knowing that they make garbage games that fail every month, they spend too much on activist employees who develop games nobody wants, and then they close studios only to relocate them elsewhere. Without Sony, they'll be on their own, and we know all of them except Rockstar will die because they don't have the legs to support their next failure. Another detail is the layoffs due to AI; if they already release broken games, now they'll be rendered, haha.
2. This point is extensive because it involves the entire Hollywood industry, as they are releasing mediocre movies and losing too much money, resulting in layoffs to cover losses. Last year, Hollywood ended the year with a loss of over 8 billion, surpassing pandemic losses. Now, with the news about AI and Netflix's purchase of Warner, the film industry will shrink into a niche trying to survive, but only those that aren't "woke" will make it.
   
   
3. Here it's the same as above: AI voices. The strike that happened was useless, and honestly, I still don't understand how on earth they thought of "negotiating" with the bosses without a lawyer. It's the lawyer who would help ensure they aren't thrown out like dogs, according to what's agreed in their contract, and the law doesn't back them up either. But here, the only thing that matters to me is that Japan is developing AI voices for dubbing. So, if they replace the horrible voices of activists with real professionals, we all win.

So many Japanese video games have been extremely mid lately. And replacing "activists" with AI slop is the worst idea I've ever heard in my entire life. Also, conservatives are physically unable to make decent art, so good look getting rid of "woke" artists, VAs, ect. I agree that Western Games mostly suck, especially AAA, but they're still better than gatcha slop.

 

[Siegburn]

Strange that most problems seem to stem from the same root, they're replacing expertise with a checklist because "the numbers support our ideas", yet the numbers they pull are either biased or entirely fake. And they lack passion.

VA was always a cesspool, so maybe AI acting can finally break it down so it can be rebuilt into something at least resembling legal structures. Or at least get good voice directors, especially for japanese stuff... If a name is in katakana and not obviously japanese, then u is silent unless stretched, damnit! The amount of "Aruku" instead of "Arc" or similar stuff pisses me off. But that's my fault for being a translator, I guess...

None of those are real numbers—it's all mental gymnastics and something called "DEI quotas" or ESG points, which basically translates to bribes for the bosses in these industries. That's why the games and film industry is in deep shit right now. I'd even go as far as to think Microsoft is behind this, because good ol' Bill G. stands to gain the most from replacing people with the AI he's pushing.

I didn’t quite get what you meant here—could you explain it better?

About U.S. VAs—yeah, it's just like you said. Talentless people who are activists on top of it. Have you seen the recent drama popping up? I'm shocked that games from 10 years ago are being dug up now just to talk about how bad the subs and English dub are, like with NieR:Automata (me, a total Chad, reading it in my native language while listening to Mikasa's sweet voice, lol). And there’s also the fact that replacement is coming whether they like it or not. Japan is pushing AI voices for international dubbing, and trust me—if you hear Aoi Yuuki (Tanya the commie-killing loli) in your own language, and some U.S. VA asks who you prefer... obviously the U.S. VA gets kicked to the curb like trash to make way for real professional talent.

You know Phil Collins dubbed all the Tarzan songs in different languages? Well, it’ll be kinda like that—what Japan’s aiming to do. It’ll cost a fortune, but it’ll be totally worth it for us.

So many Japanese video games have been extremely mid lately. And replacing "activists" with AI slop is the worst idea I've ever heard in my entire life. Also, conservatives are physically unable to make decent art, so good look getting rid of "woke" artists, VAs, ect. I agree that Western Games mostly suck, especially AAA, but they're still better than gatcha slop.

The reason Japan is putting out mid games now is because of Sony. They used to drop quality bangers because Sony pushed for top-tier products. Then Sony dipped to California, and that’s when the decline started for both sides.

And you’re right about the "AI"—especially 'cause it's not even real AI, more like a glorified Windows XP assistant algorithm. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but they’re dumping crazy money into it and acting like it’s the future, when there isn’t even a real market for it yet.

