re: How low have our expectations gotten for a great video game?

All of the problematic stuff you just listed have been done very much against gamer's wills, which largely explains why there is so much animosity in the industry these days between gamers and game companies.

In a normal, healthy industry you would identify what the customers want, you then make that product and try to make it well, and if you do a good job they give you their business and you make money. That's how the industry operated for the first few decades, however the gaming industry as a whole has not been doing that for awhile now.

Microtransactions, mobile games, and live service shite was never what the public wanted, at all. It was however seen as the largest profit margin products so the big studios decided that's what they'd make and they would force it down the throats of the public.

Remember some random EA corporate dirtbag years ago declaring traditional linear single player games were dead for example.

They honestly thought they could steer the industry in the direction that was most profitable to them against the customer's wishes. Hell, many still think that. The gigantic pile of failures and studio closures haven't ended this wishcasting.

Fortnite's and GTA V's aside, the single most consistently desired form of video game is still traditionally what it has always been. A one time purchase single player game you play for awhile, to completion and then you're mostly done with it. Studios don't want to make a bunch of games though, that's expensive. They wanna make one game and milk it forever.

You can play dozens of new single player games a year, every year. But how many live service games does the average gamer actively play? Most people have maybe 1-2 that personally appeals to them and they play those and those alone. That's by far their most limiting factor. They all strongly compete with each other in a way single player games don't and why it's impossible for every game studio to have their own pet Fortnite or GTA V.

He seemed pretty on point to me and rational. Not sure what he’s “melting” about or if you’re just trying to sound cool on the internet.

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If people can’t spot some of the obvious flaws of the current AAA landscape

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I know my issues -

Micro-transactions
Too much middle management and focus on profit.
Wokeness <- yes this is a problem.
Consolidation of studios
Exclusivity for release

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All of that is why I don't really buy into the idea that gaming is in shambles. This has been my main hobby since I was little, and I'm still finding fantastic titles every year that I haven't touched yet.

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I'm with you that this is also one of my main hobbies since I was younger with the NES. I had to change how I approached games. Back in the day, you can bet your arse I was buying games on day 1 because they would be ready to go. Ocarina of time, Grand theft auto vice city/san andreas, etc.

The excitement now for me is along the lines of "Oh that game is coming out so let me make sure I keep it on my radar so I can play it in a few months while they work things out."

I noticed once I changed that mindset that I began to fully enjoy the hobby again. I'd say this change occurred for me personally in the last 5-10 years.

I'd have to think about it but there are only a handful of "Day 1" games for me. Elden Ring, rdr2, god of war, and maybe mario/zelda games? These are games that are few and far between though which is why things like game pass and whatever Sony calls their membership a godsend for people like me. It gives me the feeling of renting games like I did as a kid lol

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writing quality for AAA RPGs in particular has taken a sharp downward turn.

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That is the biggest issue.

I can put up with ok mechanics if the story is great.

Writing has become an issue across the board though.

Movies, games, TV, it has all suffered from poor writing.

For games, you get things like Veilguard where the story consists of exposition, forced humor, preachiness, etc.

You see the same thing in movies. The dorky, childlike humor really ramped up after GotG and made its way into everything. The Last Jedi and Thor: Ragnarok are great examples.

TV shows like Wheel of Time and later seasons of Game of Thrones are prime examples of exposition and simplification because writers believe that the audience can’t handle and will reject mystery.

The current set of writers view the audience as simpleminded, resulting in preaching and exposition rather than actual storytelling.

This is a big reason where Clair Obscur shined. Yes, it had humor, but it wasn’t forced. The story didn’t hold your hand or explain itself. It just flowed.

The writers hired by large AAA studios are the writing equivalent of adult paint by number coloring books with instructions on which color to use in which spot.

In summation, writing is the #1 problem with modern AAA gaming.

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All I want is an open world RPG in the Game of Thrones universe. It would print money yet no one does it

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KCD2 has some aspects of GOT universe, but obviously no dragons or magic