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Originality is dead in Western games. It has become a thing of the past- the memory of bedroom coders of old and of gamers of generation long since past. Quite simply, Western bureaucracy has forced the original thinker to leave.
A profound statement, and one sure to be contested, but I believe it to be quite accurate. Western games have become commercialised to the point whereby a developer will not take the risk of doing something new- they would rather make another, safer game that is bound to be forgotten after a couple of years.
Go to a Western developer with an idea as strange and wacky as Super Monkey Ball, Pikmin or Rez and don’t be surprised it they turn it down in order to make a sequel so similar to the previous game that it’s hardly worth calling it a sequel. Ask a developer to create something that looks as fresh as Jet Set Radio and they’d laugh- those games either fly or fall, and they aren’t prepared to find out which.
So what is it about Western developers that makes them so stubborn to complacency? Certainly not a lack of talent- the Western bedroom coders of past decades prove that point. Nor is it a lack of interest in original games- you need only look at game charts to see that original Japanese-made games do equally as well as most Western sequels. In fact, I’ve already given you the answer to the question in one word: commercialism.
You see, in the West developers are run in a far different way than in Japan. Over here developers are mainly funded by large publishers who are in the game to make money with little risk. So it follows that, unless you are an exceptionally high regarded producer with a stack of best selling games, you’ll never get a penny from an investor- and with the cost of game development today it just isn’t possible to do it yourself.
Over in Japan, most developers work for themselves- Nintendo, Sega, Namco, Square, Konami and all the rest are self subsistent development houses that run their own accounts, and more importantly, are run by games developers themselves. Miyamoto-San, a humble artist and game producer, oversees all the game developments at Nintendo, while each Sega department has it’s own C.E.O. in the form of an in-house producer.
I fear that we could soon see a complete end to originality in Western games- forever. Like the movie industry, we could soon see tides of popularistic, unoriginal games coming from the West, while truly original game, the game equivalents of “Run Lola Run” and “Requiem for a Dream”, would run into near obscurity.
But then again... there’s always the Japanese to rely on.
Sonic
A profound statement, and one sure to be contested, but I believe it to be quite accurate. Western games have become commercialised to the point whereby a developer will not take the risk of doing something new- they would rather make another, safer game that is bound to be forgotten after a couple of years.
Go to a Western developer with an idea as strange and wacky as Super Monkey Ball, Pikmin or Rez and don’t be surprised it they turn it down in order to make a sequel so similar to the previous game that it’s hardly worth calling it a sequel. Ask a developer to create something that looks as fresh as Jet Set Radio and they’d laugh- those games either fly or fall, and they aren’t prepared to find out which.
So what is it about Western developers that makes them so stubborn to complacency? Certainly not a lack of talent- the Western bedroom coders of past decades prove that point. Nor is it a lack of interest in original games- you need only look at game charts to see that original Japanese-made games do equally as well as most Western sequels. In fact, I’ve already given you the answer to the question in one word: commercialism.
You see, in the West developers are run in a far different way than in Japan. Over here developers are mainly funded by large publishers who are in the game to make money with little risk. So it follows that, unless you are an exceptionally high regarded producer with a stack of best selling games, you’ll never get a penny from an investor- and with the cost of game development today it just isn’t possible to do it yourself.
Over in Japan, most developers work for themselves- Nintendo, Sega, Namco, Square, Konami and all the rest are self subsistent development houses that run their own accounts, and more importantly, are run by games developers themselves. Miyamoto-San, a humble artist and game producer, oversees all the game developments at Nintendo, while each Sega department has it’s own C.E.O. in the form of an in-house producer.
I fear that we could soon see a complete end to originality in Western games- forever. Like the movie industry, we could soon see tides of popularistic, unoriginal games coming from the West, while truly original game, the game equivalents of “Run Lola Run” and “Requiem for a Dream”, would run into near obscurity.
But then again... there’s always the Japanese to rely on.
Sonic
Page:
I've realised that the no. of replies doesn't count, as it's quality of the original post, not quantitiy of the replies!
I recently won for a post that at the time had NO replies at all!! I was shocked and delighted, and the congratulations of other users were the only replies it really recieved!
I recently won for a post that at the time had NO replies at all!! I was shocked and delighted, and the congratulations of other users were the only replies it really recieved!
hey!
