THE BIGGEST PROBLEM
You know what the biggest problem in this industry is? It isn't money. It isn't the gatekeepers, the lack of distribution or the lack of means for indies. The biggest problem in this industry is shortsightedness. You know the type I am talking about. The belief that there isn't room enough in the market for many different types of content. The idea that everything must conform to one style or type. It doesn't help if conformity and everyone falling into their place is a big part fo the culture.
Just a couple of examples... I remember there came this game a long time ago called Onimusha. I was a huge fan of Resident Evil from the same company previously and so I was sold on this game long before it came out. I bought the Japanese version at great expense just so I could dive right in as soon as it was released. The cinematic play style of Resident Evil combined with samurai action more than satisfied. It may still be one on my all time favorite games.
Later, there came from this same company a game called Devil May Cry. Now Devil May Cry was totally different game. It had much faster paced action and opted, not for the cinematic play style, but for a constantly moving camera, similar to Tomb Raider but not constantly stuck behind the character. I played through this game and it was short and sweet. I loved it, but Onimusha was just more my style.
I was working on the console team at EA, doing Playstation 2 titles, when these games came out. Now both Onimusha and Devil May Cry were very successful games in their own right and each spawned a successful franchise. Still, th consensus among developers, at the time Devil May Cry came out, seemed to be, "Great! Now they got this full moving camera worked out. They can do that on the next Onimusha instead of the cinematic style. It'll be so much better." I was thinking, "What?!"
It leads me to a very simple question. Why must they be the same? It reminds of all the people who constantly complained that Metal Gear Solid should be a first person shooter. Now there are dozens and dozens of first person shooters out there, and anyone who plays Metal Gear Solid knows that you do many more things than run around and shoot stuff. SO why must it become yet another first person shooter? Is there not room enough for all types of games in the marketplace?
You hear the same thing in regards to full 3D cel shaded anime. How many people say, "Now this is how it should be done! I hope all anime is done like this from now on."? Again I am puzzled. Why can't there be both? I happen to like and prefer hand drawn anime. I prefer my full 3D anime like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children rather than cel shaded. Still, I think there is plenty of room for all types in the market. To see otherwise is just shortsightedness. Today in the game world I am hearing the same arguments and complaints against the PS3 as were spoken against the PS2 when it first came out. The exact same arguments. Yet look at what the PS2 achieved. I see forums where somewhat might dare to suggest they are thinking of getting a new Mac. There will pop up the same tired old arguments, almost word for word, against getting a Mac, that were spoken ten years ago. Shortsightedness is a plague to vision.
Just a couple of examples... I remember there came this game a long time ago called Onimusha. I was a huge fan of Resident Evil from the same company previously and so I was sold on this game long before it came out. I bought the Japanese version at great expense just so I could dive right in as soon as it was released. The cinematic play style of Resident Evil combined with samurai action more than satisfied. It may still be one on my all time favorite games.
Later, there came from this same company a game called Devil May Cry. Now Devil May Cry was totally different game. It had much faster paced action and opted, not for the cinematic play style, but for a constantly moving camera, similar to Tomb Raider but not constantly stuck behind the character. I played through this game and it was short and sweet. I loved it, but Onimusha was just more my style.
I was working on the console team at EA, doing Playstation 2 titles, when these games came out. Now both Onimusha and Devil May Cry were very successful games in their own right and each spawned a successful franchise. Still, th consensus among developers, at the time Devil May Cry came out, seemed to be, "Great! Now they got this full moving camera worked out. They can do that on the next Onimusha instead of the cinematic style. It'll be so much better." I was thinking, "What?!"
It leads me to a very simple question. Why must they be the same? It reminds of all the people who constantly complained that Metal Gear Solid should be a first person shooter. Now there are dozens and dozens of first person shooters out there, and anyone who plays Metal Gear Solid knows that you do many more things than run around and shoot stuff. SO why must it become yet another first person shooter? Is there not room enough for all types of games in the marketplace?
You hear the same thing in regards to full 3D cel shaded anime. How many people say, "Now this is how it should be done! I hope all anime is done like this from now on."? Again I am puzzled. Why can't there be both? I happen to like and prefer hand drawn anime. I prefer my full 3D anime like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children rather than cel shaded. Still, I think there is plenty of room for all types in the market. To see otherwise is just shortsightedness. Today in the game world I am hearing the same arguments and complaints against the PS3 as were spoken against the PS2 when it first came out. The exact same arguments. Yet look at what the PS2 achieved. I see forums where somewhat might dare to suggest they are thinking of getting a new Mac. There will pop up the same tired old arguments, almost word for word, against getting a Mac, that were spoken ten years ago. Shortsightedness is a plague to vision.
