Video Game CRASH?….Again?!

Could a massive video game crash happen like it did in 1983? I tell you what it was like to live through it, what I thought created it and why it may...or may not be likely today.
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[@adrianpeterson9668]

Some people stock food and supplies for an apocalypse, but metal Jesus, he stocks games to prepare for a second crash

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+Adrian Peterson YES!!! :)

[@dexter1981]

The World is in ruins, huge storms outside, but you sitting in your bunker with lot of food while playing [insert favorite game title here], so who cares? :D

[@thesnare100]

Well, then he's gonna need solar power, or a generator with a LOT of fuel.

[@ashwin.unlead]

I agree!

[@Jarjarfunk]

dexter1981 playing fallout with fallout outside.

[@UsojinStreamArchives]

If a 2nd videogame crash happens, I have about a decade worth of games to catch up on. I'll be fine.

[@ReddoX30]

Haha, me too! I have a huge backlog of games and no time to play them. When I was a kid, I didn't have many games, but I had time...Stupid isn't it?

[@wisytoom]

Exactly the same situation here! So many good games but so little time to play them! Dammit!

[@jaywest3734]

I have more than a decade. I've got as far back as the 90s, maybe even part of the 80s that I could go back to.

[@leslielegra2313]

I just have skyrim and fallout 3 and 4 so im good ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@PartyUpLive]

If a second gaming crash is what it will take for game companies and publishers to stop with the practice of releasing broken games, cut/delayed content, and cash grab, uninspired sequels filled with micro-transactions and a RNG system instead of quality content, I am all for it.

[@schaefer76]

PartyUpLive Yeah, the only company that would be fine and unaffected would be Nintendo. They actually put effort into their games and care about their customers

[@kylehill3643]

@@schaefer76 but it will make them hold back. Already this year is just bite sized games with Luigi's Hotel being the only one with decent graphics and new gameplay. It's actually called Luigi's Mansion 3 but it's set in a haunted hotel. Last year was all about Smash Brawl was it called?

[@xxnike0629xx]

If there is another major video game crash then I'll just stick to finishing up my backlog of games, Gundam model kits, anime, and manga. I have plenty of things to do.

[@ozera16]

Dude I don't even watch TV., I have not in years.

[@chocolatewheelchair]

adem how come

[@RetroBreak]

adem I haven’t watched any TV in years either. Just boring every time I turn it on

[@ozera16]

chocolatewheelchair just got other options rather than watch TV. Work, gym, gf, studying, when I have free time I rather play video games rather what's on TV and go through adds... The internet killed the TV where I can watch what I want on demand rather than watching what's given to me man.

[@aussieguy1012]

You are watching the equivalent of tv right now.KZbin.

[@damonke79]

adem It's funny you say this. Just yesterday, I cancelled my Directv after 9 years of service. I just haven't been watching tv and if I do, I stream on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

[@hanzobi1926]

I'm hoping retro sales will reasonably go back to normal. Right now it's ridiculous with scalpers, scammers or just idiotic people labeling 10 year old games "RARE" and deciding to put a BS price on it because "Retro" is popular again. I'm so glad I started collecting hardware and software years ago, as I'd hate to start now.

[@charlieretro]

Just like with ET that game use to be like 10 cents and now they go for like over 10 - 20 bucks its stupid.

[@dubsy1026]

Hanz Obi over here in Europe its amazing. Recently I bought an NES for £25 and a MD for £15. Our retro computers are way easier to use these days, the ZX Spectrum loaded from tapes so you can use a standard audio jack to play MP3s to it over your phone and it works! There is an app with many if not most of the systems 24000 games as MP3s. It is a golden era for retro in the UK right now.

[@kylehill3643]

@@dubsy1026 Here in the US it's all hack n slash kill or phone graphics with the bobbly head look as it's a very easy to use graphic engine. Your damn lucky!

[@FozmanX]

Sure looks like a crash if you look around in Best Buy and Target.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

I know, right? Pretty sad...

[@1VideoGameDude]

FozmanX for real ! i couldnt even find "the Surge" for like 2 weeks in a best buy store

[@whoc4r3s117]

FozmanX All I see in my target and best buy are empty display boxes for the switch. It's like a zombie apocalypse in the grocery section. No games.

[@tr1bes]

Because most games are going digital. Didn't you guys look at the % of digital games have pass 55% from last year 32%.

[@Joeyppeterscorp]

That's not really a crash though the world is just changing.

[@bradnimbus4836]

It actually should happen. Imagine a fresh start, no season passes or other nickle and dime schemes

[@patrick05020]

youre not wrong. many companies would have to restructure their business practices and company as a whole if that happened.

[@williamhayden7711]

You got that right Brad! Freaking developers need to be taught a lesson! Everyone stop buying games for 3 months. 3 months of zero sales and watch the market correct itself.

[@CheapHitman94]

Should happen the same thing with these big studio movies.

[@jaywest3734]

The gaming industry as you envision it already exists, but you have to look elsewhere (indie gaming) to find it.

[@jaywest3734]

I don't buy AAA titles very often at all anyway.

[@LonSeidman]

I remember those dirt cheap carts at my local game stores. I had plenty to play! Those backed right up to when the NES was released.

[@vasbochgaming8924]

Lon.TV lon, i never thought i would see you here.

[@johnbewty]

MetalJesus knows this, but a little more backstory... the "Nintendo Seal of Quality" was partially (largely?) a response to the video game crash. Just like MetalJesus said, the pre-crash market was flooded with absolute garbage. So Nintendo brought out the "Nintendo Seal of Quality." Partially because (duh) they only wanted licensed developers to sell NES games. But believe it or not, it was more than a cash grab. The other purpose of the seal was the one that Nintendo themselves claimed it served: they wanted to ensure the quality of games released for the Nintendo. This involved some censorship (boooo) but also because they knew they had to enforce some minimum level of gameplay quality. Whether it was Atari's fault or not, the mountains of crapware released for their console truly tarnished Atari's reputation, and Nintendo knew they needed to avoid that fate. I know that may be hard to believe, given some of the terrible games available for NES. We've all played some of that garbage and wondered how the hell it got a "Seal of Quality." But trust me, there is 3rd-party Atari VCS ("2600") crapware that makes even memorable flops like E.T. look like great entertainment by comparison.

