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Have you ever bought a game purely because of the designers behind it? Have you ever walked into a games store with your wallet bulging and picked a game straight off the shelf and put it on the counter without thinking anymore of it? This is hardly the way you shop for all your games, if you buy it online you always check out the reviews, you may even find the time to look through a magazine with a related review or preview. But whatever you choose to do it is most probably from information youíve picked up somewhere along the way.
If used cleverly this will be to the advantage of the designers. First time designers will be able to construct something so perfect that even if itís the only piece of work they ever do they will still be known for it. Itís not just for games this applies to, think about it. What if Steven Spielberg only ever made one film, and letís says for arguments sake that film was Jaws. The critics loved it, the audience loved it and therefore everyone was happy, then he goes into hibernation for the next 20 years only to reappear with Jurassic Park. From reputation youíd be driven to see it. Even if you see bad reviews of the film, itís not enough to determine you away from the cinema.
The same applies to sequels I suppose, because of the success of the original it brings you forward to go to the next stage, to experience something new that thrilled you the first time and now you ëknowí itís gonna do the same next time. A sequel is never far from the original game, maybe itís a bit faster, a few more options, but itís usually just an extra mission pack, so you know what to expect, and itís because of those reasons that you buy the game.
The press coverage surrounding the game already gives you the impressions of what Santa Claus and his little Elves will be bringing you for Christmas, the first impression is something that you only get once so they show you all the decent bits then leave out the rest. But more on the subject, as you go to buy this game youíve been waiting for all that time for, you suddenly come across something
something new, something the gaming industry has never seen before. This game looks like to smash records and sell in the millions, but there is a slight bit of trouble, at the same time Half Life 2 is being released, a games designer company with a reputation for themselves and a game that had a reputation as well.
In this world it would be my opinion that no matter what the other games looked like Half Life 2 would just wipe the floor and leave them all cowering in the corner wishing they hadnít been created. That wonít happen though, for some strange reason, weíve all been allowed our Own opinions, and that means we can choose the games for ourselves, game designers know that, whatever they make there will ALWAYS be a load of people waiting at 6am on Friday mornings for the game. Thatís not a bad thing though, if it wasnít for everyone wanting different games, weíd never have the reviews about them in the first place, except for the all singing, all dancing reviews and previews that the game producers write themselves saying. ìYour console wonít be the same without it, and if you donít have this game, your friends will think youíre sadî.
Game designers seem to make relatively similar games, e.g. FPS or RPGs they donít usually get distracted from the genre, so you can usually instantly expect whats going to be made next, e.g. Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. Perfect Dark wasnít a sequel, and although it used the same graphics engine, and had the similar ëSecret Agentí story line to it, they are the only things that were kept the same, and only because they sold the game, and anything else wouldnít have been as good, but did many of you know the gameís options and details inside out before you plugged it into your console? Or was your face beaming with surprise from the time the game started rolling to the time your fell asleep?
My prediction is that most of you did. You will have been told some of the details by your friends, and accidentally stumbled apon the official website, with information oozing out of every article. Itís everything you hear and see that attracts you into purchasing this item. From reading the simple review, screen shots to the snippets of the story line, all this information is valuable to you, when selecting a game. The designers will all have the effect, and the effect is your opinion. Just think about this, if your told itís brilliant constantly by different groups of people whether it be friends or just the gaming press then youíve already got in your mind that you love this game. So when you get it, chances are youíll still love it and will think highly of it. You might even go to your friendís house and watch or play the game for a while to get a basic idea of it. A good review from a friend is worth more than 100 reviews online, if your friend likes it, starts reminiscing about their favourite parts, the game is sold to you, and the only thing on your mind is, ëHow quickly can I get this game?í
Thanks for taken the time to read
Mr Nice Guy
If used cleverly this will be to the advantage of the designers. First time designers will be able to construct something so perfect that even if itís the only piece of work they ever do they will still be known for it. Itís not just for games this applies to, think about it. What if Steven Spielberg only ever made one film, and letís says for arguments sake that film was Jaws. The critics loved it, the audience loved it and therefore everyone was happy, then he goes into hibernation for the next 20 years only to reappear with Jurassic Park. From reputation youíd be driven to see it. Even if you see bad reviews of the film, itís not enough to determine you away from the cinema.
The same applies to sequels I suppose, because of the success of the original it brings you forward to go to the next stage, to experience something new that thrilled you the first time and now you ëknowí itís gonna do the same next time. A sequel is never far from the original game, maybe itís a bit faster, a few more options, but itís usually just an extra mission pack, so you know what to expect, and itís because of those reasons that you buy the game.
