I'm so pissed off at the video game industry... except for you, FarSight.

Well, let me amend that statement a bit. I'm pissed off at a large majority of the video game industry for pandering to mainstream blockbuster consumption, slipping into the abysmal cycle of formulaic cookie-cutter profit-milking, and locking itself into such ridiculously steep budgets that any creative risk-taking becomes practically impossible. That being said, the current state of the industry means that the handful of bright spots shine even more radiantly.

First, a small selection of big-name studios still show a glimmer of creativity by crafting experiences that, while not entirely original, are produced with such a high quality and attention to detail that they are elevated above the commoners of their genre. Franchises like Mass Effect, Guild Wars, and Elder Scrolls would be a good example of this.

Second, some smaller studios have survived by making the most of smaller budgets and smart licensing decisions. Atlus is a prime example, remaining consistent yet constantly original with its Shin Megami Tensei series while also making the controversial but highly successful decision to localize Demon's Souls.

Third, independent studios finally have a real chance to shine with digital distribution on the rise against the endless onslaught of $60 Maddens, Calls of Duty, and Needs for Speed. I would gladly pay $5 to $10 for a digital Swords & Sworcery or Bastion long before caving to another once-a-year CoD clone, and I guarantee I would play them twice as long. FarSight's The Pinball Arcade also illustrates how low-budget indy games can become a really big deal, with the community actively pitching in to fulfill a shared vision, a phenomenon that celebrates old-school gameplay mentality while utilizing a globally networked fanbase that could never have been possible back in the 8/16-bit eras.

And lastly, free-to-play is the future of MMOs, and I would just as soon see subscription play die altogether. Practically EVERY single MMORPG that started as P2P before switching to a free model has prospered by 2x, 3x, or even 5x the revenue they were receiving a month after launch. That includes Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, DC Universe, and a ton of other major franchises, with SWTOR not far behind. Like independent app development, Steam distribution, or other digital platforms, F2P gaming succeeds because it forces the developer to be tapped into its fanbase, actively addressing glitches and concerns while providing quality content and events to keep players from making the easy switch to another free title. It's good for both sides, as I have probably put more money into the cash shop of Vindictus than I ever shoveled into WoW, FFXI, Aion, Rift, or TERA combined. And really, what other business models offer equal benefit to both the developer and the consumer?

Funny, but despite listing some substantial bright spots in the industry, they still represent a pretty small drop in the massive video gaming bucket. The point is, I'm glad to have companies like FarSight, Atlus, BioWare, and ArenaNet leading the charge to show that things can, and should, be done differently. The more gamers that recognize the pitfalls of mainstream formulaic money-making, the more we will migrate towards these other avenues of gaming consumption. Let's just try not to ruin those newer, better avenues in the process, right?

What are you playing these days? Are you offended by my comments because you're one of millions of CoD junkies? Do you yearn for a simpler time with simpler games and thus enjoy digital distribution and mobile apps that reflect a more classic gameplay mentality? Or do you cast all others aside and wait for the next life-alteringly complex RPG that will allow you to create a character to look and play the way you want?

Just FYI, the games I'm currently playing are The Pinball Arcade [iOS], Guild Wars 2 [PC], Persona 4 Arena [PS3], and Mass Effect 3 [XBox360].

2 comments:
1) credit where credit is due, Demon's Souls (and its spiritual successor Dark Souls, the greatest game of this generation) is by From Software. Atlus was just the publisher of the first game.
2) BioWare is *the* prime example of a developer pandering to the most common denominator and throwing it's rep out the window by becoming a label rather than a development studio. Each Mass effect was a step closer towards a COD/Gears game, hell the last one had microtransactions to facilitate multiplayer. Studios that had nothing to do with them got renamed bioware (when they were developing a CnC game) and Dragon Age 2 was rushed out the door in 1 year in an attempt to make the brand an annual sequel (not unlike Mass Effect). I hold Bioware in high regard, but it's been pretty much downhill since they got bought by EA.