[@MrMagee78]

you don't think that most games we get these days are garbage to?

[@Vriess123]

Well, not compared to stuff like E.T. The stuff we get is mindblowing in comparison actually, say what you will about diversity.

[@ricemenarq6230]

*The only "Crash" that's happening is Crash Bandicoot.*

[@deadgametech6624]

Tawna is sooo hot.

[@keanecoquete4977]

Chest Pec Respect Buying that as soon as possible.

[@powerslave0606]

Chest Pec Respect The only thing that I want is that Naughty Dog recover the copyright of their creation. But the Activision work on that remake doesn't look bad.

[@Ayy_Minus]

Chest Pec Respect BUUUURRRRNNN!!!! 😂👌

[@cloneskiller]

cant wait to play crash bandicoot again

[@metalvinnie]

MetalJesus, here's another piece of history that I discovered. Nintendo originally made their cover art look worse than the actual game so that people would not be disappointed in what the game really looks like when they got home and played it. I am referring to the original black box games, of course. Nintendo saved the industry by taking many careful steps like this.

[@Cretaal]

The cover of MegaMan being a prime example. It looked so lame on the cover, but was soooooooo right on the eyes and ears when the game booted up.

[@rdpvader]

That is a bit risky considering that back in the day you pretty much judge the game by its cover :/

[@danhulson8703]

i don't think Nintendo saved the industry as a whole,as here in the UK and europe gaming was massive we all hade micro computers like the Spectrum and C64 then we have Atari ST and Amiga as well as consoles,but i do think nintendo did help the North American market by slowing down shovel ware which is a good thing

[@BaconSenpai]

[@Dami3n81]

Maybe not like in 1983, but if they continue making "updated" consoles every 2 years and milking users with remastered/redux versions, crappy dlcs and hyped bad games, no doubt we will see a new crash.

[@KlaytonFioriti]

With the advent of VR I honestly think the most important and influential stories told in the future will be through Video Games. And this is coming from a huge Film buff. Video Games are just too immersive and well made this very second to believe they will falter 10, 20 or 30 years from now. We haven't even reached the peak in my opinion

[@DiGiTyDarKMaN]

If a crash happened I would start buying like crazy. lol

[@AquaTwist_]

DiGiTyDarKMaN I agree, but I'm worried that the prices would SKYROCKET due to increased demand.

[@gehlotmvz9513]

Me too

[@TropicalPriest]

Idk, retail prices would certainly be slashed completely. And local places would liquidate. If you got in on the ground floor, you'd make out like a bandit. After that. it would be more or less exclusively a scalpers market, I'm guessing.

[@tr1bes]

Do you know how it will crash? When the world is almost at it's end. War, famine, plague, and death. We will worry about shelter, food, and protection instead.

[@catlike4456]

Imagine new A+ PS4 games at 3 bucks TODAY... or DARK SOULS complete collections for 6 bucks, yeah that's how a game crash looks like

[@aguilerajohn]

Micro transactions in console gaming will be the death of gaming. The fatigue is starting to set in.

[@user-ji6zg7fn4m]

John Aguilera Eventually, loot boxes and micro transactions will stop. Everything has a life. Birth, popularoty, losing life, and death.

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

This is my concern.I wish people wouldn't support that shit.

[@MrTomaat23]

"Everything has a life. Birth, popularoty, losing life, and death." Sure but maybe this stops when gaming stops as well.

[@benallmon5613]

Nah. There are TONS of games without em. And those games are amazing. It's mostly AAA and mobile, but with all the digital retailers out there, we can avoid AAA until they change, which they will.

[@bellgrand]

This is naive. All AAA titles will have micro-transactions and DLC within the decade. All of them. Unless you're putting out numbers like Overwatch, you just can't make enough money to keep your employees paid and the servers running. Everyone clinging to the old model is going to shut down.

[@DextNRN]

The crash in the 80's was the 2ed crash. People seem to have forgot the first one in the 70's

[@AquaTwist_]

Dext Wait is that true? I'm interested in knowing more!

[@jerrytotten3733]

TheManiacZach the 70's video game crash was a console crash, if you can call Pong a console. Every two bit electronics maker, especially in Asia, got into the game of making clones of Atari's Home Pong and flooded the market. Even Nintendo got into the act, their very first video game system was a Pong clone...though AFAIK it wasn't sold outside Japan. There just ended up being too many on the market for people to buy and the craze just died.

[@LizardGenes]

While this is true regarding the crash, for England (Britain), we had our own problem: brain drain to America and Japan, or flat-out death. Only the most successful and robust developers and publishers (Ultimate, Gremlin, Ocean, Psygnosis, DMA) could survive the demanding transition from what was a comparatively small, homegrown industry to the massively-increased level of expense and control required by the likes of Sega and Nintendo post-'85. Something similar happened in comics too, with British talent (Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis) jumping ship to do (amazing) stuff for the big two in that medium, although you'll always get folk like Pat Mills who'll keep fighting the good fight at home and keep awesome IPs like Judge Dredd going. :)

[@FieldMarshalFeels]

The game industry barely existed back then.

[@ModernRetroGameplay]

I wouldn't call the current state of modern gaming a "crash" id call it a loss of direction. We need the old gaming rating system to come back that used to apply to Sega Genesis games that way creators stop overlooking the most important detail in any game which is "fun factor" not graphics. If the game is not fun to play than the game sucks no matter how good the graphics or sound is. Video Games are supposed to qualify as "entertainment" and it fails unless you are in an entertained state while experiencing the game and that concept has been lost.

[@badGamr]

The crash did not affect PC games. Just console. At that time I had switched to PC gaming and did not come back to consoles until the PS1. Can it happen again? Sure! Likely? Naw. And I agree, ET was just the tip of the iceberg. Great video MJR.