I’m talking about the U.S. industry here, so yeah—that industry will die. How can something unsustainable that racks up massive losses every year keep going? It’s all propped up by investors watching their cash burn while the Asian competition invests smart, makes bank, and leaves them in the dust 'cause they’re too busy being woke.

Outside the U.S., “conservatives” just means protecting historical ruins, so if you think straight people—from Asia or anywhere else—have no talent, then you’re clearly living in a bubble, lol.

As a gacha player, I disagree. You play gacha "cause you want to, you spend if you feel like it". And those are two things Western devs don’t really get: money and success. Sure, some gachas shut down, but that’s like jumping into shark-infested waters—you gotta have strong footing to swim there. And Japan? They basically created the market but already lost that fight, lol.

You can always voice it yourself, and the AI will just change the tone of your voice. And it will be of high quality. Deepfakes in "Hollywood" are worse than what outsiders do.

About U.S. VAs—yeah, it's just like you said. Talentless people who are activists on top of it. Have you seen the recent drama popping up? I'm shocked that games from 10 years ago are being dug up now just to talk about how bad the subs and English dub are, like with NieR:Automata (me, a total Chad, reading it in my native language while listening to Mikasa's sweet voice, lol). And there’s also the fact that replacement is coming whether they like it or not. Japan is pushing AI voices for international dubbing, and trust me—if you hear Aoi Yuuki (Tanya the commie-killing loli) in your own language, and some U.S. VA asks who you prefer... obviously the U.S. VA gets kicked to the curb like trash to make way for real professional talent.

You know Phil Collins dubbed all the Tarzan songs in different languages? Well, it’ll be kinda like that—what Japan’s aiming to do. It’ll cost a fortune, but it’ll be totally worth it for us.

Not dying. Changing, perhaps, but not dying. Some of the large companies might not be doing well right now, but others like EA and ActiBlizz are doing great despite their failures. Then there are Larian Studios and Baldur's Gate 3. And MMO's and other online multiplayer games, where there is a number of very popular Western titles. So yeah, you can't say Western (AAA) games are dying, just because you are focusing on some prominent games that failed.

As for movies, the industry is moving to streaming platforms and might not be living its golden days right now, but it is far from dying too.

If you think releasing mid games full of bugs, inflated prices, ugly women (aggressive and butch) and Africans as if it were the Bronx can keep going without someone pumping money into it—and that money has to come from somewhere, clearly not from the consumer—then think again.

I doubt they're the future. They wanna charge $100 just for the standard game—imagine the price hikes they'll push later. And about those live service games? Same deal. To survive, they'll raise prices and won't even attract new players, just the same aging forty-somethings who get older every year. That's not sustainable long-term.

They won't all die—many will, and a niche will remain. But if you insist on being woke, raising prices, and treating your consumers like fools, believe me—you're gonna die whether you want to or not.

Streaming isn't profitable. It generates more losses than revenue. You just have to look at the news about them wanting to raise prices, and also the trash content they force on you because they lack real substance. I pay for Netflix for my parents and Crunchyroll for myself. The moment they hike prices, both can go to hell and I'll go back to downloading from uTorrent. Suck it, cuck FBI!

 

[Arkus86]

I watched the movie review and it's just like you said—the woke checkbox is way too obvious. And about the songs, I guess you heard them in the original language? The review played the song in my language and the voice was… "nice," I guess, but Disney songs are so generic these days. Except the ones before 2010—those were total bangers you could loop 'til you got sick of 'em.

Yes, I've seen it in original. A good voice acting can certainly smooth that over. And I agree, I love the older Disney musicals, but here there was maybe one good song. The were... at best they fell flat, for which I blame at least partially the lack of (or very quiet) musical accompaniment, and at least in that one case the performance was just bad.