Cheers people- I was quite suprised at the win myself... after all, the topics only had a few replies!
Sonic
Cheers people- I was quite suprised at the win myself... after all, the topics only had a few replies!
Sonic
Hello all, Congrats Sonic, you may have noticed ive been away for well over a week, just thought id pop in and noticed you had won (due to the "quote of the day").
You make a very valid point, as far as japan goes there is FAR more originiality, as for western clones they become excessive - take C&C and Half-life - whereby half the games on the market are second rate, as the clone NEVER matches the quality expressed in the original, which itself becomes swamped in sequals offering little new to the imagination.
One sequaled game that has shown significant leaps between each installment offering almost a completely different experience for every play has to be Zelda, which from the original right up to the next one changes with each major installment. Another is GTA, with the same basic idea but achieved in a new way each time, moving from 2-d to 3-d in fantastic style which 'Dune: Emperor battle for' failed to do.
Having essentially blabbered on for now (if anyone read it) a couple of minutes i will bring this to a conclusion that until the western games industry manages to divert itself from big-business we will, as the consumer, suffer. So as with politics and games industry has been sucked up and is now ruled by big business and money.
You make a very valid point, as far as japan goes there is FAR more originiality, as for western clones they become excessive - take C&C and Half-life - whereby half the games on the market are second rate, as the clone NEVER matches the quality expressed in the original, which itself becomes swamped in sequals offering little new to the imagination.
One sequaled game that has shown significant leaps between each installment offering almost a completely different experience for every play has to be Zelda, which from the original right up to the next one changes with each major installment. Another is GTA, with the same basic idea but achieved in a new way each time, moving from 2-d to 3-d in fantastic style which 'Dune: Emperor battle for' failed to do.
Having essentially blabbered on for now (if anyone read it) a couple of minutes i will bring this to a conclusion that until the western games industry manages to divert itself from big-business we will, as the consumer, suffer. So as with politics and games industry has been sucked up and is now ruled by big business and money.
Well done for the GAD Sonic! Damn, I was hoping to win for a post I did on the same day, but still, well done.
It's been a good last week or so for you hasn't it, first you come second in the Notable vote and then you win another GAD!
It's been a good last week or so for you hasn't it, first you come second in the Notable vote and then you win another GAD!
Well deserved GAD, SONIC!
Another day, another Gad eh Sonic?
If only!
If only!
Well done on the GAD win. :-D
The market dictates.
Generally speaking, the Japanese tend to enjoy eccentric and innovative things, especially on the technological front; whereas we hard-boiled westerners like things solid, big, bold and well-rounded like a good pair of boots.
But the way I see it is we are in a sense getting the best of both worlds. From Japan we get more innovation and originality - which ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous; and from the west we get more solid, powerful and so-called "cool" games.
I like all kinds of games - original or not, so I just celebrate that such wondrous things exist.
Generally speaking, the Japanese tend to enjoy eccentric and innovative things, especially on the technological front; whereas we hard-boiled westerners like things solid, big, bold and well-rounded like a good pair of boots.
But the way I see it is we are in a sense getting the best of both worlds. From Japan we get more innovation and originality - which ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous; and from the west we get more solid, powerful and so-called "cool" games.
I like all kinds of games - original or not, so I just celebrate that such wondrous things exist.
Originality isn't so much dead as dormant.
Although I have a few original ideas, like you said, if I do get into the industry, the chances are that I'll be forced to make a cheap to make sure seller.
That's partly why I aim to work for Rareware.
When originality is pulled off, it can make bigger profits than the company can imagine.
Then again, even when a fantastic game like Blast Corps is made, the public might still overlook it...
Although I have a few original ideas, like you said, if I do get into the industry, the chances are that I'll be forced to make a cheap to make sure seller.
That's partly why I aim to work for Rareware.
When originality is pulled off, it can make bigger profits than the company can imagine.
Then again, even when a fantastic game like Blast Corps is made, the public might still overlook it...
P.S. Sonic, could you read my story on the horrible future of
> videogames in the Ninty forum, your feedback would be much appreciated
I'm there now!
sonic
> videogames in the Ninty forum, your feedback would be much appreciated
I'm there now!
sonic
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