Or you know, people like popular things because [i]they like them[/i]. There's a reason they're popular. In fact, that's the definition of popular: A lot of people like it.

Though in all seriousness I'm pretty much here only address the idea that either the films or gaming industry are stagnant.

No. At least, not for games.

There were more games made in 2013 than there were in the entirety of the 80's. The indie scene is exploding, some of them even manage to have graphics engines and look good. The free to play market is also exploding, with games like League of Legends seeing humongous success spawning and advancing genres. The mobile industry came from nowhere and, profit-wise, [i]is kicking the shit out of everyone[/i] in terms of expenditure versus profits. The modding communities for various triple AAA titles are bigger than ever, with games like Skyrim seeing entirely new areas to play in, new monsters to fight, new gameplay mechanics, new everything basically... For free. Then you have things like Kickstarter which gets new projects off of the ground with large budgets without any publishers [i]at all[/i], admittedly with mixed results because people haven't figured out how conmen work yet apparently.

The consumer has really never had it better from the industry in terms of choice and variety, and the industry is recording record high profits again and again [i]and again[/i]. It barely even slowed during the world wide recession. As for costs, on release games cost more, but look at steam sales during the summer and winter: Anywhere between 33-95% off pretty much everything. Other online retailers like eBay have similar sales, or online distributors like GoodOldGames, have similar sales to compete.

Are there a lot of sequels? Yes. Why? Because people recognize the brand label. Why does that matter? Because people grow attached to things. Why did I buy Mass Effect 2? I wanted to see what happened to the characters and universe I grew to know and care about in Mass Effect 1. Sure, there were other sci-fi RPG's that came out that year, but Mass Effect was the one I was looking out for. Why? Because I grew attached to it.

As well, I can enjoy something that, for all technical purposes, is really just schlock or crap. I love Independence Day, but [i]good lord[/i] it's a dumb movie. I also love Dynasty Warriors, but I'll be the first to admit that it's the definition of a mindless grind fest where you mash the attack button until your thumb is sore. The fact that these things are dumb or awful does not invalidate my enjoyment out of them in the same way that someone else's enjoyment out of the next Call of Duty game isn't invalidated just because Call of Duty is a shitty game from a technical standpoint. If people really love it, they can keep playing it in their corner, and I'll play my RPG's and strategies in my corner, and we never have to meet each other.

As well, things like the movie or game industry wouldn't even die anyway. They may collapse on their own weight, but after a few years of recovery, they'll be back to juggernaut status again. That would be a perfectly normal boom-bust cycle that you see in a capitalist economy. Even [u]if[/u] the film or game industry is heading for a crash (and that's highly unlikely), there's no possible way it will kill the industry, because there will always be a demand for films and games. The entertainment industry is quite possible the biggest industry in the entire world. I'm pretty sure only the military complex is bigger, and even then, I'm not sure.

Plus, if you really want to look at films and how they change, look at the 50's. Compare it to now. Hell, look at the 60's, the 70's, the 80's, and even the 90's, and compare it to now. The face of television and film has changed multiple times over the decades, usually with each new generation. It will change again. That's just how it is.

So basically what I'm saying is if you hate what's mainstream, go look at the indie scene. There's always an indie scene. In films and in games... And, in all honesty, don't be afraid to enjoy something dumb once in a while. It's not a crime to sit down and watch a film with a series of broken aesops and terrible written schlock storytelling if you're there just to watch things go boom and eat popcorn.

That's about it really.

tl;dr: People who think that either the film or gaming industry is stagnant and/or going to crash [i]are totally ignoring the economic and historical backgrounds of both[/i] in favour of personal nostalgia and doomsaying nonsense. [b]You[/b] can hate a game for not innovating. That's fine. There's nothing wrong with [b]someone else[/b] still enjoying that formula, even if it's the sixth Dynasty Warriors doing the same schtick for the sixth time in a row. :hehe