I'm a classic arcade gamer at heart, hence my enjoyment of TPA. I lost all interest in the likes of CoD several years ago. Shooting civilians is not gaming in my book. Likewise anything with Space Marines in it just felt incredibly juvenile. Excessive swearing doesn't make a game adult either. Stepping off the treadmill of sequels feels good. Almost every genuinely great game is unique. Even Dark Souls isn't a conventional sequel.

My other gaming weakness is vast epic RPGs, and I include Demon's Souls in that. Unfortunately I don't have a gaming rig PC to really get my teeth into anything that huge online. Probably for the best considering what a time sink they are.

I grew up with video games... started with Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Amiga, NES, SNES, PC and so on. I think along the way I had some sort of a burnout, and my tastes completely changed for the consumption of media. I can't say it is because I got old, because age is meaningless with video games, but today I rarely play any video games at all in comparison to growing up. Today I basically play Pinball (Pinball Arcade and POH before that), GTAx and Red Dead Redemption. I find myself locked in more "casual" games and I spent little bit of time playing the Wii (mostly pinball) but haven't jumped into the big epic games as of late. I do agree that things have become too formulated with big studio works, but I do like the fact that smaller studio and independent titles have an opportunity to make it today.

Today, there are so many more demographics that play video games there is no "clear cut" game genre that can encompass everyone's tastes. Core audiences usually get what they are expecting, but with so much money on the line, most forms of big-budget media will always play it safe rather than "take a chance" and try for something revolutionary. Sticking to the formula is no guarantee of success, but overall (like a casino's revenue) the odds play out that money will be made by sticking to a tried and tested formula for media production.

Unlike the early days of video games, where it was basically "making it up as we go along", today there are a good number of set genres that can be continually be recycled indefinitely. Innovation tends come from taking chances, and chances are not always in the best interest of a Corporation.

For myself, I just don't have a lot of time to play video games as in the past. When I do, many of the games I see out there are not my cup of tea... but my tastes have changed greatly over the years. I cannot see myself playing "The Secret of Monkey Island" if it were to come out today. When I was younger, it was a blast. Today, I do not have the patience to deal with such a game. (I don't even have the patience to re-play it today).

Now that I think about... I must be getting old...

bavelb said:

2 comments:
1) credit where credit is due, Demon's Souls (and its spiritual successor Dark Souls, the greatest game of this generation) is by From Software. Atlus was just the publisher of the first game.
2) BioWare is *the* prime example of a developer pandering to the most common denominator and throwing it's rep out the window by becoming a label rather than a development studio. Each Mass effect was a step closer towards a COD/Gears game, hell the last one had microtransactions to facilitate multiplayer. Studios that had nothing to do with them got renamed bioware (when they were developing a CnC game) and Dragon Age 2 was rushed out the door in 1 year in an attempt to make the brand an annual sequel (not unlike Mass Effect). I hold Bioware in high regard, but it's been pretty much downhill since they got bought by EA.

Click to expand...

I know From Software developed Demon's Souls. I said that Atlus deserved credit for localizing the game in America, publishing it, since Sony who originally commissioned FS to develop a successor to King's Field, failed to see the game as a potential success overseas.

ME3 is awesome =) finished that (and hence the whole series) about a month ago. How is guild wars 2?

Ryan Routon said:

ME3 is awesome =) finished that (and hence the whole series) about a month ago. How is guild wars 2?

Click to expand...

Guild Wars 2 is exponentially more fun than any other MMORPG that I have laid hands on. They have managed to maintain a distinct GW identity while also advancing the traditional MMORPG format in every way I could conceive. The dynamic questing structure, level adjustments to make exploring old areas still feel worthwhile, the action-oriented combat that feels more dependent on skill than spamming, the cinematic presentation complete with voice acting and real-time cutscenes... You name it, ArenaNet addressed it. There's even underwater combat and world events that I didn't know existed until I found them in-game. On top of that, you could spend days exploring each city, there are choice-driven instances specific to your character's tailored story, and the character creator is the best ever conceived. It's no exaggeration to call GW2 one of the most important technical achievements in gaming history.

