Mark Hill, for The Atlantic:
It’s by now fairly common knowledge how powerful nostalgia is as a marketing tool, but with video games, there’s another component that makes players more likely to stick with what they know and love. For many, it comes down to time: It’s one thing to watch a 90-minute movie, but squeezing a 30-hour fantasy epic into your schedule is a serious commitment. It’s a bit like taking on a new TV show, but it’s easy to fit an episode or two into an evening, whereas gameplay tends to be less structured. As a result, about 90 percent of people who start a game won’t finish it. And because the average gamer is aging alongside the industry (the typical player is 37 years old), he or she will tend to be mid-career, perhaps with a family. In other words, with more responsibilities and less time to form an emotional connection with a new game.
With less time for said ~37-year-olds to spend with their peculiar hobby, it makes sense they’d want to spend those precious moments with a sure bet. That means Halo 5 instead of, say, The Order: 1886, as Hill notes (according to GearNuke).
Because of this reality, “risk-aversion is the new norm,” says Hill.
I haven’t played video games in years. And while thats something not likely to change in the near future, I will readily admit my nostalgia for those days of old.
I suppose there’s nothing wrong with living in the past. After all, most old things are better than new things.