I feel like the nature of the aerial combat in Warplanes just doesn't generate the same appeal as the terrestrial warfare in World of Tanks. Manoeuvring bulky steel behemoths between shelled ruins and launching fire over the crest of a hill was easier and more gratifying than wrestling with flight controls in empty space, only to bite the dust without even realising you were being chased.
Hopefully the pondering pace of the massive warships doesn't drag this one down...
It's great to see some Aussie exposure in the seminal series. Now we just need to sneak an AFL game under EA's umbrella and then we'll be set!
True, Kojima would not want to see people ignore his creation, although since he's now employed as a contractor, sales figures are unlikely to affect what he sees money-wise. Now that he's separated from Konami, his future no longer depends on the success of MGS.
What about after MGS V? Do you see yourself buying the next MGS game from Konami, presuming they make one?
True, but I never get the same enjoyment out of playing online as I do with friends in the room with me. It's like going to a concert: the energy of the environment enhances the experience.
It makes you wish we could enforce a similar payment system to the one Humble Bundle uses, where the distribution of funds is made transparent. If people could see the division of revenue between publisher and developer, perhaps they would give more consideration to the impact of their purchases.
Halo's always been a good-looking game, but it's never been focused on the graphics. What has been a dominant part of the series' appeal is the camaraderie of co-op, and the bringing together of friends. With no local multiplayer, that element is severely diminished. Trading that off for supposedly better tech is not a smart exchange.
True. Celebrity status can be overwhelming, and not everyone aspires to it. But acknowledging the people responsible for crafting the games we love doesn't mean we have to throw them into the spotlight. Creators like John Carmack have maintained a fairly tepid social presence while still being synonymous with their creations.
I don't know if we can rely on self-promotion, even as it becomes easier to perform. If we do, the industry's legacy will consist only of th...
There's no simple solution, true. With the immense size of the credits for a game like Assassin's Creed, it's simply infeasible to give them all appropriate recognition. But it wouldn't be a bad start to have the name of the lead designer/developer featured on the cover. Sid Meier and American McGee are names I remember for being part of their games' titles, which is more than I can say for most creators.
Some companies seem to use the term beta so that they can dismiss complaints. 'Oh, it's just the beta; the final release will be different.' But then it isn't, because, as you pointed out, they release the beta less than a month before the game comes out. It's disingenuous.
Beta is such a muddy term now. It used to be pretty clear that a beta might be buggy or even broken, but now it seems some people expect games to be great from development day one. The reaction to a lot of Early Access games on Steam is particularly vociferous. If you want a stable experience, you need to wait for a full release--and sometimes, even later than that.
With any contentious issue like this, you can't expect there to be a quick and easy cure-all solution. Apple should have had more faith in its customers and taken a slower, more measured approach to cleaning house. Now it's just backtracking.
Great comment. You've captured the essence of the situation perfectly.
So much of this mess could have been avoided with better communication. If the Kickstarter had been completely open about its goals and potential alternative sources of funding, then at least everyone would have known what they were getting themselves into.
I love seeing these smaller studios given a chance to shine. I can't wait to hear more about them!
The only issues there is the fact that mods are so much of a collaborative effort than other media, even regular games. The biggest and most popular mods, like the total conversions for Skyrim and Fallout that turn them into entirely new games, rely on dozens of other mods to streamline the development process. It's the only way that small teams working in their spare time can produce content anywhere near the quality of what full-time designers and developers can. Without collaboration, ...
I'd be interested to know how much it cost to make Kojima's less well-known games, like Snatcher and Police Quest. They were still quite unique, albeit not as much as Metal Gear, and I can't imagine they were exorbitantly expensive. I'd really like to see him push the boundaries of a limited budget. Quirky ideas don't have to be expensive.
I agree. It's a market for personalities, rather than game ideas. Oftentimes people are backing projects on the strength of a name and a face, rather than a promising concept. Not exactly the best way to encourage creativity.
It just seems like the way Red Ash is being sold is pretty insidious. They're running another Kickstarter in parallel for an anime set in the same universe too, an 18 minute animation for $150,000. The overconfident attitude seems real shady.
You have to wonder whether they realise the damage they are doing to their reputation. Fans aren't as forgiving as big publishers.