[@mhdj14]

badGamr I wouldn't really call these retro game systems "consoles". In my eyes a console is a system that can do more then just play games (at least play cd/dvd movies and music too). Back in those days it was dirt cheap to make a "game" in your garage and send it to some small distibutor, that would make and send physical copies to a bunch game stores without questioning the quality (at most a few screenshots where required). Even big companies got lazy and output a bunch of cheap and low quality games, that caused the game crash. To much shit and nobody to clean it up. This is not the case anymore for a long, long time. To get your indie game on any console nowadays, you must have a working prototype and have it reviewed by the company that owns the platform. Then some contract must be setup, to take a procentage of your earnings of your game. This is to much work, with a high procent of failure, if you're just trying to quickly put something together and want to make a quick buck. If anything, if a new game crash would happen, it will be most likely happen on PC. There are to many unfinished indie game, assest flips and generic multiplayer only games on PC (that is a the reason Valve closed it early acces program with Steam). AAA games cost millions to develop, so only a handfull of companies can even afford to make those games. There hasn't been any AAA games exclusive to PC that aren't just multiplayer games for years. I think the only reason that we didn't have a game crash already, is because of consoles and there exclusives. If anybody knows AAA games exclusive for PC that came out in... lets say around 2010 and up to now, that focus only on the singleplayer aspect and not on the multiplayer aspect, please make a little list. That would be awesome ;)

[@gimcrack555]

After Atari 2600 I move to PC's. My next console was the NES then the SNES. I didn't buy another gaming console until PS3. That was almost off the demanding market. I might buy a PS4 middle of next year. Still PC is the way to go.

[@badGamr]

Steam has been a good source of shovelware... But that is non-console. We certainly called the Atari VCS a game console as that had entered the popular lexicon after the arrival of Intellivision, Colecovision and others.

[@ethangraves2890]

I was duped many a time by the awesome art cover on a game. All that lawn mowing money gone....

[@thesnare100]

Only happened to me once, not cover art, but a called Called star trek Q force, cause Q was so awesome and powerful, but the game is nothing like being a Q continuum member....and you can't even play it anymore. The online part doesn't exist anymore.

[@chocolatewheelchair]

There could be a console crash. There could be a crash of physical releases.

[@jerrytotten3733]

doubtful on a console crash. It took massive fuckery for the last one of those to happen.

[@Kyle-pz7os]

Jerry Totten there's only 3 console makers, pretty easy for a crash to happen.

[@jerrytotten3733]

Kyle Crater exactly. The last true console crash took place in the 70's when fucking any fly by night garage electronics shop was shitting out a bootleg console.

[@TropicalPriest]

Yeah, but their competition now are PCs which eat up more and more market share, everyday. And it's cheaper for them as an industry to develop, whereas, say Microsoft buys chipsets, or has to pay out the nose to produce them in house. Look at the gobs of money they're throwing towards AR. Different story, but you get the idea. I think PCs might very well hurt the consoles bad, they keep making consoles with smaller and diminishing returns because of the tech boost in every generation, there has to be some equilibrium.

[@jerrytotten3733]

TropicalPriest PC's (or home computers at any rate) have always competed with consoles. That's nothing new. Personally I think much of the reason PCs are doing well right now is that Sony and Microsoft are being so shitty, and Nintendo's last non-handheld was basically unknown.

[@Cretaal]

To me, the gaming crash is already here. I can't find a single title worth a purchase these days, so I've settled in to my backlog to see what happens (been playing my old RPG minecraft server again). Since the gaming industry has made it ABUNDANTLY clear that we'll never, EVER see another game in the vein of daggerfall again, I've taken it upon myself to get in to Unity programming to make my own open world medieval fantasy game... Thank you gaming industry, I have officially chosen going slowly insane over buying the next starwars battlefront.

[@jamesbrand4923]

I hope no one is thinking there will be a 2nd video game crash because Atari are back in the hardware business!

[@SIPEROTH]

Wait until they announce a new E.T game.

[@jamesbrand4923]

NuvYou Goonies and Atari never say die!

[@Ray03595]

Are they making a retro system or trying to do a current gen one?

[@jamesbrand4923]

Ray03595 it won't be a retro system, it's most likely to be something like the Nvidia Shield...not a plug and play, as they wouldnt/don't have the capital to invest in a making a console to compete with the modern market. I'm sure they have a partner company on board but even they wouldn't do it not with the brand Atari, it would only really be Apple who could invest that much money...but they don't need to

[@SageX85]

Ohhhh but it is a SIGNAL!!!! IT IS COMING!!!!!!!!! THE END IS NEAR!!!!!!!!

[@schmeman8559]

I've been watching your videos for a long time and I think this is one of your best. The way you introduced the history of the video game crash alongside a realistic approach concerning the state of videogames today (and their ever increasing relevance) was very elegant. Great video, thank you.

[@splingo_]

I'd hate to see this happen again

[@Diamoondust]

Jacques Lewis of course not!

[@richisdisturbed]

Are people actually stupid enough to think this is actually Reggie? Fuck me, how low is the average intelligence??

[@GoldFellaTim]

Jacques Lewis you're a dumbass for thinking this is the real Reggie

[@richisdisturbed]

You also can't absolutely prove that I'm not the creator of everything you see around you, so bow down to me, my child.

[@rig85]

Jacques Lewis Ummmm....why don't you click on his "About" page. Clearly says it's not the real Reggie...

[@yojoehojo4291]

I just wanna point out that Atari is making another console soon...

[@GreenSoap]

Game consoles have started looking like appliances now again. Look at the PS4 and the Xbox One, they might as well have been Blu-Ray or VHS players by the way they look. Game consoles used to look very distinctly 'gamey', like the N64, PS1, Xbox - you couldn't mistake them for something else. Now everything has to have a clean and minimalistic design. Hell, even the boxes are like this.

[@jerrytotten3733]

Yeah, and that is getting dull and boring. Which is one reason the Switch is selling and the most popular model is the one that's colorful.

[@TropicalPriest]

Hadn't thought of that. Reminds of something like BMWs. People shell out 50 grand and then choose slate grey. Dafuq?

[@mhdj14]

GreenSoap Back in the "retro age" game companies wanted to sell there consoles and games to kids, with there wacky and colorful designs. Gaming was not a thing for adults, that was kind of a taboo. This changed completely with the PS1 and basicly all consoles after that, they all look like systems for adults. Companies know they can get much more money from adults then kids. People actually bought the PS3 as a Blu-ray player as it was one of the cheapest one available back in the day. Everything you buy nowadays with internet connectivity must have all these "apps". Netflix, KZbin, spotify. Console makers just followed suit, as they want as much units sold as possible and not have a community complaining about not having these features. I don't really see a problem with that. I like that I can play games, watch movies and tv shows and listen to music on a single device in the living room.

