The term “dead game” has been floating around the internet for a good while now and has been associated with games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Among Us. The phrase itself is common among Twitter users, especially under tweets posted by certain gaming companies and franchises. While there is no benefit or positive outcome from saying it, the majority do it to seek attention or to cause drama within various games communities.
For a title to be considered a dead game, it usually means that it has either been released for months and the hype around it has died down, the player base has decreased significantly since launch, or the game is rarely being talked about on social media or forums. Some games with trailers at Summer Games Fest 2022 are already receiving the designation even before they are released. It doesn’t matter if it still has a player base or receives updates, any game can be eligible to be called a dead game.
Fans of certain game communities shouldn’t let the term bother them as a majority of games that are being considered dead aren’t really dead at all. In fact, they are doing just fine and some are still receiving updates to this day. The term is usually hollow in meaning, and the designation only has power if people let it get to them.
Among Us Isn’t A Dead Game After Its Massive Popularity Fell
Even though it was released in 2018, Among Us is still a fairly popular game on every platform that it’s released on. Not only is the title still receiving updates, but the franchise just did a collaboration with the hit battle royale game Fortnite. Even further, a VR version of the title is planned to launch this coming holiday season creating a more immersive murder mystery experience.
While the game’s player base skyrocketed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s still going strong and has many playing to this day. The title generated so much popularity in such little time that the game’s developer, Innersloth, planned on making an Among Us 2. However, it was canceled to focus on the main game, and presumably Among Us VR.
After the game’s popularity began to die down, the team at Innersloth kept coming up with new interesting updates and ideas to keep players interested in Among Us. The title has a strong modding community and there are plenty of mods to play that increase the game’s entertainment value. Fans themselves have added more game modes and mechanics to the murder mystery game with new ones being created as time goes on.
Animal Crossing Can’t Be Considered Dead With Its Player Base
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was another game that was extremely popular, especially because it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the island builder has received several updates and even paid DLC that adds to the gameplay experience. Not only that, but new villagers were even added to the title for players to discover and build relationships with.
Since 2021, the game hasn’t received a major update, which has caused some players to never return to their island, which has them waiting for the next Animal Crossing game. This is the main reason why the title is being referred to as a dead game. However, new players are constantly being introduced to the series, and fans are still active on Animal Crossing-related sites such as Nookazon, buying and selling items and villagers that players may want or need.
Even in a game like Animal Crossing, the modding community is also adding new things such as custom-made villagers or items to spice up their island. While it may not be often, players are also still getting involved with certain events within the game such as holidays, Bug Off events, and many more. With a casual game like Animal Crossing, it’s near impossible for it to be considered a dead game.
SMITE Isn’t A Dead Game With Its Frequent Popular Events
Another title that has been called a dead game is Hi Rez Studios’ free-to-play game SMITE, which had several crossovers like Stranger Things and Transformers. The game is still receiving updates at a very frequent rate and also hosts update shows on the SMITE Twitch and YouTube channels that multiple fans attend. It seems like something is always changing and being added within the title.
Recently, Twitch user Matthew “Mizkif” hosted his first ever SMITE tournament with a cash prize of $100,000. During the tournament, many influencers and pro players came together and competed to bring home the gold. The competition itself likely brought in new players as well. The SMITE tournament on Twitch averaged 42,000 viewers, peaking at a viewership of 52,000. The game itself still has some fire in it and doesn’t show any signs of stopping. It seems to be more alive than dead, especially after this recent event.
Fall Guys Combats Its Dead Game Claims With Its Newest Update
Fall Guys’ Free For All Update boosted the game’s player base significantly and brought more life back into the title. With the update, the popular platforming battle royale game could now be playable on Xbox and Nintendo Switch, bringing in a whole new batch of players. Providing cross-progression also allowed for a seamless transition between platforms ensuring that players both new and old can enjoy the update.
After its launch in August 2020, developer Mediatonic tried to maintain the game’s initial popularity by adding more stages and cosmetics to the battle royale. The game featured multiple crossovers, costumes, and even had in-game events for players to enjoy. While the player base did die down over time, it never completely diminished.
There are some fans out there that would even consider Fall Guys to be a better battle royale game than some shooters, such as Call of Duty Warzone and Fortnite. With the new Free For All update, Fall Guys definitely has the potential to have another rise in popularity this summer among all platforms. The dead game label doesn’t necessarily apply when Fall Guys is making itself available to a wider audience and continually introducing new content.
Don’t Be Quick To Lable Titles As A Dead Game
It’s always ok to have a discourse with games like Animal Crossing and Among Us, however, claiming that a title is a dead game doesn’t fair well to support an argument. It especially doesn’t help when a majority of titles receiving this label have a player base that is alive and well. While the numbers may not be what they were upon initial launch, that doesn’t mean it’s not receiving updates and support to ensure that its fans get the best gameplay experience possible.
Sources: Nookazon, SMITE/Twitch, SMITE/YouTube
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