 

[BigBadBoi]

None of those are real numbers—it's all mental gymnastics and something called "DEI quotas" or ESG points, which basically translates to bribes for the bosses in these industries. That's why the games and film industry is in deep shit right now. I'd even go as far as to think Microsoft is behind this, because good ol' Bill G. stands to gain the most from replacing people with the AI he's pushing

Nah ESG points are actually buzzwords for stupid investors pushed by BlackRock because more points = more loans. Investors are just recently waking up to that fact when you look at the recent trend of studios trying (and failing) to scrub away these influences. You're only seeing a bunch of them now because they were making these games back in like the early 2020s and it's too late to remove all them now.

Crunchyroll for myself

Why would you torture yourself and pay for the dogshit that is Crunchyroll? Just pirate it like everyone else. I understand that watching anime in the tv is comfy but you can do that without paying for CR.

 

[Siegburn]

1. The major ones are currently going into a freefall but I don't see them crashing and burning as hard as subisoft yet. They still have a lot of money to spare to churn out slop. They'll ust layoff more employees if they're losing enough money.
2. Hollywood always sucked ass and streaming services and platforms like youtube are already killing them by a thousand cuts especially since COVID hit. It's barely surviving through a few major hits tho.
3. AI voices suck ass. Just go hire people NOT a part of the circlejerk that is the western voice acting industry. There are some VAs are pretty decent and talented tbh but their talents are squandered by hack voice acting directors as well. If you've searched around for the SAG AFTRA controversies the voice actor "union" is basically a clique of the most insufferable people imaginable fleecing their members by taking a good chunk of their pay along with a hefty joining "fee". Not joining is also problematic because they have connections and will blacklist you. Good thing the genshin voice actor drama exposed these parasites.

1. That's why I mentioned Rockstar as the only company that could survive when Sony leaves. The rest won't make it, and nope. Thinking they can release trash and not face the consequences of failure by using layoffs—or that some investor will bail them out—is a joke. Look at how Naughty Woke got threatened by Sony. We're all laughing at how Neil Cuckman is rushing his workers to put together an internal demo of the game for the SONY EXECUTIVES, not for the public. Imagine they have to launch next year and don't even have a demo. Do you think a company can survive without someone covering its back?
2. Well, with Netflix buying Warner, it'll be worse because Netflix wants its movies in theaters for only 17 days, which is useless—especially now when movies flop in a week. Imagine if they don't make any money in a week, they'll do even worse with a time limit. And those profitable movies are usually based on successful game IPs, so they can't brag about their own success when they're riding on famous IPs that don't even belong to them.
3. Everything you're saying, I already know, and I disagree. The talent thing is hilarious. I watched reviews of The Substance and Dispatch. They were hyped as the return of cinema and superheroes, but what I saw were basic stories that would've come out in 2010 and been instantly forgotten. I mean, they're nothing special—and this is with one having a great director and the other having respected comic book writers. The result for me was just meh. They're not franchise material and are super forgettable. They were passable, but that's it. If that's what you call "talent pushed out by activists," then the bar is so low they'll call anything "the industry's revival." Like I said about Japan's AI—imagine a professional voice like Alucard's dubbed in your language. Have you heard the Tarzan songs in all languages? It's done by the same guy, and you can't even tell. That's what Japan's AI is aiming for—dubbing professional voices so they have the same impact as the original. And if they replace U.S. VAs with AI, what's the problem? You're swapping out a talentless failure for a professional whose voice is being translated into your language. Stop crying and start working so you don't get fired, you absolute failure.

There are many issues listed here that would require separate discussions, which would lead to several more... But I'm glad for the emergence of AI and the excitement it's creating.

I've worked in the gaming industry and in various entertainment and cultural sectors. The main problems for me personally are pretentiousness, self-righteousness, and bias. Imagine, there are many talented people in the world, but they have to work as loaders not because there's a shortage of hands. But because so many people are applying for the same job. They are forced to reject them for silly reasons so as not to have to choose between equally good candidates. And even after getting a job, you're still forced to compete within the team according to the same silly rules. And all this creates yet another problem: a lack of fulfillment.