[@jerrytotten3733]

TropicalPriest look at how hyped Sony people got over what's basically a spray painted PS4. Or Xbox's virtually limitless supply of nonstandard controllers that actually look interesting. The whole Monolith black, slate grey, so emo it could cut itself, blend in wallflower, mature game appliance for mature 12 year olds was in a generation ago but nobody actually wants that now. Just need the corporations to realize that.

[@GreenSoap]

Jerry Totten, yeah the Switch console does have a distinct look (and has color variants which is great), but it still has a very clean, appliance-like look to it. Look at stand and tell me it couldn't have been something you have in your kitchen to cut onions with or something. The box to the Switch makes it come off as an appliance. A kitchen appliance really could have had the same box layout, I'm not kidding. The PS4's box is probably the best looking box out of this generation, because it is made very clear that it is a gaming console. It has a gamey and stylistic design, and it showcases some games on the back - that's all you need really! Neither the Xbox One or the Switch does this with their boxes.

[@The-Fishkeeper]

The biggest problem with modern gaming for me is the lack of diversity, almost every major release these days seems to be either a first person shooter or a racing game. I miss the days when there was a lot more variety.

[@SabreXT]

If that's how you feel, then I think you need to look outside of AAA games.

[@The-Fishkeeper]

Unfortunately most indie releases and such tend to be digital only which is a no go for me.

[@The-Fishkeeper]

Yeah I completely understand why they have to do it but it's still a huge shame.

[@halcionkoenig243]

masterchief247 Games only cost millions because developers spend that money. If you set the bar high, don't be bewildered when you're expected to maintain it.

[@KusanagiMotoko100]

+Fishkeeper63 I have to agree with you at some level I remember in the 90s and early 2000s we used to play and care about every genre because they were more or less at the same level, meaning strategy, action, simulator, racing games, fighting games, adventures, since call of duty and WOW, a single genre each year has to be the main focus point of gaming, and each game tries to be the next big thing and make all the money that's why games are starting to look like FPS open world narrative based MMO clones (even racing games), they want to appeal to everyone and last 10 years making money. I would disagree with the lack of diversity you said, different types of games are still being made every year by independent studios what changed is the marketing and the importance these game have in the market.

[@boomerps2]

I don't think another crash is possible. The only way it could happen would be a lack of content, not from a lack of consumer sales.

[@gfunkmoney06]

It can happen faster than anyone thinks. Crashes are always sudden and mostly unexpected. You never know.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Pounding That Libtard Tookus It almost happened during the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii/WiiU era with the US economy almost tanking in the years between late 07 - around 2011 when things started to get better which resulted in the Xbox 360 and PS3 having some of the longest fullon life spans of any console generation because Microsoft, and Sony both knew consumers could not afford new hardware at the time, which resulted in their bottoms lines shrinking, and SONY as a whole evened ended up in the red because of it, and even came damn near close to filling for Chapter 11 at one point with their video games the only thing that as truly helping to keep them afloat. I personally don't see it happening anytime soon with how well the market has been doing as of late, but you never know with how fast the economy can change, and people start to say FUCK!!! I gotta save money now, and not buy videos games, or other luxury items.

[@OneColdMonkey]

I was only 4, but I remember the crash. (And before the crash, seeing commercials for Atari 2600 game-of-the-month clubs, where a place like Sears would send you a new game every month on a subscription service.) I remember everybody complaining about the Atari 2600 Pac Man too, but I always loved it. :-P (And tv/movie companies sure did. Pac Man's Atari death noise is STILL used sometimes in shows when someone's playing a game.) I remember the crash, but I remember it because I didn't understand it. All of a sudden video games were just... GONE. I'd beg my parents to try and get a new game, but there was nothing at the stores to buy. And then something happened to our Atari and it broke. Finally years later my sister was sick in the hospital, and they had an Atari 2600 with Bowling in the pediatric wing. My family had so much fun playing it together that my dad and I went looking at the stores again, and there it was... The NES. I still remember buying it so clearly to this day. What the counter looked like, the selection, getting Metal Gear instead of Jaws, having to finish my homework before I could play for the first time... Anyway, the rest is history. :-)

[@Plestora]

You should dig into E.T.

[@TropicalPriest]

Nah, there's actually a lot to it because of the movie license and Spielberg's involvement. Atari backed the hell out of that title. It's actually a very unique adventure game, it seems like a lot of people didn't read the manual. It's not a good game, but there is a lot to talk about, at least with it's goals and intentions which were shooting extremely high. No surprise it should come up well short.

[@HiroPlaysGames]

Yeah, I think if people had read the manual (or, honestly, if the majority of the target audience wasn't so young at the time) it would have been received a lot better. It didn't help that the scoring described in the manual wasn't even close to what the game actually awarded, either. If the hit detection for falling into pits wasn't so pixel-perfect, it would have been a lot easier to play and I don't think it would have been considered a bad game at all.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

I read there is a home-brew version of Atari E.T. where they FIXED all the parts that were bad about it.

[@alexmott507]

There's a GREAT documentary called Atari: Game Over that gets into all the details of E.T. and the crash. You can watch it on Netflix, I believe.

[@Bobby8451]

MetalJesusRocks What! They fixed the ENTIRE game?! Lol

[@Axess-sv8nq]

I did EXACTLY the same thing when the crash happened! Off to Apple II and C64! I remember playing classics on the Apple II like Zork, Ultima, Wizardry, and the ORIGINAL Castle Wolfenstein (complete with SS guys who said "Burger Sauce"). On the C64, I was playing Beyond The Forbidden Forest, Sword of Fargoal, the legendary SSI AD&D games, and tons of other games!

[@nimrodlevy]

I think we just passed one video game crisis which no one cared about, the fall of arcades... we oldies do play our MAME emulator yet any kid born 1995 and onward won't know about it...

[@RetroSmoo]

Nimrod levy arcades still popular in australia and philippines etc

[@AlfieriV]

Nimrod levy '95 baby here letting you know I experienced the arcades

[@voidremoved]

ppl can buy weed in the mail. nobody needs the arcade anymore!

