Are tactical shooters too niche? [DISCUSSION] | Forums

[Conan.O.Awesome]

A lot of the games coming out today are fast paced, battle royale-ish, cartooney style experiences. Although these have a place and a following, I feel they reach a larger audience (even though I don’t agree with or like that game style).

I tend to lean towards the tactical genere and enjoy the slow paced, methodical gameplay when it comes to military shooters, as I know a lot of us in these forums do as well.

I’m curious to hear what you think. Do you think Ubi has moved away from the tactical side of gameplay to reach a larger audience? I’m doing so, is it stating that the tactical shooter market is just too niche? Thoughts?

p.s. let’s play nice in here. K?

[Nova_RUS_]

My friend, the essence of capitalism is profit. You answered your own question in your own message. If the profit comes more from cartoon fast shooters with idiotic skins and weapons in the form of a unicorn, the game creators stop making serious military simulators. That's what we're seeing right now. All to please the crowd and the interests of the majority. I bought a very niche Insurgency Sandstorm a week ago. Yes, it has clumsy character animation compared to GR, but I get exactly what I wanted in GR Breakpoint there. As a result, this week I have never gone to play Breakpoint, although I like the world, gameplay and design of locations more than the rather primitive and unstable Insurgency Sandstorm.

[GhostLeader87]

They moved away from tactical games as they were producing GRFS.GRAW 2 was the last semi tactical game ever in the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series IMO.

[rugby_dog]

Not every game needs to aim at the mass market but looking at Ubisoft’s current catalog of games that’s what they want. If that’s the case then yes making a proper GR tactical game won’t happen again.

But seeing as they already have loads of other mass market games (and the previous success of wildlands) there is a place in the market for a semi tac game. The problem is I can’t see Ubisoft getting it right again. I can just see GR being mothballed like splinter cell as it doesn’t fit their ‘cartoon’ mtx approach to things.

[stdape]

Battle Royale Games are a Joke, even though for some reason popular. Problem is other than stupid characters, no playing sense, it's a haven for cheats.
I prefer the Tactical Shooter, even though Breakpoint is not close to one. Maybe UBI does not have the capability to make one?
Maybe Tactical Shooters are too Niche? But Arma has a massive following.

[ManticButton]

no

they're still popular today with titles like csgo

you can also have a fast paced tactical shooter
or one set in space

[Mars388502]

A lot of the games coming out today are fast paced, battle royale-ish, cartooney style experiences. Although these have a place and a following, I feel they reach a larger audience (even though I don’t agree with or like that game style).

I tend to lean towards the tactical genere and enjoy the slow paced, methodical gameplay when it comes to military shooters, as I know a lot of us in these forums do as well.

I’m curious to hear what you think. Do you think Ubi has moved away from the tactical side of gameplay to reach a larger audience? I’m doing so, is it stating that the tactical shooter market is just too niche? Thoughts?

p.s. let’s play nice in here. K?

That's an interesting and fairly hard question to answer, also because we don't really have instruments to measure how to appreciate games in this genre. The offer for this kind of game is more diversified on PC. From the top of my head, Squad insurgency, ready or not, Ground branch, Arma, upcoming 6 days in Falloujah (that will be eventually available for consoles) and some others that I must have forgot. On consoles, you have GRBP and... I sincerely can't really think of another game in the same vein. Which makes the sample way smaller if we use a purely quantitative approach. This is one aspect.

[Church367A]

My friend, the essence of capitalism is profit. You answered your own question in your own message. If the profit comes more from cartoon fast shooters with idiotic skins and weapons in the form of a unicorn, the game creators stop making serious military simulators. That's what we're seeing right now. All to please the crowd and the interests of the majority. I bought a very niche Insurgency Sandstorm a week ago. Yes, it has clumsy character animation compared to GR, but I get exactly what I wanted in GR Breakpoint there. As a result, this week I have never gone to play Breakpoint, although I like the world, gameplay and design of locations more than the rather primitive and unstable Insurgency Sandstorm.

I disagree. Features often discussed in forums more often than not criticized for going too far into a sim spectrum are what Ghost Recon needs to differentiate itself from the common shooter. Take Red Dead Redemption 2 as an example, or other more hardcore games such as Dark Souls or Sekiro, but more so using RDR2. You have to eat to maintain weight which effects health and stamina, your clothing needs to be appropriate for the climate, you have to periodically maintain your equipment (firearms and horse). All of these things would often be criticized too niche and crossing over into mil-sim and yet RDR2 was a major success. Why? Because it provided quality and functions that make sense and nearly all working together to provide something other than a half baked mediocre attempt to support a MTX store.

If done right, not a mil-sim rather an actual tactical shooter, I'd argue that Ghost Recon could be as successful as 2019's COD modern warfare that was more grounded than previous games. But to do so, Ubi would have to give up this ridiculous obsession of fantasy and truly dig in to providing a grounded experience with a plausible story. A half decent multiplayer experience would also be needed with multiple game modes as well that actually focuses on gunplay and teamwork rather than abilities and class restricted perks/super powers.

[Sandilands85]

I think it’s more about studios to often just chasing what currently selling well and trying to hard to replicate it, rather than trying to create something Niche and unique in its own right.

There is however definitely a community and hunger for the tactical shooter Genre with a better emphasis on Mil sim, and if your in the PC crowd then you already have some good stuff to choose from, but for whatever reason these haven’t transferred across to the consoles.

The other problem I think the tactical shooter genre has is that it’s mainly an older geographic that enjoy the slower paced gameplay and what we as a community want is usually based around a solid Single player campaigns with detailed story arcs, well rounded antagonists and protagonists, realistic weapons, equipment, movement with the ability to full control AI team mates, Enemy AI that is tactically challenging without reverting to being a bullet sponge.

But what the studios are pandering to these days is the quick shooter, cod style battle royale where you don’t have to think tactically and it means the studios don’t need to put as much effort into creating open game worlds and all that those games normally entail, the younger shooters are in more of a quick play and throw away generation just jumping from one game to the next.


Both genres have their place of course but atm the tactical shooters on consoles are just being ignored in the hope of a quick win

[FcAc-No-Moe]

Thank God pride for your work are still running strong on some Companies, otherwise we would ALL be driving cars that only have 3 wheels instead of 4, Living in houses that lack front and rear doors, Dual Toasters that barely toast 1 slice. True, it is getting harder and harder to find those things