Multiplayer FPS games have changed 

I'm 35. I've played a lot of games. Thousands and thousands of hours in FPS games. I think the real issue is that these large companies who release and maintain these games have learned exactly how to commodify fun. They have fooled us into thinking SBMM is the issue, but it really isn't. They are using a model called EOMM (Engagement Optimized Matchmaking) which prioritizes each individual winning and losing just enough to keep them online indefinitely. We have been reduced, ultimately, to a sales metric in pursuit of profit and they will continue to pick our brains apart to find out how to do that even better. This wasn't as much an issue in the past, because although they were obviously looking to make profit, that used to not be at the cost of creativity and passion. Such is the way of the free market. I hope things can change.

Titanfall 2 was the first shooter I religiously played, and wow, they don't make them like they used to, the fluidity, feel, and gameplay loop of that game is just incredible, I think that titan v titan combat and pilot v pilot gameplay respectively feels better than titan v pilot, but man it's crazy how well that game holds up. I tried apex, I can understand why it's done so well, but it doesn't hold a candle to TF|2's feel and gunplay. Amazingly well done video, hope to see more from you :)

Activision shutting down the x labs fan servers was one of the worst things to happen in recent years. Playing mw2 without the fear of hackers or the brokenness of the original made me realize how timeless old fps used to be. Games used to made to be fun, now they’re made to maximize engagement and it’s hard not to feel like a lab rat.

I really like the idea of having a trend for old developers to release their server code, and old assets so people can re-live and play these less predatory games. What games do you wish could be re-born? or re-launched?

I feel like the main problem is that companies lost all that form of competition, they're all cemented and people are willing to buy it specifically because it's in an ip or because its made by a big company. Innovation doesn't happen anymore because for the most part no matter what they do they'll still get sales, they don't need to change because people will buy them anyway, there's no fear of them failing to get sales if they don't blow it out of the water to stay relevant.

This video was refreshing. Alot of RU-vid videos feel too exciting and over-edited. This was genuinely nice to listen to, through and through. Keep it up

I played BO3 again after like 5 years and was kind of surprised how much more fun it was than any of the recent titles. Although it ended up with pay to win weapons and predatory microtransactions, I feel like it was one of the last good shooters. The Titanfall 2 servers on PS4 were shut down by hackers for ages so I lost interest in it unfortunately

The way Deep Rock Galactic, Lethal Company, Ultrakill and many other indie games have taken the spotlight more and more as these cash grab games become more frequent. If the Indie scene dies, then we are in big trouble.

“Gaming hasn’t gotten worse, but everything surrounding them has.” Well said.

SBMM became EOMM (engagement optimized matchmaking) and its devastating to once brilliant games like Apex Legends. They even removed the match making pity system last season so now there is no respite from being relentlessly humiliated by far better players every match. They also added SBMM in the ranked mode completely destroying the whole point of the rank system. Fortunately the old Battlefield games are still very much active and are much better than they were on launch, especially with modern hardware. Right now they are all dirt cheap on EA until January 4th.

The finals is a breath of fresh of air in the FPS genre for all the reasons you have talked about in this vid ps love the synthwave

God, I love it when the RU-vid algorithm gets it right.