The press coverage surrounding the game already gives you the impressions of what Santa Claus and his little Elves will be bringing you for Christmas, the first impression is something that you only get once so they show you all the decent bits then leave out the rest. But more on the subject, as you go to buy this game youíve been waiting for all that time for, you suddenly come across something
something new, something the gaming industry has never seen before. This game looks like to smash records and sell in the millions, but there is a slight bit of trouble, at the same time Half Life 2 is being released, a games designer company with a reputation for themselves and a game that had a reputation as well.
In this world it would be my opinion that no matter what the other games looked like Half Life 2 would just wipe the floor and leave them all cowering in the corner wishing they hadnít been created. That wonít happen though, for some strange reason, weíve all been allowed our Own opinions, and that means we can choose the games for ourselves, game designers know that, whatever they make there will ALWAYS be a load of people waiting at 6am on Friday mornings for the game. Thatís not a bad thing though, if it wasnít for everyone wanting different games, weíd never have the reviews about them in the first place, except for the all singing, all dancing reviews and previews that the game producers write themselves saying. ìYour console wonít be the same without it, and if you donít have this game, your friends will think youíre sadî.
Game designers seem to make relatively similar games, e.g. FPS or RPGs they donít usually get distracted from the genre, so you can usually instantly expect whats going to be made next, e.g. Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. Perfect Dark wasnít a sequel, and although it used the same graphics engine, and had the similar ëSecret Agentí story line to it, they are the only things that were kept the same, and only because they sold the game, and anything else wouldnít have been as good, but did many of you know the gameís options and details inside out before you plugged it into your console? Or was your face beaming with surprise from the time the game started rolling to the time your fell asleep?
My prediction is that most of you did. You will have been told some of the details by your friends, and accidentally stumbled apon the official website, with information oozing out of every article. Itís everything you hear and see that attracts you into purchasing this item. From reading the simple review, screen shots to the snippets of the story line, all this information is valuable to you, when selecting a game. The designers will all have the effect, and the effect is your opinion. Just think about this, if your told itís brilliant constantly by different groups of people whether it be friends or just the gaming press then youíve already got in your mind that you love this game. So when you get it, chances are youíll still love it and will think highly of it. You might even go to your friendís house and watch or play the game for a while to get a basic idea of it. A good review from a friend is worth more than 100 reviews online, if your friend likes it, starts reminiscing about their favourite parts, the game is sold to you, and the only thing on your mind is, ëHow quickly can I get this game?í
Thanks for taken the time to read
Mr Nice Guy
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That's another reason as to why Nintendo games rule: They lack realism. They are based upon a fantasy concept. Mario, Zelda, Monkey Ball - none of them are anything like 'real', they have cartoony characters that can survive (usually) from diving off extremely high cliffs, do things no mortal man could...that's why Nintendo have better games, because they are utterly playable and addictive. ANYONE can play them, even they do have a slight 'kiddy' image - but that's not the point; if it's entertaining, then why shouldn't PS2 'realism' fanatics 'ave a go?
On to reputations, I must admit, I'd go for recognisable names such as Konami, Nintendo, SCEE, Rare, Namco etc...because of the reliability they have. You can rely on them to produce fantastic games, and therefore you would look more interestedly towards their titles other than less-known third-party developers.
Err, back to the Nintendo image debate, I think they don't really know what they're doing. They now have the Resident Evil series EXCLUSIVE to it, yet Zelda has had a slight accident with cel-shading. Who knows what they're up to, I hope they aren't just relying on Capcom to atract the elder audience. However, I think, as Turbo had said, that Nintendo would be doing just fine with their notorious great-game playing, graphical games that attract anyone. Apart from the odd PlayStation loyalist.
:D
SHOCKY
On to reputations, I must admit, I'd go for recognisable names such as Konami, Nintendo, SCEE, Rare, Namco etc...because of the reliability they have. You can rely on them to produce fantastic games, and therefore you would look more interestedly towards their titles other than less-known third-party developers.
Err, back to the Nintendo image debate, I think they don't really know what they're doing. They now have the Resident Evil series EXCLUSIVE to it, yet Zelda has had a slight accident with cel-shading. Who knows what they're up to, I hope they aren't just relying on Capcom to atract the elder audience. However, I think, as Turbo had said, that Nintendo would be doing just fine with their notorious great-game playing, graphical games that attract anyone. Apart from the odd PlayStation loyalist.
:D
SHOCKY
Well, I can't really argue with you on that point. I found that myself, Nintendo's graphics alone give the impression of it just being a kiddies game, desinged for them. The controller, so big yet easy to use, designed for kiddies. I'd rather play on my PSX anyday over a N64, apart from maybe Perfect Dark but that gets repetitive after a while and it involves no thinking which is what I love in games. Something that requires thought and not just guns blazing.
