How did those old devs make money back in the day with such a limited audience and why is it so hard to do the same thing today?

Sticking around for a few years isn't necessarily the same thing as making money.

As to why it's harder, well, just think of the insane amount of resources it takes to really compete now. Teams are so big now it's shocking. I don't even know everyone I work with anymore; I pass people in the hall and I have no idea what they do. It's like moving from a rural town to one of those sun-eclipsing apartment towers in New York.

Of course, people are still doing it. You can still get six people together and make a game, absolutely. Hell, there was a space shooter with a long name that just came out recently, and that was made (I think) by one guy.

So the idea of small, independent development is still alive and well. But is that stuff really competing for or holding our attention? Which games get the 400-post threads here? The ones that took 100 people two years to make. Which games don't? Smaller efforts hardly get noticed or supported by the public. You can blame EA for that if you want, but I think some of it lies with ourselves, as gamers. The little guy's product just doesn't turn us on any more.

This comment was edited on Nov 5, 18:57.