5-gaming-companies-in-need-of-a-redemption-story

5 Gaming Companies in Need of a Redemption Story

These last few years of gaming had been mostly disappointing. From companies letting their own fans down to serious allegations of misconduct, there have been awful stories from some juggernauts in the industry. However, do these 5 companies in need of a redemption story deserve our pardon? I mean, who doesn’t love a good redemption story? Where the bad guy realizes he or she needs to change and does it in a spectacular way.

Could there be a redemption opportunity for these industries despite the current existence of Cancel Culture? Let’s check them out and see how they could make a comeback and restore faith in the gaming community.

Bethesda

The fall of Bethesda has been slow but consistent and it all began with that Horse Armor. For their game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bethesda released a DLC that simply changed the aesthetic of your beloved horse, adding armor to it. It’s known to be one of the very first foundations for microtransactions in video games. 

And it went downhill from there. The lack of story present in Skyrim, the changes made from Fallout 3 to 4 that left fans unsatisfied, and the final nail in the coffin: Fallout 76. 

Bugs all over the place and a final terrible game in a very much loved franchise has left the gaming community with little hope for Bethesda. A good turnaround could be a triumphant return with their new Elder Scrolls or even surprise us with Starfield. Time will tell, but with Microsoft on their toes, it shouldn’t be that hard to achieve. No pressure guys but also yes.

CD Projekt Red

This one hurts a lot. Not as much as other studios but still. I still remember The Witcher 3 and even though I didn’t get the opportunity to play the other two games (I need to work guys!), it was a hell of a game. Fantastic story, immersive side quests and amazing, rich expansions. The “Polish boys” have cemented themselves as the leaders of the RPG industry, nothing could go wrong. Except that, it did, with Cyberpunk 2077.

Don’t get me wrong, the game is good. I had a blast playing it until I decided to investigate more. An inability to bring the game to the consoles they promised it will be available on, some pieces of the story that look incomplete, plus all the controversy surrounding the company. Supposed lies, fewer years in development than it was reported, and the greed from the owners of the company.

They were supposed to be the ones that would deliver the 2020 game of the year but hey, we all know how that went down. However, I must recognize that they’ve been working on making the game better. Their redemption could come with an over-the-top expansion and maybe adding all the cut content that should have made it to the game in the first place. One can hope.

EA

At first glance, it would seem that EA has begun its redemption arc story. I wouldn’t be surprised if EA became the definition of a tremendous comeback in the gaming industry. But first, how did it go that bad in the first place? Well, it’s a lot.

Everything began with Star Wars, specifically Battlefront II. Remember that “unlock from playing and gratification idea”? Yeah, it didn’t look good. Especially when you could unlock all characters by paying a little extra. However, a few months before, Mass Effect Andromeda was released and it wasn’t the experience everyone was expecting. Weird face models and a story that couldn’t compete with the original. They even canceled the DLCs! Yikes. 

And that’s not all! They closed several studios (Visceral, it still hurts), and there have been reports of mistreated workers. They were labeled as the worst company to work for in 2012 by Consumerist. And we can’t forget how they manage to attract the government’s attention with their Loot Boxes. 

Honestly, this seems tough and I’m being optimistic, but come on! A new Mass Effect game, the return to the Dragon Age franchise, a Dead Space remake! And their recent success with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. They are marking all the right boxes. Only time will tell if they learned their lesson.

Also, do not ever let them forget about Anthem. Moving on.

Naughty Dog

This! This shouldn’t even be here, what the hell happened? Well, no one really knows. There is a lot of speculation. Maybe it’s Druckmann’s fault? Or perhaps they decided to tackle a political agenda no one wanted to talk about? Was the game conceived for other audiences except for the typical gamer? 

Look, I’m all down for a different experience. Joel saving someone he just met? He got soft. Wanna kill Joel? Cool. With a golf club? Understandable, he didn’t deserve a heroic death. The man was a monster! But then you are going to make me go on an emotional journey and then manipulate me, your client, into trying to have forced empathy towards the character that killed someone I admired? No, I won’t stand it. That’s cheap. And the game journalists loved it. Of course they did! But that’s another topic for another day.

So what can be done from here? Honestly, from everything we’ve seen, we can agree on something: gamers have the capacity to forgive, but never forget. And it’s tough. The remake they are doing right now about The Last of Us Pt. 1? Yeah, looks fishy, especially since it hasn’t been that long to justify it. And they have been awfully quiet about it. The only thing they have is the TV Series in the works, which doesn’t inspire that much hope.

The best way to go about it would be to completely distance themselves from the franchise. They could make an Uncharted game! Oh wait…maybe a Crash…mmm. A new IP sounds good.

Activision Blizzard

Oh how the mighty can fall. This should be short: discrimination, sexual harassment, and misconduct, disturbing allegations like cameras found in bathrooms, women doing all the work while they are in a company plagued by “frat boy” culture.

There’s a lot to unpack but one thing is clear: Activision Blizzard is the new bad guy of the gaming world. It’s disgusting and worrisome to have these kinds of stories in the modern world. Absolutely barbaric. And don’t even get me started on Warcraft 3: Reforged.

So what can they do? F-them, for what I care. This article was to display the companies that really need to gain the audience’s trust back. Offering a solution is a nicety but for these a-holes? I think I’m good. You are better off trying out a new game. Final Fantasy XIV is quite good. Runescape is an oldie but goldie.

About Activision Blizzard? Let them burn and keep losing stocks. God knows they deserve it. And it looks like an excellent warning for everyone else, don’t you think?

Thanks for sticking to the end of this article! I hope you like it and if you think there are more companies in need of a redemption arc, tell us in the comments down below. Also, be sure to check out our other articles! I’m sure you’ll find something entertaining here. Until the next time!