Great games in 2026, but the industry's barriers are worse than ever
By
William Hughes
Summary
The article argues that video games in 2026 are creatively excellent, but the hardware, platforms, and industry practices (high prices, paywalls, subscription fatigue, AI-related cost increases) are creating frustrating barriers between players and the art form. It contrasts gaming's accessibility problems with other media like movies and books, suggesting the "machine" around games is broken even as the games themselves thrive.
Source
The A.V. ClubGreat games in 2026, but the industry's barriers are worse than everavclub.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledIs there an artistic medium more dedicated to putting big, spiky barricades between itself and the people who desperately want to engage with it than video games?
Movie ticket prices might continually tick upward, but nobody's yet attempted to soak cinema viewers for $80 a pop.
Book people don't have to deal with the increasingly frequent indignity of having publishers come out and reveal that AI dweebs have sent the price of paper skyrocketing to ludicrous heights.
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