How much do you have to overcome to create something that's in your head, or to find a way to apply your skills, and even get feedback? What I've listed is just a small part, the very beginning, and of all the many, only a few make it to the end. We can say that we have platforms where you can publish your work. But what about people who can play an instrument but don't have their own songs? What about graphic editors who don't have orders because there's little demand for them? And so on. You might think AI only complicates this, but no.

It displaces those who enjoyed the advantage of selection. Now, anyone can create what they were lacking with the help of AI. And no longer suffer from being uncommunicative, unpresentable, or lacking someone on their team to develop their project. I just wait and hope that all these monopolies will collapse thanks to AI. And the people who didn't give a damn about everyone from above will turn out to be just like everyone else. Yes, that's right. A man who receives millions for his vote will condescend to people who are no worse than him.

It's the same with all these mega-games that are crushed under their own weight and internal corporate carnage. Everyone has more and more opportunities to create something truly new and interesting.

Actually, I was bored and that's why I mentioned it superficially and in a neutral way, not using my real thoughts.

1. I've experienced that, but here the blame lies with a market that doesn't tell you it's oversaturated. The second problem is only in the USA, where you have DEI quotas and that crap. They fire competent people to put in failures because the bosses get money under the table for every checkbox hire they make. What the bosses don't understand is that they're killing their own industry, and that's why the Chinese and the Saudis started buying them out—because no one in their own country wants to. Right now, all the business owners are in a bottleneck, all trying to get out, and the ones who aren't pushing forward are the ones sinking. And no one but a foreigner who wants to plant their franchises in their own country will save them.
2. Again, I already told you, all of this is because of DEI quotas, and the worst part is I'm sure Microsoft sponsored it to push AI, since they're the ones driving it for a reason.
3. AI will be used more by regular people. I use it to help me correct typos in my novels, but I'd like to make a visual novel and I'm not a programmer, so AI could help me create one.
4. Well, if you didn't see how the man who predicted the housing bubble did it again with AI... Google said their AI farms have a lifespan of 2 years and cost too much for something that doesn't generate real income. They estimate the collapse will happen by 2030. The same goes for video games—no matter how much the big companies try to sabotage things, the consumer won't give them anything because nobody wants their crap full of ugly women and gays.

 

[BigBadBoi]

Everything you're saying, I already know, and I disagree. The talent thing is hilarious. I watched reviews of The Substance and Dispatch. They were hyped as the return of cinema and superheroes, but what I saw were basic stories that would've come out in 2010 and been instantly forgotten. I mean, they're nothing special—and this is with one having a great director and the other having respected comic book writers. The result for me was just meh. They're not franchise material and are super forgettable. They were passable, but that's it. If that's what you call "talent pushed out by activists," then the bar is so low they'll call anything "the industry's revival."

I kinda agree with Dispatch. It's story is honestly mid as hell and hard carried by in my opinion somewhat charming characters and jokes. The bar is just so low that it is treated as the best thing ever.

Like I said about Japan's AI—imagine a professional voice like Alucard's dubbed in your language. Have you heard the Tarzan songs in all languages? It's done by the same guy, and you can't even tell. That's what Japan's AI is aiming for—dubbing professional voices so they have the same impact as the original. And if they replace U.S. VAs with AI, what's the problem? You're swapping out a talentless failure for a professional whose voice is being translated into your language. Stop crying and start working so you don't get fired, you absolute failure.

Don't get me wrong I prefer JP VAs because their industry is competitive as hell with dedicated schools and courses for voice acting. I just don't think AIslop will ever live up to that standard.
The western VA industry circlejerk are full of talentless hacks with occasional good VAs that are absolutely butchered by horrible voice acting directors. It's even worse for japanese media. It will take a miracle for the western VA industry to reach the level of quality of japan especially when it's not treated as a respectable profession by the entertainment industry.