[@rancidsko]

Alfieri so.. how was that ddr machine

[@nimrodlevy]

arcades in my country are dead :(

[@ravenone6001]

I think if there was a crash we would still have a dedicated indie community who'd make games for fun so I wouldn't be so worried

[@yoeycrack1]

The only way I can see a Crash happening again is if gamers go on strike because the company's release a base copy of a game for a outrageous price and little DLC content for crazy price.

[@1Geek4Ever1]

One of the things that I've really loved about old games was the cover art because it was full of details and most of them were hand drawn which, for me, looked amazing.

[@DarthChrisB]

You know the industry is in serious trouble whenever Atari releases a new console.

[@primated6901]

Nice Ghost T-Shirt, amazing band! Cheers from germany, keep up your awsome work :)

[@gehlotmvz9513]

lol the fidget spinner crash will happen 2018 I CALL IT !!!

[@gimcrack555]

I'm waiting for the movie and a video game version of it. Then it will crash.

[@BrewerBomb]

Gehlot MVz Forget about Fidget Spinners, it's all about Bib Jibblers now.

[@shadowsinsomniacs9943]

I bloody hope so!

[@shadowsinsomniacs9943]

Fidget Spinner the Movie Game. Revenge of the Return of the Fidget Spinner Deluxe 3D Ultra Complete Game of the Year Edition.

[@gehlotmvz9513]

lol

[@Macho_Man_Randy_Savage]

You were 12 in 1983? You look around 27! LOL It's good to hear what happened from someone who actually experienced it. I like your way of thinking, it is frustrating when games/experiences change and you just want them to remain like when YOU were a kid but games are away evolving and ARE definitely better than ever before and there is a huge choice. Subbed!

[@ryanrodricks989]

Dat thumbnail could become a meme someday

[@ResidentOfEvil81]

TheLegend 27 That*

[@pnp072000]

Jay Bates I was trying to play Dark Souls 3, but this one player keeps kicking my ass.

[@ryanrodricks989]

Jay Bates I did that on purpose ugh teachers shouldn't use the internet

[@ronnieDaking]

Remember that " Cringe" meme last year

[@zachmealer]

You missed a vital part of the crash... Atari developers were getting ungodly amounts of money, and everybody started getting into development, but everybody was programming shit on platforms that were so limited that allowing 3rd party development was just asking for trouble. Lots of money was dumped into too many different systems, and Nintendo was pretty much the only hardware developer that allowed for 3rd party development. You're never going to see another gaming crash like that, again. At worst, a few development companies will die-out and new ones will take their place. PC gaming is never, NEVER going anywhere. Games are games, and we always play games. The "video game crash" was just a byproduct of the emergence of computer tech for home use.

[@ProtoPropski]

If a second video game crash happens it'll be cheaply made In-game purchase type games to blame, and the greed behind some of our AAA dev studios I don't think I need to drop names we all should know about "them"

[@SonyJimable]

True. Very true!

[@deaththekid922]

i agree , it will mostly crush these devs rip ac10 , cod14 etc

[@Direwoof]

All of my favorite games are from the mid to late 90s, Majora's Mask, Final Fantasy VII, Ocarina of Time, Xenogears. These games are just unreal for me, still give me chills when I play them today.

[@320zombie]

Points for giving some love to Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons with the footage, highly unappreciated game

[@MetalJesusRocks]

Really enjoyed Brothers too!

[@DefWun]

320zombie Top notch story right there. The way the game makes you control both brothers for a majority of puzzles, is also awesome.

[@elipsorange]

Good video MJ, always a pleasure hearing you out

[@afterhours2103]

MetalJesus is cool. thanks for not cursing.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

I do like to curse...but I try not to that often in my videos. Thanks for noticing.

[@afterhours2103]

MetalJesusRocks is the one of the few channels that I'm subbed to that I can enjoy with my children.

[@MrMagee78]

you do realize their are children that watch this stuff to?

[@user-uv7ig7vl2s]

Why? Are you a witch?

[@CrimRui]

I also have to agree. You express yourself well enough, no need to drop F bombs to prove a point.

[@russianvideovlogguy]

I was born in 1983 - it is very interesting to hear about gaming trends from the early 80s. Excellent upload!

[@jeffersonkane758]

Props to that Ghost shirt! Fuck yeah! \w/

[@gregkilby5053]

'The story was told in the manual'... Goodness, I remember manuals including mini comics such as Yars' Revenge and The Sacred Armo(u)r of Antiriad (a great platform/adventure game released mostly on popular British 8bit computers).

[@IanTheBuizel]

It needs to happen. Its the only way for these companies to learn from their mistakes. Modern gaming is just terrible.

[@JetskiPilotGaming]

Great question! If there were another crash, I would see it as an opportunity for catching up on games I haven't started playing yet in my game library and finish others on my backlog. Excellent video MJR!

[@ValiousTV]

The only crash I'm seeing is a bunch of farmers milking their products. Back in the day the older programmers had the balls to try new concepts, now a days you have to spend another $60 on part 2 of a game 'now with jump'. Offer me a new game that won't have to be updated or shit that I have to buy, like more levels. $60 for bread and butter, but $30 more for a knife and toaster. Also why is it that the plastic seal on a game worth the same amount as the game? If you don't believe me, buy a new game open it and 2 minutes later try reselling it. I'm going to start dealing in video game plastic wrap.

[@TableWolfMusic]

$ *60 on part 2 of a game 'now with jump* '< This! Frankly, social networks are doing that too these days. Surely you must have noticed? Both games and Social Networks claim the "need" for such business models and yet FOSS software (Games or Social Networks) make rivals to be reckoned with. e.g. Seen that FOSS *movim* social network?

[@bellgrand]

As someone who works in games, let me tell you that a $60 MSRP is not enough money to make a AAA title in the timeframe necessary to keep a company afloat.

[@ryanwallace983]

As a person who is trying to get into collecting games, I am willing to pay more for an unopened and sealed game than a used game bc I want to be assured that the game is intact, the manuals and everything else is there

[@crom19701]

Metal, I followed a similar path to you. I had an Atari, then I added the Supercharger, then I got mom to pick me up a Commodore. So I never had to suffer from bad games. I had never heard of the 83 crash until I started to collect 7-8 years ago.

