Why Major Publishers Must Shift from Fewer, Bigger Games: The Aftermath You Need to Know

This week brought some tough news from the gaming industry—Warner Bros. suddenly shut down three studios, with Monolith facing the biggest blow. Monolith is known for beloved games like Blood, F.E.A.R., and Shadow of Mordor. The company announced it is pulling the plug on the highly anticipated Wonder Woman game to focus on “fewer but bigger franchises.” On our latest episode of Aftermath Hours, we dive into why we think this move, while potentially boosting short-term profits, may be a mistake long-term.

We kick things off with some wild Riley Lore before tackling the serious issue of Monolith’s closure and the fate of the other two studios. Warner Bros. has a history of scrapping promising projects outside of gaming as well. We question how much of this trend is unique to them and how much reflects broader issues in the gaming world, which is facing its own challenges with mismanagement.

We also discuss Jeff Bezos’s recent decision to turn The Washington Post into an outlet for his business interests, a move that seems to align with the actions of other tech moguls like Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Shifting gears, we talk about the show Severance, which stands out for its character-driven storytelling, escaping the pitfalls of overly complex narratives like Lost or Westworld. Plus, we share thoughts on games that could benefit from a Nemesis System—spoiler alert: we think just about every game could use it!

Here’s a snippet from our discussion:

Nathan: We’re seeing more failures than successes in the industry. Warner’s new strategy of fewer, bigger franchises? It’s a recipe for disaster, and I’m confident it won’t work out.

Gita: It’s not about limiting projects to big blockbusters every few years; it’s about having well-sized games with clear goals. We need to appreciate medium-sized games for their potential instead of relying on just one title to carry everything.

Microsoft, primarily a software company, seems to grasp this better than others. They report being satisfied with Avowed despite outside opinions, which suggests they understand scaling better than many in the entertainment industry.

Nathan: There’s this meme about wanting smaller games with simplified graphics, but that’s not the point. We need well-developed mid-sized games that aren’t trying to cater to everyone since that never works. Big companies tend to believe throwing money at problems will solve them, but history shows this often leads to real consequences for the people working on these projects. It’s the executives who end up safe while others lose their jobs.

Gita and Riley: [In agreement] Yep!

Nathan: Losing a studio like Monolith is a real loss. Their track record speaks for itself, producing innovative games that gained recognition over time. F.E.A.R. is now respected for its AI in ways it wasn’t initially appreciated. The same goes for the Nemesis System—people are still asking why it hasn’t been used more. Losing creators like Monolith means missing out on future innovations that could’ve changed the industry. Their absence will leave a noticeable gap.