Most of this comes down to the shifting profit motive. Games in the Arcade era were built with fun and especially difficulty as the main foci, because kids won’t play if it’s not fun, but the harder it was the more quarters it ate, making it more profitable for arcades to buy that machine. This was great for those who loved a challenging game, but came with the obvious downsides of lacking the broader appeal of more accessible difficulties. In the era of disc games, the profit motive was also centered around the fun of the game, and adjustable difficulty settings became the norm to let the arcade gamers have their challenges while not gatekeeping the younger siblings of the world too much. This also came with the upside of massively increased game variety, as games became more mainstream. On the downside, we got shovelware practices; terrible branded tie-ins pushed out as cheaply as possible to bait the unaware for one Christmas season before disappearing forever. With the rise of online gaming, we get the ability to sell dlc and now mtx. And on the surface, that’s great for everyone. Consumers can pay less, or even nothing, and play their favorite games, while developers can maintain a revenue stream and justify continuing to support and update beloved online titles. Except the profit motive has shifted. And there’s still some degree of minimum fun to keep a game played and earning, but now the focus is on maximizing player retention at all costs. Success is no longer marked by how many people buy the game, and how well they enjoy it to encourage others to buy, but by the game being free so you might as well get it and then doing everything possible to keep you coming back every day. Games are no longer being built with the orders from above to prioritize a fun, engaging, memorable and rewarding experience to promote sales and brand recognition. Now the orders are to leverage brand recognition to get people online in the firstplace and make it just fun enough to get people to start up the treadmill of daily and weekly chores to unlock the rest of the game, with flashy casino lights and sounds to prod you consistently into the battlepass and cash shop. Social features don’t matter because we need players to form isolating habits centered on our game and cash shop, not make friends who they might try out other games with. And sbmm is mandatory, not because new players will get stomped, but to exhaust the dedicated players and push them into a mindset to stay on and grind longer. If they feel satisfied and rewarded for their time spent in the game, they will be more comfortable getting off and doing something else. But if they are in the grind mentality, desperately hoping that this next game will deliver a crumb of fun and the reward they want, they stay on the treadmill. And when they get exhausted of playing but still feel unfulfilled, they will be more likely to sit in the menu and stare at the flashing icons telling them to look at what’s “new” to buy.

I’d like to see us gamers make big publishers really work for our time and money. So often it seems we want to jump to the next game because it’s new and has a lot of attention. I’d like to see us as a whole step back to past titles and smaller projects. It’s a contradictory pipe dream I know. Interest, intrigue and pouring money into the industry is what keeps it alive and growing.

I think a really huge issue that people aren't talking about more is the lack of split-screen in newer shooters. The only reason I can still relive the old memories of playing black ops 2 with my friends is because I can have them come over and huddle up on the couch and split the screen up to 4 players. That game will live forever. None of these new titles will be able to survive once their servers are obliterated if they don't start implementing split screen back into gaming again

Really loved this video. This feels like a stripped back version of modern Gaming videos. It's not a grand 30min essay but felt more akin to the commentary videos of old. Just some thoughts and well articulated points. While still having an actual script and high quality voiceover. So while your text is : "Critiques of modern games through the lens of old ones". Your sub-text of how the video was produced flawlessly fits with that as well. Not sure if it was on purpose, but it works really well.

Titanfall 2 is to this day my favourite shooter of all time. It was just so fluent and the action was cinematic while at the same time it was encouraging to sharpen your skills. Choosing the longbow or the Kraber and winning a fire fight against someone with a submachine gun felt like being the biggest badass on the server

We finally have super powerful consoles where developers are free to do whatever they want and yet most games can’t even match the quality of the Xbox360 or PlayStation 3, consoles that are considered retro now.

NN, thank you for the great video. My wife and I were just tonight talking about trying once again to find games that we can enjoy playing as much as we did our gaming love Unreal Tournament 99. We played the game for 8 years daily, then on and off for 3 years. I'm sending this video to my wife and we will look up some of these older titles and try them out.

It's nice to see this game still gets some love from other RU-vidrs, even if it's just small ones

This video is proof people might not fully understand SBMM. If it existed in games like COD 4 and BO2 then that had a good balance in the matchmaking system where it found connection based lobbies before skill. Idk how hard it is to create a matchmaking system but I think that’s all people want is a good balance between the two and or just prioritize connection first. Great video btw! Agree with you on every point.

I agree I do miss playing old FPS games and of which have brought a old PS2 to play medal of honor again to relive the good old days

This was the most chill video I've ever watched can't wait to binge watch everything on your channel. 👍👍

such a relax and smart channel. you speak about intuitive and reasonable things I eventually catch myself thinking about pretty often but abandon quickly because nobody really comes up with it, or talks about it in a very unrelatable way, creating a "this is all fine u overthink" illusion. sub!

That intro of the old MW2 (2009) gives me so much nostalgia, I also really like how you showed Titanfall. Both of these games can never be topped in my book and I’m glad someone finally agrees with me that old games are actually better, no shitty micro transactions either

A fairly wonderful video that I think emphasizes the point I've been trying to make online. You def deserve a sub my friend!