[@Fortuna1]

Incomplete games, useless dlcs, not arcade games, bad ports (console to pc and vice-versa), cease and desist games fan... well, soon the crash

[@lazy_gamer_dad]

Hey - Love your work! I moved from the 2600 to the C64 as well. The C64 was definitely what saved gaming at the time. The library of games was amazing!

[@xxnike0629xx]

On a somewhat related note, I'm waiting for Microsoft to leave the console market and switch to PC development only.

[@wesleywyndam-pryce4081]

oh no we don't want that

[@whoddawhatta2422]

Utterly Indifferent Nope, Sony wouldn't. They would then have a monopoly on the console market, Nintendo is not a threat, and they would dictate everything for it. Imagine if there wasn't a Sony PlayStation when Microsoft said no used games, always online, yada yada, when they announced the xbox one.

[@ReddoX30]

Whodda Whatta Exactly. Competition is ALWAYS beneficial for the consumer.

[@Strawberry92fs]

"Nintendo is not a threat" The Wii won its Console Cycle, people always forget that. And Nintendo has been in the game longer than any other hardware developer that's still releasing console hardware. Nintendo has also cornered the market for dedicated handheld consoles. And of course Nintendo has that nostalgia factor, there are people who bought a switch JUST for Zelda and Mario, that's some serious brand loyalty.

[@MRBIGCOHONEZ]

Whodda Whatta Lol, that's why Sony copied Nintendo with their ps move. Why they tried to make a handheld just like nintendo. Hey I got a PS4 too, but other than the last of us, god of war, and Uncharted MY ps4 just gathers dust. Yes they have more exclusives I know. But not everybody likes that JRPG garbage. Turn based games are just lame. I have more fun Playing Sorry, yes the board game. I know is turn based but you get to play with friends and family. My PS4 gets the least play at my home.

[@rgsentient]

For anyone else this would have been such a clickbaity headline, thank you MEtal Jesus for creating such interesting vids!

[@linkmaster6486]

Metal Jesus you sly devil you, you gave away your real age lol I remember that comment saying you were 65 I was like WTF? , For anyone wondering he's either 47 or 48.

[@Metroid250]

LinkMaster64 Wow he's young!

[@RichChanLikesTacos]

He looks in his 30's

[@UltimateGamerCC]

video games man, having fun and not getting stressed will keep you physically younger. :P

[@atranfanatic]

Yeah he was probably born in either '70 or '71. I was born in '74. lol And I don't look my age either according to people I meet.

[@MisfitMods]

LinkMaster64 my dad is older by a few years, I think he's 52.

[@catlike4456]

Metal Jesus, man this video was good. People are afraid of the apocalypse again. As a kid in south america that had barely any money for games, we were always behind on "what was hot" but we had a healthy supply of bootleg arcades from Japan. I can tell you, arcades were hot again in 1987 with the release of "Double Dragon" and all the fun clones after that, then in 1992 we had "Street Fighter 2" which is the most successful sequel behind "Empire's strikes back" and then the war of the consoles started. People always look for the worst case scenario without observing the history behind video games. Atari was like MC Hammer. Had it so good that never thought it would end.

[@chiefawg8305]

I don't know what your talking about but its going to happen. Because the makers are way to creedy. This is why I was left behind on ps3. The least can't make the jump cause its to expensive they doing 60+$ on everything video games, extra hardware and you have to pay for ONLINE and they limit us to share the things you buy. So I see a possible crash coming.

[@banewreakergames7038]

I was ten years old when the original gaming crash happened in 1983. E.T. was... bad. But I recall seeing my aunt playing Pacman with her feet. I remember the Calicovision and so on. Now, I stream horror games. I don't think a crash will happen, but I do think sometimes that gaming is evolving. Keep up the good work MetalJesusRocks.

[@t-rexngatokorua8733]

In all honesty, I couldn't care less if there was a video game crash. I can't even keep up with the amount of games I have now (500 on psn alone not including physical library, steam library and all my other consoles) There's a ridiculous amount of games out already, there's no way one normal person could get through every game out as is.

[@t-rexngatokorua8733]

Yeah I sorta felt myself pull away from steam. They were so cheap i was just buying so many. playing a level then going and buying more. Reason I have so many on psn was due to a joint account and all my friends play on playstation. They can be a ripoff though XD

[@SabreXT]

Great to see this from someone who actually lived it. I appreciate it. Most of the time when this topic comes up, it seems to be a 20 or 30 something that wants Call of Duty, Fifa, and Madden to go away, and for 2D Mario and Megaman games to lead the way, or a return to the "golden age" of PC games like Thief, Deus Ex, etc. I think in a way, what we're seeing today is similar to what Europe went through. If we say the Wii and phone games being the Atari shovelware of today, then the rise of PC and indies is like the home computers and bedroom programmers of the 80s.

[@Cryostal]

I would put on my video game seat belt.

[@OldMan_PJ]

I was about half your age during the crash and my memory was only that 2600 games suddenly became affordable. Discounts as low as 2 for $15 and so on became commonplace and in no time my brother and I had over 50 games to play. We loved the arcades as well, but if anything was responsible for pulling our attention away from consoles it would have been cartoons. G.I Joe began in '83 and Transformers in '84. Comic books quickly began arriving for those cartoons as well and got us into collecting them (Marvel/DC superheroes were never much of an interest for us.)

[@gonzo3915]

Gaming back in the 80s was a niche activity, today its mainstream and a new crash would be nigh impossible.

[@jaywest3734]

Depends. If mainstream gaming keeps on going the way its going, it could happen. If the next Battlefront game has microtransactions like its rumored, that could be the start of bad things to come.

[@jaywest3734]

What made you do that on that particular date?

[@ElNegus9985]

Jay West New year resolution?

[@javierortiz82]

True. This year I pretty much haven't bought anything, I'm sick of buying videogames in pieces, or that lose support (servers) from the developers in less than two years. They're treated much like disposable media nowadays.