Also, if you're the competitive type, GW2 offers a wide range of PvP options, and you don't need to reach level cap before participating. The World vs. World battles are insane.

JoshuaKadmon said:

What are you playing these days?

Click to expand...

Mostly TPA and ZP2. Although I also play FPS's - I can play the F.E.A.R games over and over and over... Trials Evolution is driving me nuts right now as well... Sniper Elite is cool, mainly for the awesome kill shots...

JoshuaKadmon said:

Are you offended by my comments because you're one of millions of CoD junkies?

Click to expand...

Why would I be offended by your comments ? After posting this, I doubt I'll give it another thought. You think what you think in really REALLY long posts CoD became less good after 2. And became boring after Modern Warfare.

JoshuaKadmon said:

Do you yearn for a simpler time with simpler games

Click to expand...

Of course. Playing Super Mario Bros on the NES, or Attack Of The Mutant Camels on the C64 were happy, happy days.

JoshuaKadmon said:

the next life-alteringly complex RPG

Click to expand...

The only way any RPG would be life altering for me would be when it bored me to death.

JoshuaKadmon said:

Do you yearn for a simpler time with simpler games and thus enjoy digital distribution and mobile apps

Click to expand...

Back in simpler times, there were no digital distributions or mobile apps. That's what made them simpler times.

Nice score on Black Hole BTW !!!

Awesome I might just have to check that out =) was real into mmo's there for a while, started with eq, and moved to eq2 where I played pvp a lot but fell out of it. What you said there about the pvp makes me curious to try it out. Always wanted to try bioware's old republic too...but yeah I highly recommend the Mass Effect series.

I do yearn for the old days, the wii ware store has some good classics, mario bros (nes), final fantasy 3 (snes, was 5 or 6 or something in japan), etc...

JoshuaKadmon said:

Guild Wars 2 is exponentially more fun than any other MMORPG that I have laid hands on. They have managed to maintain a distinct GW identity while also advancing the traditional MMORPG format in every way I could conceive. The dynamic questing structure, level adjustments to make exploring old areas still feel worthwhile, the action-oriented combat that feels more dependent on skill than spamming, the cinematic presentation complete with voice acting and real-time cutscenes... You name it, ArenaNet addressed it. There's even underwater combat and world events that I didn't know existed until I found them in-game. On top of that, you could spend days exploring each city, there are choice-driven instances specific to your character's tailored story, and the character creator is the best ever conceived. It's no exaggeration to call GW2 one of the most important technical achievements in gaming history.

Also, if you're the competitive type, GW2 offers a wide range of PvP options, and you don't need to reach level cap before participating. The World vs. World battles are insane.

Click to expand...

DC UNIVERSE is pretty cool...and FREE!

In a way, I yearn for another video game crash. Or even a return to the pre-playstation era where you had to be a pretty big nerd to play videogames that weren't based on sports. Just felt like a purer time. I just feel that the state of the industry is a lot like it was in 1983 where most companies just dished out derivative drivel.

I'm a bit bitter. A piece of my gaming soul was torn to shreds when the Dreamcast died. I still game but I honestly think that the Gamecube was the last pure gaming console, even though I enjoyed my XBOX and do enjoy my 360.

I think what bothers me most is the classification of gamers into the groups "hardcore" and "casual". Ever noticed that "hardcore" usually means someone who plays first person shooters? Is it just me? I mean I feel like I'm a pretty hardcore gamer despite not really liking FPS games (and lately my gaming has been more geared to "casual" games). I mean, I've been not only playing games since I was 2, but following the entire industry as much as I could since I was around 8. I was gaming far before it was considered "cool" in any way, and I'll try almost any game.

Does anyone remember when almost any game regardless of genre was a completely new experience? I mean even sequels back then were far more than slightly shinier graphics and a couple new features. Look at the difference between Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Bros. 3. You can immediately tell it is a sequel, with similar themes and characters, but it was also a complete re-imagining of the entire game. (Super Mario Bros 2 wasn't technically a Mario game, the real Mario Bros. 2 was just Mario Bros 1 with seriously hard levels. We got it later on as Lost Levels on the SNES). Jump again to Super Mario World for the SNES. It was a completely different game.

