I'd add one of the biggest issues with a lot of these game makers is they don't play games EVEN theirs as there's simple QoL features A LOT of these games don't have.
Instead they rely on 'daily log in rewards, new challenges each week/day' things that are good for new players starting out but can easily burnout those who are now experienced especially veterans.
If you want to see the games where they have some good QoL, look up the ones where a designer is treated like a rockstar despite not acting like it even being very introverted. Gamers will stay with an MMO game so long as they know ONE designer who plays and gives a shit is in a position to, even slowly, improve the game.
What's obnoxious too is that under modern engines, it's easier than ever for developers to dive right in and test things they're working on, which is not only great for making sure stuff works, but can be a fun and easy way to play around with new gameplay features and see how they're holding up.
I suppose it's possible that larger studios make it a pain in the ass to take advantage of such features. Maybe due to overzealous management and the soul-killing effects of working in some of these corporate environments.
I'd add one of the biggest issues with a lot of these game makers is they don't play games EVEN theirs as there's simple QoL features A LOT of these games don't have.
Instead they rely on 'daily log in rewards, new challenges each week/day' things that are good for new players starting out but can easily burnout those who are now experienced especially veterans.
If you want to see the games where they have some good QoL, look up the ones where a designer is treated like a rockstar despite not acting like it even being very introverted. Gamers will stay with an MMO game so long as they know ONE designer who plays and gives a shit is in a position to, even slowly, improve the game.
What's obnoxious too is that under modern engines, it's easier than ever for developers to dive right in and test things they're working on, which is not only great for making sure stuff works, but can be a fun and easy way to play around with new gameplay features and see how they're holding up.
I suppose it's possible that larger studios make it a pain in the ass to take advantage of such features. Maybe due to overzealous management and the soul-killing effects of working in some of these corporate environments.