It always gets me when semi-manosphere bloggers half-kiddingly will say that game is dead- because more men are game aware, and competition is fierce. This has everything to do with the promiscuity market fully over-taking the relationship market, as fewer women feel a pressing need to have a relationship and are more open to long periods of being single and "dating" (commonly refered to as "hook-up culture").
In short, game isnt dead but anything less than top-shelf game is a waste of time. No longer do you have a lifebar, this is one hit kill territory. Think of it like this, just being a guy concerned with fitness twenty years ago would be a gold star in your favor- now it's a pre-requisite for entry (and don't expect to actually impress a woman with your physique unless you're in the legit top 10% of your gym).
So let's start with the very basics, what is game and why does it work?
First, a quick reminder of biology- from an evolutionary, human-as-animal perspective: men want to impregnate (fuck) as many women as possible and women only want to get impregnated (fucked) by the highest quality of mate. This is why you could see a girl on the side of the road with big tits in a tight tank top and know, for certain, that you'd fuck her in the three seconds you glance at her in passing... a woman will make that same snap judgment (gut-instinct, or "female intuition"), but for the opposite purpose- as a means of sifting through and disqualifying potential mates efficiently.
Game is a means of hacking her unconscious disqualification system- unconscious because she knows what excites her (Chad) and what she's disgusted by (bottom 80% of men); this is something that happens in her brain, at all times, like software running in the background. Proper use of game is meant to make her take pause and consciously doubt the accuracy of this system.
For example, if she initially perceives you as a beta, and assumes you have stereotypical beta qualities: humble, nice, desperate for validation and attention, uncool social skills, shy, insecure, impressed by her beauty- when you display the polar opposite of these attributes, in a manner that is bold and captivating, she will temporarily reassess her unconscious appraisal.
Negging, or teasing a woman, is the most common and timeless methods of game and should be in anyone repertoire. When you tease a woman, you're extinguishing several of the aforementioned beta traits in combination, depending on the particular neg: you aren't very impressed by her (implying that you are used to her degree of beauty), youi do have cool social skills, you're confident and outcome independent- if she's not cool enough to get the joke, she could take a walk. You're the opposite of every guy falling all over her, you have good genetics, and are worth mating with.
Of course game only works temporarily- after all, this is a hack. It must be continued indefinitely, even if only intermittently (in LTR), in order for her unconscious to not override her doubts- in which case, she'll begin to lose attraction and interest in you until the relationship is completely over. This is very likely the end of every relationship you've had.
Do all men need game? Yes and no. All men can certainly use game, but the true necessity of game depends on the value discrepancy between man and woman. If a male 09 is interested in a female 06, he likely have a pass to behave however he wants- if he wants to date a female 08, he'll need game.
