The bottleneck in Gaming isn’t technology or money - it’s creativity

Two indie games that upended the gaming industry, earning thunderous applause and success: Helldivers 2 and Lethal Company. Do you remember those and the innovations of the late 2000’s, early 2010’s? Many of us lost sleep awaiting the release of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was, and still is, the closest we got to magic. Those industry-pushing releases made us eagerly anticipate the next decade of gaming.

Well, a decade has passed and things have gone… awry. Unfinished games, immersion-breaking monetisation, underwhelming live-services and the de-evolution of franchises are now prevalent. The promise of new technologies changing up gaming fell flat. While some developers and games continue to set the bar higher, there’s a clear fatigue around the industry’s shortcomings. There’s now a gap in expectations.

So after spending an unhealthy amount of time trying to pinpoint the reason behind this bottleneck - I’ve found it: Games forgot how to be creative and fun. And being fun in today’s brutally competitive industry requires creativity more than ever.

Creativity to escape

Pokémon’s most successful game to date is its first, Pokemon Red/Blue (1996), which kickstarted the world's most successful franchise - surpassing Mickey Mouse and Friends’ 68 year head start by over USD 35 Billion today. The most recent game, Pokemon Scarlet, sold 10 million fewer copies than its 28 year old predecessor. Beside some technical issues, one thing became very clear. Pokémon feels different. The hand holding and lighter tone today limits the very thing that made Pokémon so successful - a compelling world to escape to, not observe.

It’s like you’re walking in a zoo, instead of embarking on an adventure.

Helldivers nails escapism. “The Galaxy’s last line of offence” is everything anyone needs to know what they’re in for. Ridding the galaxy of non-human threats in the name of democracy of ‘Super Earth’ is the most absurd yet humorous setting that’s also fresh - and fun. Monetisation is in the background; there’s no excessive customisation, gimmicks, brand crossovers or anything else to pull players out of it.

You’re in a squad.

Games that succeed in capturing the essence of escapism and fun often have developers with their ears to the ground, truly understanding and engaging with their player base. Many AAA games miss the mark because they rely heavily on over-generalised 'personas' and trend reports. These provide a distorted view of the market, chasing superficial trends rather than the genuine, individual desires of players.

Don’t just give players a world. Give them a role to play within it.

Creativity inspired by love and care

Can you tell the difference between a pastry from a supermarket versus a local bakery? Whether or not you prefer one or the other is another point. There is a “why” behind the product. The details - aroma, ingredients, presentation, crunch - change your perception about the very genre of the product. Similarly, players know a publisher’s mandate versus a labour of love.

Lethal Company is a labour of love. Players scavenge scraps from several abandoned moon bases to sell back to “The Company” while facing hazards with friends in procedurally generated maps that keep the suspense, and carnage, fresh. 97% of its 284,000 reviews on steam are “overwhelmingly positive”, with estimates that it generated over USD 100m in revenue with 10m units sold. Remarkably, it's made by a solo developer, Zeekers.

Each element - an original setting, procedurally generated maps, voice-prompted monsters, proximity chat that enables hilarious interactions and a self-aware tone - doesn’t just exist in isolation. The magic lies in these creative elements intentionally coming together, solely focused on amplifying the player experience. So Lethal Company avoids the pitfalls of games that feel ‘off the shelf’.

It’s this care that builds salience, positive reputation, goodwill, community and loyalty (and ultimately: healthy financials).

Creativity that extends beyond mechanics

A game is more than just the playable parts. Like a brand whose experience is as important as its product. It’s the moment you load up the game, to the after-moments when you close it. These too need to be ‘brand-led’ experiences.

Gaming communities often explore the sterilisation of UI in modern games. Flat, Netflix/Hulu-esque UI feels like you’re scrolling through a store catalogue and not a thematic interaction. The main menu is the very first impression of your game.

Let’s compare two games of the same franchise: Call of Duty Black Ops 1 (2010), and Call of Duty: MWII (2022).

Black Ops introduces you in a grim, dimly-lit interrogation room, hands bound to a chair. Scattered documents, flickering monitors, and an eerie atmosphere hints at the game's themes of espionage and covert operations. Your menu options are presented on a 60’s television set. It’s ‘brand-led’, deeply tied to its Cold War setting and themes of psychological warfare. MWII in contrast, overindulges on minimalistic tiles, a HULU-esque landing page that prioritises content but makes navigation soulless. But at its worst - it reminds players they’re just playing a game.

You need the balance between function, ease and brand. This applies to the entire UX.

Now you’ve closed the game for the day, but the experience shouldn’t stop here. Helldivers 2 brings its in-game world into real life; rallying you through every social platform to protect and spread managed democracy with your friends. The ‘Super Earth’ propaganda that veils game patches, events, and announcements adds a ‘humanity’ behind the brand. This:

- Drives continuous and authentic player engagement
- Delivers brand consistency through thematic coherence
- Builds a real community that grows organically through invitation and advocation

The competitive advantage from stronger player retention, loyalty and salience cannot be understated. By keeping the game's narrative and themes alive outside of the actual gameplay, ‘Helldivers 2’ and ‘Black Ops 1’ deliver(ed) a more immersive, cohesive and sought-after experience for gamers.

Creativity as the greatest asset

I share these thoughts as we’re currently working with some of the best studios to reimagine their games and franchises this year. These exciting launches come at a crucial time. Battling franchise fatigue, fierce competition, ever-changing player expectations, and the need for meaningful world and community building.

Massive, expensive, multi-studio AAA games take time to build so, understandably, less risks are taken. Less risks mean repetition. Another hero-shooter. Another remaster. Another battle royale. While refined and enjoyable, it's just a step (not a leap) into next-generation gaming. And that’s why indie games are thriving today. Creativity is their greatest asset - not money or technology.

It’s clear that the true bottleneck in gaming is the creativity needed to address these evolving challenges and keep players excited.

From small tweaks to entire rebrands covering strategy, design and experience, more imaginative touches can yield the most impactful returns. The type of returns that permanently anchor the perception of games and their respective studios.

Creativity earns the most valuable and hardest to earn currency - player respect - so let’s not just give players something to play; let’s give them something they didn't know they wanted to.