[@xeno4600]

javierortiz82, youre sick of a game losing support after 2 years? if you get 2 years out of a $60 game, i think you're getting much more than your money's worth. Think of the pre-online years. The game came out, and that was it. to get any more than a year of entertainment out of a $60 game is well worth the money, imo.

[@HalconMileinario]

you said it, there's thousands of games out there to be play, retro games or newer games, is a massive world to explore.

[@nitramletnan]

We need a game crash.

[@teotest3255]

MetalJesusRocks, that was the best answer/comment on that question. I really enjoyed the video 😊😊

[@michaelperry9261]

Well since we never really had a real video game crash here in the UK in 83. it barely affected us. I highly doubt there will be one now. Although there should be! Developers in general have been hashing out the same games over and over again and with micro transactions and paid DLC they are way too greedy. A good crash is probably needed to make them focus on making new interesting and creative games. Not another version of COD every year. Bring the game crash on!

[@pan4662]

Best videogame related channel on KZbin

[@TekMerc]

Storytelling in games has come on leaps and bounds for sure, but claiming games tell stories equally as good as a book is, I'm sorry to say, idiotic beyond belief.

[@Nalojuntu]

I agree. That's why I already have chosen books over video games. Practically, I find it way easier to share and debate on books than on video games. Book stories take less time to read, go deeper, are the expression of one person - not the middle-half-faded-average mainstream opinion of a 300 developers team bound to commercial success to survive that in the end has no specific message. Yeah, the GTA serie criticizes the modern consumers society. Yeah, Oddworld serie goes even deeper on it artistically, and adds subjects like slavery and social classes. Yeah, Metal Gear talks about war and scientists going too far and having their creation used for the worst mass crimes - or oppression if you think of MGS2 Arsenal Gear to control information all over the net. But I feel like any good science fiction book would need just a few pages to say all there is to it from these stories, and would be able to go way deeper. For games that are about emotions or feeling an ambiance like Shenmue, the Witcher, Soul Reaver serie... I feel like books are definitely able to do this as well, again, less time consuming for the reader than the player. If it is for the visual arts, there can be pictures. If it is for the video art, let's do a movie. It's one hour or two of viewing and done, you can talk about it with the friends that came along. Yes there can be art in the interaction design - as for ICO asking you to maintain the trigger pulled to drag Yorda by, as a metaphor of you taking her hand. Yes, there are meta-games as some indie are. And there are dexterity-action games : platform (Psychonauts, Sly Racoon, Jet Set Radio Future), shooters (Zone of the Enders 2, Pander Dragoon Orta), beat them all (Odin Sphere) and FPS. Yes, video games the mix of tale + perfected gameplay can end up to nice titles : Zeldas, Okami, and some of the previously cited... but is it worth the time spend to play ? And the eaten-to-the-bones storyline ? I like video games, I 've been passionate about it, but I love stories more, and books are the best at it - movies are nice too. Story based games are too much of a solo experience : too long, not handy enough to discuss with people. The only video games I can still relate today, because you can actually play with people or show them, are quick dexterity games (platformers, shooters) and short meta-experience-indie games where you get directly to the point with the art-of-interaction part - kind of like "interactive multimedia exposition"... but with good stuff, not crappy "modern art" in a museum with no sense. Here is my opinion. And why I'm selling my perfect state N64 with untouched complete Conker, Zelda, Perfect Dark + my OG XBOX and it's collection. ^^^

[@DefWun]

I would honestly not be affected too much. My back log is pretty high. I have about 40 steam games alone, that I have never even ran once.The game market is quite overwhelming to an older gamer like me. I remember getting one game every 6 months and having to share it with my family. You would play the hell out of it and find every secret.

[@AzNpowangeFTW]

You're right about the last point, *way too many games* to play these days. Tough to filter through the junk to find the gems that really appeal to the person themselves.

[@Salamanderman117]

I like your final answer as it is my conclusion regarding the digitizing of games. I'm old school. I like a physical game with a case and a manual and as consoles are becoming far more digital I have had to ask myself "what will I do if/when a future console is digital only?" My answer? Dabble into it when it gets VERY cheap but primarily play and collect old stuff.

[@88DreadGT]

I was 13 in '83 and didn't even know there was a video game crash. I do remember going from just loving my Atari and playing the games for what they were to arcade ports becoming a thing. Once it was "I can't wait to play Pitfall!" to "They're coming out with Donkey Kong for the 2600? Gonna suck...."

[@ALitleBitSpecial]

Pacman on the 2600 actually is one example that is completely the development (or publishing) companys fault. I think the story behind what was released was like meant as a proof of concept prototype and was rushed out the door. Can't blame the hardware since homebrew 2600 coders have since created versions much closer to the arcade

[@hemidas]

"It would move me to tears... If I still had tears to shed." Mr. Freeze, Batman TAS.

[@mikemercer5808]

One thing that helps the VG industry now is KZbin channels like MJR's. Back in the 80's we didn't have that luxury, we didn't even have VG magazines for the most part. Now if you have a question about a game, you can get in depth reviews on YT. A lot less chances of getting burnt by bad software now.

[@comaproductions3288]

Dang man, I wish I had a good room mic to send you. Anyway, this video was awesome. Loved the content.

[@thudtheace]

Having lived in that time, What I saw was the game consoles at the time totally crashed because for the most part everyone I knew had moved on to computer games (i.e. Atari 8-bit, Apple, Commodore).. And the consoles were already old. Playing (new at the time) Ultima 3 was a hell of a lot better RPG/adventure gaming experience than games like swordquest: earth/fireworld on the Atari 2600. E.t. didn't help, but certainly was not the cause of the video game crash.. Just my 2 cents having been a young teen during this time. Cheers! I posted the above without watching MJR's video first, and after watching it, I think we are on the same page having both lived through that era... Cheers again!

[@Harp00nX]

You forgot to mention the lack of quality control which was a major factor in the 83 crash. These days the console makers can block anything from being released (through licensing) so it would probably never get that bad again.

[@ragedunicycle1157]

hey metal jesus just found your channel a couple weeks ago just realized I wasent subed but I really enjoy your channel keep up the great work

[@PinkStarburst717]

wow I genuinely appreciate your knowledge man. top notch.