6 Comments:
I completely agree with you Terrance. I work for a game studio and just last week I overheard the lead designers discussing on how they spend a couple brainstorming sessions playing several multiplayer games in the similar genre as what we are developing. What were they doing? They were taking notes.
"I like this, we'll use that, etc"
I was floored!. With the 360, ps3 and wii, the game industry is just being able to introduce what they think are "next gen". I couldn't understand why they aren't looking at these previous games and saying "I don't like that, lets think of a better way to to that, etc".
Its kind of sad when the world depends on a handful of people to try to revolutionize the market, make lots of money and sometimes go down in history All to have the remaining people just sit back and ride the wave because thinking out of the box deams it too risky.
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Sorry Crsp, but it seems the anonymous hit a point. Terrance disagrees with 'cookie cutter' style. This doesn't necessary mean that guy meant design. It’s this perspective, that Terrance pointed out, on games that invented the term of 'cookie cutter' in the gaming world. And the topic, applies to art as well.
For example: What is Next Gen? There is no real answer except a broad definition;
A Video game that appeals something fresh to the mass market that wasn't utilized or even wasn't possible before.
A lot of people believe its realistic graphics, yeah it's partially true (wasn’t possible before) but any talented dev team can pull this off. Is it next gen when 50 developers all release titles with amazing realistic graphics, while half of them cookie cut first person shooter as well. It may lift a few eyebrows at first, then it’s considered norm or even old gen, then the Next Gen race is on again. This will never be reached when developers only study previous hits and take what they like. MGS should be first person. Do you know who is saying that, the hardcore gamers. Hardcore gamers make up 2% of the North American population but support about 10% of the revenue for games. They tend to only buy games that follow a serious type of design. The guys who will only buy for PC, only get military realistic games, drive sims. Not the 60% revenue but only 40% of the market who will always buy the next ‘in’ thing. Pull the shades over the serious gamers eyes by not cookie cutting games the ability for developers to ‘think outside the box’ will blossom. What happened to the 60% population and 30% revenue?
What has happened in the last half+ year, The Wii was released and in this last week or two, has surpassed the Xbox in total unit sales because they have taken that 60% population, appealed to it and is grabbing the revenue that has been sitting there all along.
Okay I’m rambling…..
I personally believe taking an approach that fits the IP (intellectual property by the way) of the project and not taking other peoples approaches by slapping your brand on it, will crumble this mentality. A good example of a developer that could of took the same route as everyone else, but decided for a change would be Valve on Team Fortress 2. Why the change, the engine can handle relative realism, etc, etc. The studio took a step back and observed what made the game so fun… fun itself and adapted the art style to fit the 'fun' of the game while focusing the ‘next gen’ aspects on making it even more fun.
So in the end I agree with you Crsp, the anonymous and Terrance but disagree with other thing you mentioned.
“Your comment is more about the lack of innovation and your company using a 'cookie-cutter' style in game design.”
A camera system within a game is game design and only in cinematic where it would be considered an artistic impression. Camera is defined to illustrate the gameplay mechanics to user, all to help flow the story/writing of the game. If a first person shooter approach helps immerse a player into the gameplay, then it’s all left to design/programmer. One rarely releases a game where the camera was taken into consideration to appeal to the Atmosphere of the game, rather than to function for the game design layout. (see platforms to jump, see enemies all in view, ¾view for better position orientation, etc ,etc.)
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Shortsightedness is bad...
I remember Onimusha. I really enjoyed that game,and the next 6 titles that would come out baring the same name,with the same camera system, but different characters, that wore nice shiny armor and ran around in different(recycled)enviroments, killing demons and feutal lords. although it seems one title did have a different camera angle, but Ican't seem to remember what onimusha that was.
-Omnimegnalon
These are both valid points and I think they touch on different aspects of the same issue. It still comes down to developers thinking that they, or worse someone else, should do what the latest greatest game is doing.
At EA there were certainly round tables where the latest games were played and notes were taken and ideas were lifted. I think it's much worse, though, when the developers start to feel they have to to implement that thing the latest greatest game i doing.
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