Very nice video, as an old man this scratches may "back in my days" itch, thank you!

the game that i remember playing the most in my childhood was Destiny 1, the mistery that the game atmosphere gave was something that i dont think any other game has reached, it was simply magical, doing raids with people you probably never gonna cross paths with again, ocasionaly playing crucible, and the music, wich was what got me into playing the violin. altought i played much more d2 down the road, and in some aspects the game did enhanced the experience, that magical felling is something i dont ever think i will ever live again (sorry for bad english)

Avid, mid-range skill level Titanfall 2 player here. You have made an excellent video about the issues and snicks of modern games, and I feel that on racing games as well, which is mainly what I like to play. I started out on TF|2 in about January-February last year on xbox. And the game was pretty fun, only for it to become my third favourite game to play after it was fixed mid-summer, as if I was rewarded for enjoying the broken version of the game. It’s so much better than other experiences years later in my opinion. Like Need For Speed Unbound, and even Lego 2k Drive pale in comparison. As for my other favourite games, they are both on the Xbox 360 and I’ve found myself going back to them more than other later games. Same with TF|2 every match is just making me want more. The only game I think holds a candle. Is actually a call-back game that as far as I know, has everything at launch, no battlepass, and is just absolut fun to play with other people. And that’s Goat Simulator 3. Definitely in my Top 5 with Skylanders Swap Force. I just don’t know why game companies have to appeal to audiences in a competitive market, when it’s so clear that something “out there” (god forbid we’re at that point) can catch the attention of many more people who’re waiting. Just like Goat Sim 3 did. Hope you enjoy a great 2024 NexusNaomi!

God I loved the first titanfall. Even more than the 2nd. Good video btw. I’m on a 2 week vacation from work and beat every halo reach, CE, 2, 3, and 4 solo legendary. I pretty much exclusively play the old halo games and I don’t see that changing anytime soon

I really enjoyed this video it had a great script. I loved your editing style espicially the little skit especially when you zoomed out to the editing screen and said "jesus that was a mouthful". keep it up

I think the topic of fomo and live service is a big one. A lot of modern multiplayer games will try and get you to play based off a new limited time thing or in-game incentives to play everyday. Where-as older titles you only would go back to play the ones which you found fun. Unfortunately big companies find it’s easier to get money from people by preying on their fomo and waving shiny new stuff in front of their face instead gambling on if they’ll find your game fun.

Very nice video, and perfectly explains the current state of FPS games right now. Like you, I’ve been playing older titles as well as games from smaller studios. They don’t feel so dystopian and lifeless, trying to suck every dollar out of you.

Just found your channel and instantly subbed. Cant wait to binge watch everything this weekend

It's great to see this video starting to pick up steam in the algorithm, it was a great way to find the channel I'll most certainly be looking forward to where you decide to take it

Try TitanFall 2

I pretty much stopped playing MP Games this year with all of them feeling kinda boring and repetitive. The only "Multiplayer" game I tend to go back to is Warhammer 40k Darktide which is actually just Co-op. I grew up playing things like UT2004 Assault Mode and later Brink/Dirty Bomb where you actually had to play objectives as a Team instead of just shooting each other. When playing Battlefield I never cared about my K/D as long as I felt like the objective performance was good but when the game is only about killing it gets frustrating really quickly. Also winning doesnt really feel rewarding nowadays since you get mostly nothing out of it, another reason why Singleplayers with great Story and Progression feel way better to play.

This channel is sure to blow up. Great thumbnails, well delivered script. It's only a matter of time.

Thank you for putting the music used in the description - I wish more creators did this since comments often go ignored.

This video shares my views on games like this. I'm always trying to get friends on the Titanfall series but they always insist on playing things like Deep Rock or Lethal Company. Granted I enjoy LC and have a bunch of fun, but it has a horror aspect that makes me jump at random times. I wish Titanfall had a bigger playerbase so I could have some more friends to play it with. I think we need more games like the classic Titanfall.

Maybe its just nostalgia at this point but even playing these classics games, you get a far more simple and enjoyable game that you can hop in and out from easily. The over complex design of games now a days is mostly just trying to make their games "flashier" for you to swipe ur hard earned money. Back in the day, no one tried to be something they are not. Now everything is the same, hence your description of the saturation in FPS gaming, well described. No inovation, thinking outside the box. It's just, "Let's hop on the hype train so we can make as much money as possible!". That will for sure make your game worth the swipe. Nothing stands out anymore (except the finals). I do believe games have gotten worse. The main focus of games being developed is to heavily monitise them as soon as possible. I might be bias on this since I play Destiny 2, but anytime I change to a different game, I just see it everywhere. Just as you mentioned, the hope for these type of games to reflourish is not by big studio developers but by small dedicated indie developers that are not filled with corporate greed but passion, loyalty and listening to what people truely want. I was a huge COD player from MW2 to my last, advanced warfare. Now its not worth my time. Really enjoyed the video. Well said! That's a SUB from me!