 

[Siegburn]

1. Western Triple AAA gaming has had too much bloat over the years at the giant corporation level due to DEI policies. Also, they're too invested into photo-realism and way too little in the question of... 'is it fun?' The pasts success has given way to pretentiousness as the golden age of Triple A games was around 10-15 years ago. Many of these companies think they can dictate what fans will like because of the amount of love gamers had for them in the past, and are now failing because of that self-importance.

The other half of it is that the golden age of gaming attracted a lot of investors who DO NOT care about gamers or what gamers want. So many developers are trying to please investors and adopting models they think will be profitable or 'more profitable' by doing copy cat live service games simply because they found one of them was immensely profitable.

They forget they are an entertainment industry, and they can only squeeze so much before people just decide to start a different hobby.
Instead, when they fail, they start gaslighting their would be customers, but in reality it's still just entertainment.

2. Hollywood is suffering from the same thing as Western Triple A gaming. They think they are smarter than their viewers and that whatever garbage they write will be eaten up and praised, simply because they pay media outlets to praise them.

However, with streaming, they can't expect movies to make as much money as before. So large expensive projects aren't going to fill seats at theaters, and more money is being spent on long series that will take up more time. The problem with a long series however, is that due to the length of episodes, they often lack the same quality as a 1-3 hour movie where seconds are much more important.

Also, the quality of writing and acting has gone down. Most of the current media seems to forget they are a movie, and thus they forget to show and instead result to making characters talk too much which often affects the emotional impact of a scene. There are no more strong visuals where characters will show emotions with their just their face, and everything is always verbalized which eventually makes characters seem whiny and unlikeable.

Writers often forget they are writing for a visual media, not a cheap web novel, and it shows in the way most modern shows are today, which only appeals to a niche audience instead of a broader one unless it has some sort of exciting flare to.

3. I personally don't enjoy, or like AI. I don't even use Chat GPT or any of the programs. I find AI to be inaccurate and often flawed as it is only the result of algorithms and not actual intelligence or rational thought. Simply put, AI has no critical thinking skills, so for any good result you'll need someone to monitor its results.

AI can be used to perform tasks in that someone isn't able to do themselves, but the results will often be mixed and things may seem off.

Let's break this down:

1. No need to say more, my guy. You whipped it out, slapped it on the table, and left everyone speechless. And the reason they think they're hot shit—especially a certain Captain Cuck—is thanks to the guilt of older gamers who spent hundreds or thousands on anything they released. That gave them the idea that the average gamer is an idiot who'll give them money even for broken or unfinished games. And we can confirm they're not wrong. Look at the number of people who buy broken Ubisoft and Sony games and clap like seals. I don't blame the developers for thinking their consumers are stupid with a track record like that. And about photorealism? I only like it in 3D porn. It's not my fault that 2B and Samus are perfect.
   They're not investors; they're shareholders. They're the ones who decide what your company is worth, proving once again that companies shouldn't be publicly traded. That just erases the owner's work and puts a parasite in charge who only cares about the stock ticker as a number, even if it destroys an industry that grew without anyone's backing. And to top it off, that shareholder is named BlackRock.
   Gachas are profitable, but they actually put in the effort to be so. Not like Overwatch, which people only play so they keep releasing characters to steal the official models and make porn out of them.
2. Same as above. It's the fault of cinephiles who claimed X movie by Y director was a masterpiece. It's also the fault of your older siblings who idolized actors as if they deserved to make billions. I love Depp as an actor, but come on, what he earns is completely insane to me. It's undoubtedly the fault of an entire generation that inflated Hollywood's ego, making them think they were indispensable to their lives—that without Hollywood, their lives were worthless. They deserve what's happening to them now.
   Another important detail is that narrative quality has become more important than before. That's why movies from the past now seem mediocre, and it's clear today that nobody paid attention to the plot back then. That's why franchises existed that later tried to "evolve" for the worse and ended up dying. Video games and Hollywood are stuck with dead franchises and dead games. What's the point of having an IP that's worthless?
3. AI is just an algorithm, like a Windows XP assistant. It's not a big deal, but they treat it like it is. They invest a ton of money in it but see no results. It's obvious this is going to blow up, and badly.
   I use it to help me correct text and typos in my novels. It's hilarious when people say AI will replace writers. No, sweetie, AI won't replace talent like Tolkien or King. It's going to replace talentless failures who go on podcasts to explain why being gay is important to the plot and why you're intolerant for asking. AI will replace those people. Or rather, your stingy boss will.