Not only was that a true era of Hardcore gamers, it was an era of Hardcore Game developers (developers developers developers). How often do you see anything with the likeness of presentation of something like Earthworm Jim? Boogerman? or anything like that? Seriously? With the loss of a Sega Platform, the era of new IP is gone and we only get original ideas at a trickle from any of the big boys.

Casual gamers in my mind are the ones that play Farmville and the like (not a lot of play to these games). The group that self refers to itself as Hardcore are far from it. Last I checked, hardcore meant straying from the flock and going your own way. The decline (in quality, in my opinion) of the game industry is actually a pretty emotional topic to me as it's been such a HUGE part of my life growing up and through a very large chunk of my adulthood. But now, I play TPA almost exclusively.

That said....as a huge 2K hockey fan, NHL13 by EA sports really felt to me like I was playing an older 2K hockey game and that's a good thing. I don't like EA in the slightest but the improvements in this franchise can't go without notice.

Hardcore falls into two-three categories , First person Shooter players, Third person Shooter players , and MMORG players . Fighting game players fell off the radar at some point , but should be included as well.

Hardcore and casual to me mean something different. A "hardcore" player is someone who plays a game for all it's worth, whether striving to find all beanstalks in Mario Bros, or learning all Yuri's special moves in KoF. A "casual" player is someone who mashes buttons or is happy to just get to the end of a level. It has nothing to do with the genre, rather the mindset of the player. Having said that, I hate, HATE the elitist BS of the "hardcore" tag. If someone considers themselves "hardcore" because they play CoD online with the teens, I consider them an idiot.

I'd prefer "keen" gamer and "casual" gamer. But that's not l33t enough for the kiddies. Can't pwn if you're just "keen". Ugh. I despise it.

superballs said:

I think what bothers me most is the classification of gamers into the groups "hardcore" and "casual". Ever noticed that "hardcore" usually means someone who plays first person shooters? Is it just me? I mean I feel like I'm a pretty hardcore gamer despite not really liking FPS games (and lately my gaming has been more geared to "casual" games). I mean, I've been not only playing games since I was 2, but following the entire industry as much as I could since I was around 8. I was gaming far before it was considered "cool" in any way, and I'll try almost any game.

Click to expand...

I've always considered "hardcore" versus "casual" terminology to refer to the way a game is played, not totally defined by the genre of the game itself, though some types of video games certainly attract more hardcore players than others. The biggest problem with using this kind of terminology is that it can have a derogatory connotation due to it being subject to individual interpretation and has no consistent definition for what makes someone casual or hardcore in the first place. Technically, you could be a hardcore Farmville player who dedicated hours of every day to that single game, while a casual Dark Souls player would probably die a lot and never finish the game.

I certainly understand all of your points and agree with much of your frustration. Funny thing, though, I tend to see RPGs as the "hardcore" genre, mobile apps like Angry Birds or Plants vs. Zombies as the more "casual" mainstays [or Wii games as another major example], and FPS or sports titles as somewhere in-between. I've certainly known some hardcore Doom-Quake-Halo-CoD-Battlefield players who have sworn by the genre for ages, but I've also met quite a few people who just played multiplayer online because it was popular and not even because they were good at it. I guess that's what makes the hardcore/casual debate so much of a grey area.

I started with Commodore64 and Atari2600 and currently own more than 47 working video game systems, with 1700+ games. I've stuck with it for a long time and seen the trends. I would love to see a return to some classic gaming mentality and focus on gameplay over presentation, but I know that we can't completely return to the way things were. The main point of me bringing up the sadly rare "bright spots" in the industry is this -- we are potentially on the verge of seeing another major shift in the industry, possibly brought on by the rapid expansion of digital distribution, and with this shift, I can only hope to see a return to the gameplay and creativity that made the classic era, well... classic.