I enjoyed your contribution to this conversation and meditative vibe. Glad the algo had me run into your content.

It was very interesting to watch your video essay. I would love to see more videos from you

i hope one day soon smaller more dedicated teams can use well working AI to create their dream games, and its no longer a thing of manpower, but effort and vision, to create games, which hopefully forces the big game makers to step up their game

Your voice, cadence, and clarity is PERFECT for this kind of structured video. I’m 40 seconds in and already subbed. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the future

Your vid popped up randomly on my recommended, and omg yes, I thought I was the only one feeling like that abt the current state of games. Thank you for a great watch! =)

This is a great video! Suprised its one of your first!

I'm very happy this video was recommended by RU-vid because I fully agree with all your points I unfortunately was not born way way back in the day so old titels are still new to me because everyday I was just exposed by bigger titels but having lack of decent pc hardware and insufficient money to upgrade I have been playing so many old games one of the ones I play way more than I should is team fortress 2 but after I discovered it I really wanted to see what else I could find it was not long before I found myself playing things like fable the lost chapters and half-life I've even started looking at little big adventure 2 and at this point if a modern game doesn't sound or look interesting I ignore it and I only look a indie devs and I feel like the indie devs at least for me is kind of the last hope I look at games like bf 2042 and then I look at ultrakill and there's an obvious pick for me so yeah please do excuse that I've written a novel for you to read for I must explore more of your content

Have you played the finals? I’ve been having a blast and nearly forgot about the other games I’m playing currently. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air and nice change of pace in the FPS genre

You popped up in my recommendations, and I'm very glad you did.

This was really well-made, I appreciated your perspective on this.

I feel like insurgency sandstorm does classic matchmaking really well, keeping lobbies together and cross team proximity chat, it’s become my favorite shooter released in recent memory, though support is finally being cut which is a little disappointing as even though it is a great package a die hard fan will always want more

Great video! Also, thank you for bringing some diversity to the video essay creators here on YT. It was a pleasant surprise!

really enjoy your style, going to watch more!

Enjoyed watching through your video. Relaxing and gave me nostalgia from my childhood in COD4 and Animal Crossing communities that I spent a lot of time with. You'd always see the same faces in the same servers/times, and it was such a fun experience getting to know all those people. Now they're just far-off, cherished memories. I wonder where the future of mainstream gaming will go from here.

Seeing No land beyond made me cry, I miss that gun so much and I used to play D1 with my dad :(

The fact you only have a handful of videos, with this much time and care into them, whew I can imagine in a few months you'll be at 10k in no time! Great video!

Congrats on this video! I hope you manage to find a way to bring some of these viewers back for more

beautifully written, look forward to seeing your channel grow!

I was raised on Team Fortress 2 and all the server culture that comes along, but i drifted away from it with time. Recently i switched my Titanfall 2 client to Northstar and DAMN, i had no idea i missed server browsers so much. It's a really different experience, much more personal, communal. What surprises me is that unfair team balance became a lot less frustrating. It's a transcendant experience to get a "damn, you're cracked today" in the chat from somebody who, for the past week, had been mopping the floor with the entire lobby.

Great chilled video! I like the background music choice. 💯

Amazing video, I will def use this as a case study for my own research for my game dev journey. You have a good taste in games Naomi

I mostly play single player games myself, and I constantly go back to Fallout 4 or New Vegas, but when it comes to multiplayer games I keep coming back to the simple but good MP of the halo series on the MCC, playing halo reach on pc so many years later is just such a treat for me. I used to play a lot of COD too back in the day, and I also find myself discouraged with new titles. Great video! Subscribed

Great video! I often compare "the old days" to today with friends and a lot of the points you made come up in those chats. I'm convinced it's not all nostalgia though because I keep going back to play my old favorites because they simply FEEL better somehow even now. It also helps that they used to actually release whole games back then instead of just enough to be kind of playable. Haha. This reminded me that I have to get back into the Titanfall servers soon too. Thanks!