Yes, I've seen it in original. A good voice acting can certainly smooth that over. And I agree, I love the older Disney musicals, but here there was maybe one good song. The were... at best they fell flat, for which I blame at least partially the lack of (or very quiet) musical accompaniment, and at least in that one case the performance was just bad.

Normal for Disney's modern audience.

Nah ESG points are actually buzzwords for stupid investors pushed by BlackRock because more points = more loans. Investors are just recently waking up to that fact when you look at the recent trend of studios trying (and failing) to scrub away these influences. You're only seeing a bunch of them now because they were making these games back in like the early 2020s and it's too late to remove all them now.

Why would you torture yourself and pay for the dogshit that is Crunchyroll? Just pirate it like everyone else. I understand that watching anime in the tv is comfy but you can do that without paying for CR.

You're right about everything, but I don't think they'll be eliminated. Like I said, BlackRock is the main shareholder in all this, so they have power over the CEOs and can remove them if they want. That means they're forced to follow their orders. It's funny how people think under-the-table money doesn't have consequences.

That's why, for me, a company that isn't publicly traded and doesn't sell out to the woke agenda is a company I hope overshadows the others and becomes a giant (and that the owner stays the same and doesn't sell out like others have).

I've reached the age (I'm still young though) where I can't be bothered to pirate stuff anymore. I'd rather pay $5 a month to watch my generic seasonal anime. By the way, any recommendations? I'm just now catching up on last season's anime, starting with OPM S3—what trash, and it's only the second episode.

I kinda agree with Dispatch. It's story is honestly mid as hell and hard carried by in my opinion somewhat charming characters and jokes. The bar is just so low that it is treated as the best thing ever.


Don't get me wrong I prefer JP VAs because their industry is competitive as hell with dedicated schools and courses for voice acting. I just don't think AIslop will ever live up to that standard.
The western VA industry circlejerk are full of talentless hacks with occasional good VAs that are absolutely butchered by horrible voice acting directors. It's even worse for japanese media. It will take a miracle for the western VA industry to reach the level of quality of japan especially when it's not treated as a respectable profession by the entertainment industry.

Exactly, but the blonde and the demon girl were cute. The tomboy would be fine without the nose piercing, and the black girl with the two-tone ice cream hair—I prefer her in fan art; she looks prettier there. The best characters were the Hawaiian guy and Einstein Flash, no doubt two great friends.

Just in case, I wasn't insulting you at the end. It was more like the response I always give to VAs when I see them crying. A lot of them block me, but the clapback will stay on their wall for everyone to see.
It's like you say, the real problem is internal. We'll have to see if they die off first or if AI replaces them, but the real issue is that activists are filling more and more checkboxes. I just watched the English subbed teaser for the anime "Kunon the Wizard," and when the fiancée speaks, they use words like "I'm a feminist" when she actually says "I'm feminine" in a scene where Kunon tells her she's very talented with a sword and she gets offended. Or another anime I can't remember where they changed the word "gyaru" to "modern woman" and "otaku" to "incel." It's clear there needs to be a massive wave of subscription cancellations to Crunchyroll so it actually hurts them, because it's obvious there's no solution with these people in charge.