I would also point out that The Pinball Arcade is unique in that it manages to bring both hardcore and casual players together. Gamers who typically play RPGs find a tremendous amount of depth in the structure of those classic tables and respect the historical aspects. Others who like FPSs or sports games may just enjoy the competitive, fast-paced gameplay. And those who gravitate towards mobile apps and pick-up-and-play casual titles certainly have plenty to love, too. FarSight has given us something special in a cluttered gaming environment, and it's nice to see a unifying project to which we can all contribute.

Can't wait to see all of our names in the Star Trek TNG credits!

Just bought DOUBLE DRAGON NEON $10 fun nastalgic side scroll beat'm ups wish it had the original but damn good for the money As I dont see myself buying $60 games as often, hardly ever anymore.
I think if you look around were in the ERA of the REMAKES from movies to games,cars clothes there is a lack of imagination and everybody who grew up on the originals are now in powers to recreate with a twist and recapp on the previous success to younger generations that think its NEW. $$$$ is the ROOT to ALL EVIL

Ryan Routon said:

ME3 is awesome =) finished that (and hence the whole series) about a month ago. How is guild wars 2?

Click to expand...

A breath of fresh air in the MMORPG genre.

If you absolutely hate MMO's, it'll do nothing to win you over as it's still an MMO Unlike GW1. If you are fine with MMO's but dislike certain genre-standards (questgivers, vendortrash, the holy class-trinity, the exponential levelling curve) with some added cutscenese and more interactive combat it does a lot to cu away all that fat. I love the fact that levelling from 3-4 takes as long as levelling from 9-10 which takes as long as levelling from 79-80 (supposedly).

Hardcore and casual to me mean something different. A "hardcore" player is someone who plays a game for all it's worth, whether striving to find all beanstalks in Mario Bros, or learning all Yuri's special moves in KoF. A "casual" player is someone who mashes buttons or is happy to just get to the end of a level.

Click to expand...

I'm leaning towards this definition more. Take Guild wars2 for example. My wife is a casual player, presses buttons and stuff dies and she levels up. She gets new loot and equips the stuff that looks more powerful and is bummed out if it doesn look cool. However she is higher level than me (mainly because she is focussing on 1 game, whereas I try to juggle about 4 games and am trying out 5 different professions in GW2 )

I'm more hardcore, look into the info on skills, check what the combosystem is alike and how you can abuse mechanics. I research stats and in which ration you need to get them to get the most benefit (while writing this I'm having a horrible dejavu of going over spreadsheets to determine if I should regem for AP or ArPen for my druid....) I look into weaponswapping/attunement swapping to combine spells that work well together. I look at pinball tables with a lot of modes and which I should stack or when is the best time to activiate multiball. Games like Diablo 2 are the absolute death of me because you can't respec so you can make a WRONG decision (which to me is anything below the most effective killing machine in that class). In sportsgames (I only play NHL) I tinker with linechanges to and teamstrategies to get the most out of my teams stats.

I hate not "Getting" systems: I don't "Get" the systems and combo's for fighters like SF4 or Tekken for instance, but I do get similar systems and combo's in games like DMC, Bayonetta and God of War. Simply mashing buttons and getting a win without earning it is an anticlimax for me.

Thanks for the reviews guys =) got gw2 last night and really enjoying it

Ryan Routon said:

Thanks for the reviews guys =) got gw2 last night and really enjoying it

Click to expand...

I had a hard time picking classes (especially cause you can only have 5 without expanding your charcter slots). I decided to skip on mesmer (deleted mine at level 3, I didnt like the clone mechanic) Ranger (went engineer for the ranged physical dmg class but I normally play rangers so I want to try this one out) and necromancer (played one till level 8/9 on my wife's account, was ok but not great).

I'm really liking Elementalist and Guardian. Thief and Engineer are cool as well but still only level 3, not sure on the Warrior (a bit run-of-the-mill).

What did others pick?

Ryan Routon said:

Thanks for the reviews guys =) got gw2 last night and really enjoying it

Click to expand...

Well, there goes the Android development schedule...