I’m 23 and my first games were Lego Star Wars - OG XB, Battlefront 1 & 2 - PS2, and I remember when the Wii came out. My first love is Halo. I remember being told by my parents that it was too violent for me to play. But I played it anyway at friends’ houses. We didn’t have any gaming consoles or anything, so we relied on our friends who would bring their games over or let us borrow it. I remember being so enamored by Halo 2 awesome weapons like the energy sword and Needlers, scared of Halo 1’s Flood levels, and excited about building cool stuff in Halo 3’s Forge. Every game left an impression on my heart, and I am still friends with many of the people who introduced me to those games and brought their OG Xboxes over. I still play Halo 1 - Reach on MCC on a weekly basis. I still play the campaigns, Forge beautiful maps and design wacky mini games, play multiplayer and custom games browser, and I’m still working to unlock all of the armor added in the MCC. I still play COD4, MW2, and BO. I still try to find matches on BF3. I try to be more nuanced than “new game bad, old game perfect!!!” But the reality of “modern gaming” is really quite sad to someone my age or older. We remember when games were designed FOR US. We remember when buying a purchased game was a FULL product. We remember when gaming was fun AND addictive, not just addictive. The industry has changed. And it takes som serious mental gymnastics to say that it’s changed for the better.

Fantastic video that perfectly sums up my feelings/love toward the games that made me vs the games still being made.

Omg someone rocking No Land Beyond in Crucible siiiick! Nice vid, you put the ideas I've been having into a very well thought out summary. I hope we see more indie devs become the answer, I miss CoD Zombies and I've been eagerly awaiting some indie studio to just make a spiritual successor.

I'm currently working the tail end of my thesis on a topic very close to this and I'm glad to see the impressions of the modern games industry is very similar to what I've gathered so far. Even though I'm researching cross genres I've found so many patterns on how new business models have changed these games inside out. This video felt kinda validating to watch after having researched into the same areas. Thanks for putting it into words!

As someone who’s 1st introduction to computer games was Blue Meanies on the Vic 20 hearing your 1st game was Halo makes me feel 100 years old.

Just found your channel via this video in my recommendation, and I am not disappointed. You are entirely correct that nostalgia may be a factor, but when I boot up an old game today, and still have more fun with it, that the latest popular shooter, I know it's not just my nostalgia speaking.

Very well thought out video and presentation! Loved this video!

I like your calm commentary style. It’s refreshing.

i love this video (mostly because of the music thank you for using chillwave i love that aaahhhh), great points

Subscibed, What a great video, glad youtube recommended it, it was a trip down memory lane, so much has changed. i realy miss going into the next match with the same players, trash talk a bit in the lobby, and vote for the next map and gamemode.

This is one of the most relatable videos I have watched recently. I have played FPS my whole life and felt like the recent FPS game wasn't as fun as the old one

Seeing that old Titanfall 1 gameplay was so nostalgic, was my first ever online game that i ever played back on my xbox one.

They changed so much that sbmm has been trying to get me enlisted into being a navy seal when I’m at a foid level💀

Naomi, this was a great video. I am really enjoying your content! Please keep going!!

Enjoyed this video. It brought out the nostalgic memories. Would love to relive those days again

Glad I found this channel through this video!!! Such a good video, the topics you bring up, and the way you bring this up in your calm voice makes all this “game drama” a LOTT easier to be open minded to see all perspectives (I think maybe mainly because you’re calm and talking like you’re REALLLYY PASSIONATE about the games you grew up playing and the memories you’ve gotten from them. And I believe MOST of us can relate to exactly that.. Alot of RU-vidrs you watch talking about this while trying to go off of percentages and all this complicated stuff, and they also are angry (which is fine, we should be mad about this. Old way was the best way) those type of videos help , but some people don’t feel like watching a 20 minute video about numbers and how the system works down to a T… Those have a PLACE and they ARE IMPORTANT aswell… but I’m just saying SOME people never watch em because it seems too overwhelming lol! So thank you for this easy video just giving everyone who may not have known, just some info how it’s changed from the old days… I’ve noticed a TONNNN of my old friends id play games religiously with, haven’t played games in a few years so I asked em and they said it didn’t have the same feeling. So they only play single player games sometimes. Which is mostly myself now aswell… but I don’t think they know that the developers are doing it on purpose. It is seriously saddddd But it’s nice, for a change to just watch somebody sit down, talk over some gameplay about the situation. With a CALM mood, not really bringing up anything stats/percents. Other than some of the tweets you showed you only rlly spoke about how you felt about the situation. Which is what we want the developers to hear. It’s not going to change much because these corps are disgusting and greedy… BUT it may help people look at this terrible way that games work now, and make them realize they’re buying/paying crazy prices for games that COULDDDD be good (like the old games) BUT these corps are only in it to monetize everything so the game ends up not being as good… Helping people understand that, will also make them put pressure onto the developers to do a way better job.. and hopefully one day real gaming will be revived…. For now I sometimes play some pubg or some hell let loose… but I would rather watch RU-vid over games now… sadly... Love your channel! Keep up the good videos