[@devinconner9637]

Nice shirt dude! and I hope there's not another crash, lyf would suck

[@MaxxMinton]

Metal Jesus you're such a great guy. Loved the video man.

[@Axess-sv8nq]

If there was a crash, I would go right to my backlog of hundreds of games! Plus, I would play some games multiple times! I honestly think game releases should slow down. The market is overloaded with games these days. It's overwhelming!

[@DigitalHaze65536]

I'm the same age as you, and I totally agree. Pacman was the game that sorely disappointed me. I moved away from them too about 1983, and only played my neighbors C64 (we loved "Mail Order Monsters" lol) I got a NES in 1988, and I've never not had a console since then. (because in 1989 I started working and bought practically every console ever made) The first games that really hooked me were Zelda 2 and Megaman 2.......Zelda 1 I actually got after Zelda 2. I ended up having things like the Atari Jaguar and 3DO...........those were flops. I even had a Super Gun. (arcade board adapter for your TV) Oh yeah a Neo Geo too. (cart version) I totally don't get these new age console wars, because they all ROCK. I actually love the Xbox One because the arcade offers many classics and they moved them over from Xbox 360 so we didn't have to pay for them again. The arcade port of Golden Axe is among my favorites..........and now with the original Xbox BC coming this fall I can break out my rare, European version of a Taito arcade classics disc that contains my beloved Cadash! (the US version of the disc didn't have that game, luckily it wasn't region locked) Last night I went from BOTW on Switch to Megaman 2 on my Xbox One :) (yeah I play new games on Xbox One also lol) EDIT: Games for me. I enjoy an occasional movie but for the last 5 years all I really do is either watch KZbin or play video games.........btw BOTW really reignited my interest in games, I had become extremely casual in my gaming the last several years but now the itch is back!! (I'd just play some retro games, but I had been avoiding time consuming games like RPGs, but now I'm back into them and just got Skyrim for the first time lol, that had come out at about the time I slacked in my gaming)

[@certifiedbodys4023]

Dude you have the best old game videos

[@LegatoSkyheart]

I feel like some people don't know this, but we already went through another Video Game Crisis. There was a time somewhere in between I wanna say 2009 - 2014ish (maybe earlier, maybe later) where a lot of Video Game studios actually went bankrupt and Game Licenses were lost and Games that were in development got canceled. This is where we started seeing things like Megaman Legends 3 getting canceled or games like Scott Pilgrim getting pulled from Digital Stores and also seeing things like Activision merging their studios to make more Call of Duty games or Ubisoft making yearly releases of Assassin's Creed Titles. All of these things were done simply because the cost of video game production started to increase and the result is that we saw more Sequels of well Established Franchises and not a lot of New Original Ideas from Big Party Publishers. Nintendo didn't do a lot of New IPs during this period and We wouldn't see many games like Beyond Good and Evil coming from Ubisoft because the risks were just too great, and if one of these Publishers actually made a New IP and it flopped horribly then it would have probably bankrupt the company. Hench why Nintendo of America only published One of their New IPs (Xenoblade) and not the other 2 (Pandora's Tower & The Last Story) and Also why we probably never saw the Fatal Frame 2 remake or Fatal Frame 4 here in America. Not all was bad for this "Crisis". It was because of this we actually saw a rise in something and that was the Rise of Indie Games. Games like Braid, Limbo, Skullgirls, Super Meat Boy, and the like started to show up and people started to take notice of these games and say "Wow, this game is incredible!" and they weren't from Big Named Publishers, They were from people who worked from the Garages or in School Dorms. It's because of big party publishers not wanting to take the risks that Gamers started to Take the Risks for them and a lot of the times it paid off. One of the Biggest Indie games to come from this era was a little game known as Minecraft. It's now owned by a big named studio (Microsoft), but Minecraft is an Indie title, by a guy who just wanted to make a fun game. This is a long comment and I probably could have made a video out if it myself, but I'll leave it here for someone to read. Point is, we've already had a 2nd Video Game "Crash". It wasn't anything like the Crash in 1983, but the situation is similar. And look where it took us!

[@shivarampersaud2332]

This is why I love this man

[@ShapeyFiend]

The first games machine I had was a Commodore 64 which broke circa 1988. The next machine that I got was an Atari 2600.. and that was certainly still the most common console my friends in Ireland had at the time too. Few people had a NES or Master System until 1990 or so. The gap between arcade graphics and console graphics was huge.

[@JebberGamingJaws]

Great question. Love your discussion about video games as an entertainment and story medium. In my mind, movies, books etc simply can't offer an experience of a story in quite the same way.

[@mauriandlaw]

I was born in the 70's, in love with Atari and Colecovision, when the crash came, .... i remember everything, and i agree 100% on what MetalJesus said. I have been playing since and a new crash is not even thinkable right now....totally impossible. People are playing now more than ever, all ages , the games are awesome, the technology is off the chart, and the industry is economically healthy. For every crappy game they make, there are 10 blowing you away. It is a great time to be a gamer.

[@chumnasty777]

Thanks for the video MJR! I completely agree with you and would be ok for awhile with my back log.

[@Wally17.]

When he said around 4:40 that video games are starting to tell better stories, I laughed because I thought of Halo 5. Also, if a video game crash happened, I'd be fine. I have plenty of games I still haven't finished or games that I want to play.

[@shiningwizard327]

Games look and play great now. But what sucks today is DLC, Season Passes, Day One Patches. Maybe a crash is too drastic, but something definitely needs to change because publishers/developers are taking advantage of the consumers far too often.

[@chrisrabiola4393]

I tend to agree. As someone who was around the same age when the crash happened in the 80's, I won't be arrogant enough to think I have all the answers on this but there was indeed a ridiculous amount of shovelware in 83 and little to get excited about. We have SO many great things now where tech is concerned that I doubt there's much to make it crash, save for outside influences. as for the idea that gaming is the best it's ever been, some things have fallen away that maybe shouldn't have including simple pick up and go play mechanics, but overall, yeah we have it as good as we ever could have dreamed when us 80s kids were kids.

[@TimBrice7]

Spotted Airlock in there, man I actually really loved that game. I vaguely remember the post crash timeframe when 2600 games were still in every store but for a few bucks each. I'd just buy up the discounted games and play them until the industry got back on its feet.