Queue on 20/4/2013 at 03:48
Quote:
... This is the continuation of a ruinous trend in game development. As I've said before: Developers are spending too much on their games. Square Enix is apparently losing money with stellar sales figures. I said it four years ago, and I said it last month. We're seeing developers devouring millions of dollars in pursuit of stuff that makes games riskier to develop without making them more fun to play.
For me, that's pretty spot on.
And if that's true, I wonder why developers feel they need to put in all of these "extras". Is it because there is just an assumption on their part that that's what gamers want, or do a majority of gamers really want all the over-the-top silliness? For me, all I want is a fun game to play (it's just a game, folks, not a lifestyle...and if it is, then you should kill yourself) that was well thought-out and executed in design; and preferably without all the nonsense of cut-scenes and take-downs and the like, all that I find to be a waste of resources and ill-placed effort that could have been afforded toward better story development and more levels.
Renault on 20/4/2013 at 04:00
Makes you wonder what their expectations are for the new Thief game, sales wise. Do they really expect to sell something like 5 million copies (to pay for the cost of their 300 or so employees), even while making the game for next gen hardware? I can't see that happening. I know everyone outside the Thief forums think the Thief faithful are freaking out unnecessarily, but you know this game will be simplified and streamlined to appeal to a wider audience for this very reason, there's just no way around it.
I get that it's a business and their primary purpose is to make a profit, and that the original Thief games didn't sell that well. But then why make a new Thief game?
Queue on 20/4/2013 at 04:07
Plus the fact that it's going to be on a next gen console. I mean, there's already concern (whether deservedly so, or not) that the game will be shitty, and couple that with the fact that you'll have to buy something new first before you can try the game for yourself...sales are not going to go well.
Quote:
I get that it's a business and their primary purpose is to make a profit, and that the original Thief games didn't sell that well. But then why make a new Thief game?
Out of fresh ideas? Or, maybe they're taking the film industry's approach of recycling garbage into even bigger garbage in hopes of hitting a market on name recognition.
Jason Moyer on 20/4/2013 at 05:56
Being a release for the PS4/Xboxwhatever will be a benefit more than anything. When it comes out there will be a handful of games available for each system and people will be scrambling to find good games to play on their new toys; that's the reason launch titles tend to do really really well.
faetal on 20/4/2013 at 11:32
Quote Posted by Renzatic
Yet here they are. Making a new game that's going to sell to hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people.
Wikipedia says the original sold 2m copies and if this one is marketed right, I'm assuming they'll be getting a goodly chunk of fans of the originals, plus a bunch of people who were turned on to stealth games over the years like Splinter Cell through to Dishonoured.
If it's a good game, it'll be a net gain for the genre regardless of how much it tips its hat to the original (which it isn't remotely obliged to do on account of being a re-boot).
faetal on 20/4/2013 at 11:36
Quote Posted by Brethren
I know everyone outside the Thief forums think the Thief faithful are freaking out unnecessarily, but you know this game will be simplified and streamlined to appeal to a wider audience for this very reason, there's just no way around it.
The hope is that they are able to streamline in a way which doesn't dumb down the game. I believe game devs are getting better at shaping the compromise between consoles / PC and discerning / undiscerning gamers.
Either way, we'll just have to see.
Thirith on 20/4/2013 at 12:31
@Brethren: I think very few people here would disagree that some of the news on the Thief reboot sounds less than great. The issue is not that: the issue is that much of the discussion in the Thief subforum is reactionary to such an extent that it's difficult to take it seriously, added to which the tone is one of moral indignation, i.e. "Because they're changing x, y and z they're betraying us, the real Thief fans, they're catering to the lowest common denominator because they're only interested in making a buck, and they're too stupid due to playing on consoles all day to understand what made Thief Thief." It's the combination of drama (we're being betrayed...) and arrogance (... when we're the ones this game should cater to) that at least for me has made the Thief forums a no-go zone for now. Yes, there is some rational discussion going on, but few posts aren't touched by the drama/arrogance double whammy IMO.
EvaUnit02 on 20/4/2013 at 13:35
Quote Posted by dethtoll
While I agree that the Vita is basically a bust because Sony tends to neglect their mobile games market, I wouldn't count the Wii U out just yet. it's been out, what, 5 months?
The Wii U is trying to please anyone and everyone, thus leaving nobody amused (except zealot Ninty fanboys who'll eat up that shit by default, but that relatively niche audience is only a drop in the bucket.). The fickle audience that made the Wii 1 popular have moved onto Facebook and Mobile (eg iOS/Android) games. Most core gamers won't touch an underpowered joke that's only slightly better than 360/PS3 (actually noticeably worse in a number of cases), established/mature consoles that are cheaper with huge game libraries.
The console is in the same vicious cycle as Vita. Developers won't make games for an unpopular console. Consumers won't buy a console with virtually non-existent game library.
Queue on 20/4/2013 at 15:09
Quote Posted by Jason Moyer
Being a release for the PS4/Xboxwhatever will be a benefit more than anything. When it comes out there will be a handful of games available for each system and people will be scrambling to find good games to play on their new toys; that's the reason launch titles tend to do really really well.
Yeah, I understand that to be true. I was operating under the misconception that people weren't clamoring for a new system, yet. It appears that I'm wrong about that.
But, strangely enough, the upcoming GTA 5 will be a current console release. Now if anything was going to be released on a next gen console, I would have thought it'd be GTA5. So, I wonder why they chose to release on PS3/Xb360 instead of the upcoming consoles? A bigger audience, maybe?
demagogue on 20/4/2013 at 15:27
They've honed the engine so much that they can probably tap a lot of the power from the current gen. The screenshots & teaser look pretty great. Also, it's not like they have to prove anything to get people to take notice. People know what a GTA game is.