girl who are you, where have you been my entire life. GREAT video you killed it. you have my sub. hopefully you'll keep killing it.

Love the chilled vibe of this video

Such a cozy video, made me feel like a kid again, thank you. :)

Wow. Holy cow. I'm really digging your channel. Pretty good stuff from your videos so far. About to watch your MMO video.

This is a great video and really well done, youve earned a subscriber

Holy crap I watched this whole video I was so surprised you don't have a million subs your gonna blow up great video

Came here from the Destin reacts video and just want to say great content, keep it up!

the list of OG games you played are top tier for sure, you had a good taste for games

I did enjoy this video, it really resonated well with me, thank you : ) I gamed pretty much my whole childhood, all the way up until Halo 2 on Xbox, then I joined the Navy and played significantly less. It wasn't until after I got out that I got back into it; and it wasn't right away, nothing really drew me in like those old days of Halo LAN or early Xbox Live days.. until I tried PUBG. It was actually this new game mode that was so tense and had such adrenaline filled moments chasing those chicken dinners, with it's new set of unique challenges and strategies/tactics to learn and develop, that kept me coming back. Then Apex Legends dropped and it was done. Coming from an old Halo/2/3 and CoD4 background, the incredible movement (even as neutered as it was from Titanfall) was way more appealing to me, I was hooked. Even with the challenges of SBMM (which you described so well) AND the frustratingly poor level of re-investment in the game (though that, might, be turning around some: they just stood up a new studio to develop/play test new content for Apex sooo... 🤞), I still love the game and it's slowly drawn me more and more in (from watching YT videos to watching ALGS/scrims and consciously/deliberately working to improve my game mechanics via drills and handicaps). And I will say that, for it's faults, live service does enable a game to grow over time with constant development and watching/being part of that has actually been cool, and there is a lot of excitement to see how it continues to evolve (I think of it like live service is to episodic as TV shows are to movie trilogies)

great vid! miss the old server lobbies & self hosted games, different servers had different vibes, appreciate games that still do that

enjoyed your commentary. You've won my subscribe button lol!

Damn, showing the OG Multiplayer shooters that really lead to the explosion of FPS games, they look and feel so different. Just a giant empty map and you go kill the enemy team

Great video, super easy to listen and natural progression

You've covered a lot of noteworthy pointers in your video. Thank you for the content, and the food for thought. Have an amazing day!

Most games these days lack something important - love. They don't make the games solely because they want to anymore, it's just about getting a paycheck and scamming as many people as possible to get more of a paycheck. You mentioned Halo Infinite's acceptance now that the game is "completed," but we don't ignore the fact that they didn't love making the game enough to do it all at the start. It breaks my heart to see so many games that can have potential throw it away because they want to make a few extra bucks off of their users. Loved the video, you stated things so well.

good quality video considering the subscriber count. well done and keep it up.

I like this video. 1 because I agree with the points u make, 2 because I feel so calm listening to u talk

I wish i could play Titanfall again. So many good memories :). Just found this channel, you made so many good points!

Perfect video to sum up how I feel. Games that are often older or framed around older games I really appreciate how there was actual innovation. Each and every game felt so different and showed us something new every few years. Now a days with some exceptions a large amount of games feel very samey but as long as there is some sort of support you’ll always see my titan dropping.

Your voice is super smooth I could listen to you read a phone book but also a very good informative video.