 

[Gray_Mann]

Also, conservatives are physically unable to make decent art, so good look getting rid of "woke" artists, VAs, ect.

Welp, there's a load of horse-shit in that comment but okay then. But even if correct for the sake of argument, Liberals certainly ARE NOT doing any better kiddo. Try again.

I watched the movie review and it's just like you said—the woke checkbox is way too obvious

I saw Snow Brown, but I don't remember a Snow White in 2025.

If you think releasing mid games full of bugs, inflated prices, ugly women (aggressive and butch) and Africans as if it were the Bronx can keep going without someone pumping money into it—and that money has to come from somewhere, clearly not from the consumer—then think again.

Lol. One of the best things said here.

I just watched the English subbed teaser for the anime "Kunon the Wizard," and when the fiancée speaks, they use words like "I'm a feminist" when she actually says "I'm feminine" in a scene where Kunon tells her she's very talented with a sword and she gets offended. Or another anime I can't remember where they changed the word "gyaru" to "modern woman" and "otaku" to "incel." It's clear there needs to be a massive wave of subscription cancellations to Crunchyroll so it actually hurts them, because it's obvious there's no solution with these people in charge.

I unsubscribed from Crunchyroll for this. I now just find sites to watch it for free, and there are several. I've been able to find any anime I wanted. Pirating? Sure. But I'd NEVER pay for that crap. I'm fine with subtitles forever. I consume more written material than I watch anything, so it hurts me less than most.

Personally, I want AI to replace English VA's. I don't care if its a worse solution. I want them gone. End of story. History.

 

[Siegburn]

Welp, there's a load of horse-shit in that comment but okay then. But even if correct for the sake of argument, Liberals certainly ARE NOT doing any better kiddo. Try again.

I saw Snow Brown, but I don't remember a Snow White in 2025.

Lol. One of the best things said here.

I unsubscribed from Crunchyroll for this. I now just find sites to watch it for free, and there are several. I've been able to find any anime I wanted. Pirating? Sure. But I'd NEVER pay for that crap. I'm fine with subtitles forever. I consume more written material than I watch anything, so it hurts me less than most.

Personally, I want AI to replace English VA's. I don't care if its a worse solution. I want them gone. End of story. History.

Welp, there's a load of horse-shit in that comment but okay then. But even if correct for the sake of argument, Liberals certainly ARE NOT doing any better kiddo. Try again.

Her real name was Snow Colombiana because she is proud of her Colombian grandmother, but she doesn't speak Spanish with her.

Thank you, I'm eagerly awaiting the downfall of Neil Cuckman with his Space Chinese game. Did you know that last December they had to present an exclusive demo to Sony executives so they would know what it would be about? And the game will be released in mid-2027, they have nothing and they have a year and a half to do it. Plus, it was presented to Sony USA, not Sony Japan. My God, how embarrassing it must be for them to approve a guaranteed failure and lose their jobs for incompetence. I don't know how I would face my family if that happened to me.

Believe me, I understand you, but the hassle of downloading several episodes for 30 minutes beats watching them directly from an app on my TV, plus both Netflix and Crunchyroll are losing the broadcasting rights to some anime.

I've said it before: screenwriters, actors, and voice actors are going to be replaced by machines. They've earned everyone's rejection. nobody likes them, and only the people can defend them, but they don't have their support. They say there will be a new strike because the company bosses gave Hollywood a five-year contract, and five years is nothing: six months or a year to think about a project and contact people, two to three years of development, and then a year of post-production, and that doesn't mean it will be a good product or anything like that. We're talking about a product that's surely woke. It's obvious that they're accelerating the process of AI voices and scripts at high speed. I don't care, actually, because the AI they'll use is just as bad as humans because both lack a human brain to think.

I'd much rather have Japanese voices dubbed with AI than them. Many will cry, but it's funny to see them cry, which is why I love Twitter.