Everyone Must Download The Mega Man Legends 3 Demo.

[MrPopo]

Say what you will but giving companies a chance to recoup development costs on risky titles while still in development is only a GOOD thing in my eyes. By mitigating risk it encourages companies to put some resources into interesting projects or revivals.

Or they could just scale back the graphics. That right there saves a fortune. There are plenty of inventive games that are produced every year, and most of them don't sell like a AAA title is thought to. But they still end up turning a profit because they didn't sink a ton of money into the graphics. Make a compelling gameplay experience and people will latch on. Not every game needs to be a Michael Bay summer blockbuster. We can enjoy a low key Juno too.

[Flake]

Not every game needs to be a Michael Bay summer blockbuster.

You know that. I know that. But we're also guys who get a kick playing games that came out decades ago. But the massive consumer base? They tear apart any game that doesn't measure up to their standard. They are a group that has already started complaining that they need next-gen(er?) graphics. Again.

The video games industry is looking like some kind of insane arms race and in this environment, I don't blame companies for having to change the way they do business just to keep their IP's alive.

[MrPopo]

Or they could stop trying to pander to the lowest common denominator, lay off some artists, and get to work making some neat stuff. If your game sells 25,000 copies and it only cost you $500,000 to make that means you just need to turn a profit of $20 a copy. Maybe you sell it on Steam for $25 (gotta cover Steam's cut).

[CFFJR]

You want to complain about the state of video games? You've got what you asked for: An industry where every single game has to be a slam dunk, homerun, 2 million seller just to break even. That environment is where the creativity, the risk, and the ingenuity has been locked away.

Why do you think companies have to have so much DLC ready to go for games AT launch? It's because they NEED that extra bump to mitigate the risk. Developers sink millions of dollars into these projects, often times for 2 or 3 years in advance of the games release.

And if ANYTHING goes wrong, there is no going back. A bad review or a crappy release window and all that money is gone - and with it any interest in taking whatever chances or risks may have seemed like a good idea before hand.

Stuff like this makes me wonder if we're in for minor industry crash at some point.

Not to say it'd be anything like the one in the 80s. I just think about it, because even though many games still sell like gangbusters now, its true that making a game is becoming a more and more risky proposition.

We've seen well known development studios get shut down after the failure of one game (I'm thinking of Bizarre Creations here). Like you said, the smallest misfire in our industry results in a catastrophe.

Its interesting, but worrisome.

Or they could stop trying to pander to the lowest common denominator

That might be easier said than done. Its the lowest common denominator that makes franchises like Madden, Call of Duty, Gears of War, and the like million sellers.

[final fight cd]

Not every game needs to be a Michael Bay summer blockbuster.

i couldn't have said it better myself. l.a. noire springs right to mind. i have seen countless commercials for that game and not one has shown ANY game play footage; it's all cut scenes and dialogue. i have no idea what kind of game it is.

those commercials say one thing: they spent all their money creating nice facial animations and trying to create an engaging story. essentially, they are advertising a 60 dollar movie. and that's the problem: games aren't games anymore. it just isn't about creating a game with gameplay; a story with the best graphics EVER need to involved, which takes money.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Not every game needs to be a Michael Bay summer blockbuster.

i couldn't have said it better myself. l.a. noire springs right to mind. i have seen countless commercials for that game and not one has shown ANY game play footage; it's all cut scenes and dialogue. i have no idea what kind of game it is.

those commercials say one thing: they spent all their money creating nice facial animations and trying to create an engaging story. essentially, they are advertising a 60 dollar movie. and that's the problem: games aren't games anymore. it just isn't about creating a game with gameplay; a story with the best graphics EVER need to involved, which takes money.

The worst thing about that game was indeed the marketing. We got so many cancels and returns at work because people were downright pissed off at how the game was made by Rockstar and advertised as "From the makers of GTA" but not a GTA game.

[Xeogred]

The worst thing about that game was indeed the marketing. We got so many cancels and returns at work because people were downright pissed off at how the game was made by Rockstar and advertised as "From the makers of GTA" but not a GTA game.

Your stories about customers never cease to amaze me.

[Wombatula]

Stuff like this is why I love that Nintendo keeps doing weird and quirky stuff. I don't need 3 options to buy a CoD game, I want options and variety. Companies focus on cut scenes and hollywood type production not because they have to, it's because it's all they know how to do anymore. The games with new and fresh ideas are becoming fewer and fewer. There's no more creativity. Most game companies have become the teen pop starlets of the game industry; formulaic, prefabricated eye-candy. Sure it looks good, but there's no substance or thought behind the pretty graphics. Throw some guns and fatigues in, make about 20 multiplayer maps and modes, throw in a 5 hour campaign mode, profit, rinse, repeat.

Think about what happens if this works and more companies adopt this practice. Think about all the smaller games that may not get made because the demo didn't make enough and the company gets cold feet and cancels the game. Games like Ico are going to go the way of the dodo and game companies are going to be even more afraid to take a risk and make something other than Halo 8 or Call of Duty 19: Modern Warfare 6: Black Ops at War: Ghost.

Or maybe it'll be ok, it's not like we're not getting screwed over with dlc being released the same day as the game or anything.

[ZeroAX]

Think about what happens if this works and more companies adopt this practice. Think about all the smaller games that may not get made because the demo didn't make enough and the company gets cold feet and cancels the game. Games like Ico are going to go the way of the dodo and game companies are going to be even more afraid to take a risk and make something other than Halo 8 or Call of Duty 19: Modern Warfare 6: Black Ops at War: Ghost.

And on the other hand, think about all those quirky games that will be able to finance their development. Think of those small developers, with no big publisher support, being able to make a small amount of money to help them through development.

This is only a good thing, and I honestly don't understand why you guys rant so much about this. Even gaming's greatest "business that respects the player" guru, Gabe Newell said that he'd like to give the gamers a way to support the game they want, while it is being developed, so as to reduce the risk of development. This will only be good for innovation of the gaming industry. Imagine a small quirky game, selling like crazy as a demo. Then the company's big shots, will HAVE to pay attention to it, and finance it properly.

[CFFJR]

Imagine a small quirky game, selling like crazy as a demo.

Hell, I know its only one guy, but isn't that essentially what's happened with Minecraft?