Nintendo have a reputation for making kiddy games, it's undeniable and it's for a good reason. While their game may not be kiddy, they do lack maturity and realism. Nintendo have built an empire on this, with the likes of Mario, Zelda, DK, etc. Now though, with the greater market being in the older audience, Nintendo are trying to get through to them (and failing).
This, in my opinion, is a bad idea. Nintendo is the perfect console for kids as Meka has demonstrated. All the parents know about it and remember the games as being safe for their wee bairns (God, I'm turning Scottish). However, they are now trying to age their image and it's not good. This way, they are beginning to alienate the parents by tarnishing their perfect images with games like PD and CBFD. However, this isn't going to attract older gamers, because only a small number of the games are actually mature. This leaves Nintendo ditching their usual market, who are perfectly acceptable, but failing to penetrate the older market. Also, with Sony and possibly Microsoft both having the mature market pretty much wrapped up, there's no room for Nintendo there. Crucially, however, is that both companies seem to be taking no interest in Nintendo's audience, the younger gamers. Nintendo are going to make a killing with these people as there's no one else to compete against. Nintendo will never make it into the older market, especially looking like the child's building block that it does.
Nintendo are stupid trying to mature their reputation, and they are going to have problems if they carry on.
This, in my opinion, is a bad idea. Nintendo is the perfect console for kids as Meka has demonstrated. All the parents know about it and remember the games as being safe for their wee bairns (God, I'm turning Scottish). However, they are now trying to age their image and it's not good. This way, they are beginning to alienate the parents by tarnishing their perfect images with games like PD and CBFD. However, this isn't going to attract older gamers, because only a small number of the games are actually mature. This leaves Nintendo ditching their usual market, who are perfectly acceptable, but failing to penetrate the older market. Also, with Sony and possibly Microsoft both having the mature market pretty much wrapped up, there's no room for Nintendo there. Crucially, however, is that both companies seem to be taking no interest in Nintendo's audience, the younger gamers. Nintendo are going to make a killing with these people as there's no one else to compete against. Nintendo will never make it into the older market, especially looking like the child's building block that it does.
Nintendo are stupid trying to mature their reputation, and they are going to have problems if they carry on.
That is quite acceptable Turbonutter, after all none of use are perfect. Thanks so far for actually keeping to the topic, Prime is a different place then FOG Chat and it is all that much better. People take time to read your topics and reply sensibly whilst in FOG Chat if they're over 300 words long they'll get ignored.
So Turbo, whilst on the topic give me your feelings towards Nintendo's reputation.
So Turbo, whilst on the topic give me your feelings towards Nintendo's reputation.
Soz.
Mr Nice Guy wrote:
> What about Wipeout? Those games were some of the first to be released for the
> PSX
Note the time it was posted!!!! It was posted at the same time as yours and unless I can type all of that in 59 seconds then I didn't know you were gonna say that, either that or I am psychic.
> What about Wipeout? Those games were some of the first to be released for the
> PSX
Note the time it was posted!!!! It was posted at the same time as yours and unless I can type all of that in 59 seconds then I didn't know you were gonna say that, either that or I am psychic.
Turbonutter wrote:
> Yes, and now we remember them as Sony Studios Liverpool, currently working on
> ***WipEout Fusion*** and very probably a DD game, obviously with much more funding!
> Yey!
Note the words "WipEout Fusion" ;-)
> Yes, and now we remember them as Sony Studios Liverpool, currently working on
> ***WipEout Fusion*** and very probably a DD game, obviously with much more funding!
> Yey!
Note the words "WipEout Fusion" ;-)
What about Wipeout? Those games were some of the first to be released for the PSX, but I'd go for Konami at the moment and I believe so would a lot of people. Metal Gear Solid, ISS Pro Evolution. Just from this image it is probed into our heads that 'They WILL BE GOOD', regardless. That was the point I was getting over.
Yes, and now we remember them as Sony Studios Liverpool, currently working on WipEout Fusion and very probably a DD game, obviously with much more funding! Yey!
The FIFA footy games have been going for absolutley ages, sice the days of the Megadrive, and have been going longer than ISS. So people have played the FIFA games first. And anyway, when the first came out, they were actually very good, unlike the latest ones which don't seem to add much new.
The problem was that ISS got beaten to it, no matter how good the games were. But this should change when Pro Evolution football comes out on PS2. People will hopefully realise what a good game it will be, and now has the attraction of real player names, and advantage that FIFA game had over ISS games.
The problem was that ISS got beaten to it, no matter how good the games were. But this should change when Pro Evolution football comes out on PS2. People will hopefully realise what a good game it will be, and now has the attraction of real player names, and advantage that FIFA game had over ISS games.
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