Bleszinski: Japanese Devs Need To Stop Ignoring Multiplayer

[SoopaSte123]

Japan, you can do whatever you want because I don't care about multiplayer. Well I guess that's not completely true, I'm actually a big fan of pseudo-multiplayer like in Dark Souls or upcoming Dragon's Dogma where you can interact with players in certain ways but it serves to affect the single player game... So yeah keep doing that. But otherwise I don't care whether you add it or not.

But whatever you do, do NOT add trophies for multiplayer portions... that pisses me off to no end. Good luck getting those if you play a game a few years down the road when the online community is nonexistent.

 

[1337mokro]

Because Fatal Frame is a horror game. Horror exponentially decreases the more players are added into the mix. That's why L4D could never be scary so it instead settled for being tense. If you are screaming for Multiplayer horror games you're insane!

Right now every single game in the west crowbars multiplayer in there. Why? To combat fucking second hand copies. Not because it would be a fun mode to play or because it works with the games mechanic. But to keep the customer from trading in his 4 hour long game once they are done with it.

Sniper Elite V2 has Sniper Multiplayer. Everyone. IS. A. SNIPER! Multiplayer did not make that game better. COOP did, but then again the COOP worked with the games mechanic and emphasised the Sniper-Spotter gameplay.

We don't need another Multiplayer FF. God knows they failed so hard with that already.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

Oh look, another reason to not listen to him.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I'm going to have agree but it is an obvious point that games that need multiplayer should have it and those that don't then do not tack it on.

 

[Rarhnor]

So he makes some logical suggestions and people dont even read it before berating him for exactly what he said was a bad idea. He said that you shouldnt tack on a versus mode but that many games being released from Japan right now could have benefitted, in his opinion, from a mode involving player to player interaction. This could be versus or co-op or whatever was right for the game. He did not say it was for every game and he said not to tack it on. He said that he believed games werent selling as well partially because games werent releasing with content which made them must buys, for example he said that because of Vanquishs short length and lack of anything but single player made it a used purchase/weekend rent. Please read things before you comment on them and dont attack someone when they try to make a helpful contribution to a market with a genuine proposal to a genuine issue. Also the guy has made a fortune through his games and they are all right so he does have a right to sugggest that japan could learn from the west if it wishes to sell more games.

EDIT: the more I read on this forum the more I am dispointed that people have the arrogance on display here to not only comment before reading but also to attack someone with hyperbole when they dont have a leg to stand one. He never once suggested every game be modelled after Gears or Unreal Tournament anyone who has claimed the like should be ashamed of themsleves. he tries to help with his opinion, backed by success, to a shrinking industry and you lot claw and sratch at him without anything in response except childish ridicule.

Welcome to The Escapist...

I'm just gonna quote this whole post, in case anyone is missed it.

 

[Vault101]

Looks at demon sould people, great single player game, greatly enhanced by its multiplayer aspect, I think that's what Cliffy B is talking about, versus multiplayer, or even co-op isn't for every game, but some kind of imaginative thing like that is great.

and what about when the multiplayer dies? we are left with a shell of a game

 

[DirgeNovak]

Cliffy is now officially, certifiably insane. How the hell would a multiplayer Vanquish even work? The whole premise is based on slowing down time. That cannot be done in multiplayer.

And a multiplayer Fatal Frame? Fucking ridiculous. Goodbye tension and atmosphere!

 

[malestrithe]

I'm not a fan of multiplyer modes, but I agree to an extent. Certain Japanese games could lend itself to a multiplayer mode.

However, not on all games. Silent Hill does not need one, nor do any Final Fantasy games. Unless it was meant to be MMO.

 

[iamthehighway]

i live in Japan and i think Japanese developers, in general, still don't think about the western market or think that that is where a minority of sales will occur and the majority of sales will happen in their native country.

another contributing factor seems to be the fact that here in Japan you CANNOT rent video games. CD's, yes. Games, no. (crazy right?) because of this developers know that in Japan if you wanna play this game you must buy it. therefore there is no incentive for Japanese developers to keep players hooked or entice a gamer to buy their game instead of rent it (like there is in the west). here it's buy the game or nothing.

 

[gamerguy20097]

Why don't I have a multiplayer Fatal Frame yet? Because it would ruin the atmosphere? Same with silent. I dont think horror games can be scary when your arguing with a 13 year old on xbl over whos gay, nor when your chatting with a bud. amnesia would be shit if it was multiplayer. He doesnt make horror games, he shouldnt have any say on what they "need".

 

[Grape_Bullion]

Implying that a producer "handicapped" their game by not adding a feature they didn't find necessary is pretty low, even if it is constructive criticism. And saying that a game without multiplayer is not a "day one gotta have it game" assures one thing, that every game Cliffmiester puts out from now until most likely forever, will have a boring multiplayer scenario thrown in, on the assumption it'll sell more than a game without it. The quality of multiplayer modes is drastically down, and I feel this mentality is partly to blame for it.

 

[thespyisdead]

making multiplayer for the sake of multiplayer is making Battlefield/Call of Duty

 

[Setch Dreskar]

"Why don't I have a multiplayer Fatal Frame yet?" asks Cliff Bleszinski.

Because if you weren't a moron you would know a horror game is not scary with multiple people. Why would you ruin the entire point of the game to hear someone go "LOLOLOLO His face is ugly."

I wonder why people even listen to what Cliff has to say anymore. The Bulletstorm PC fiasco, the Chainsaw bayonet being his original idea (Hint, it was already in use 19 years prior to GoW), DRM should be stricter for PC users, everyone is jealous and wishes they were him as told by him to his fans.

Call me spiteful, but Bleszinski really needs to stop talking.

 

[1337mokro]

Tacked-on multiplayer like on Mass Effect 3? NO!

WTF, ME3's multiplayer was astoundingly good and has some of the best depth in a multiplayer mode of any kind ever. What are you smoking?

It was Horde mode. It was Nothing But Horde Mode. I know you're of the GoW generation but please. ME3 was nothing but a rip off copy paste of Horde Mode. If that's you're standards of deep, well integrated Multiplayer, don't ever play Team Fortress 2. You're mind won't handle the shattering of your reality.

 

[Amnestic]

Tacked-on multiplayer like on Mass Effect 3? NO!

WTF, ME3's multiplayer was astoundingly good and has some of the best depth in a multiplayer mode of any kind ever. What are you smoking?

It was Horde mode. It was Nothing But Horde Mode. I know you're of the GoW generation but please. ME3 was nothing but a rip off copy paste of Horde Mode. If that's you're standards of deep, well integrated Multiplayer, don't ever play Team Fortress 2. You're mind won't handle the shattering of your reality.

Not for nothin', but Team Fortress 2 ain't all that complex either. CTFBriefcase and Point Capture aren't exactly rocking the foundations of the games industry, you know?

As for 'well integrated'...well, yeah, TF2 kinda has to be well integrated by definition since multiplayer is all there is.

There's nothing wrong with Horde modes in and of themselves.

<- Not played ME3 yet. Just thought you should probably not be so aggressive.

Oh, and as another addendum: Gears of War came out one year before Team Fortress 2. "GoW Generation" indeed?

 

[Amnestic]

Except, if you'd notice, I said what would help sales, not what would make the game better.

Well one would help that quality would equal sales...in an ideal world anyway. It certainly helps build brand loyalty at least.

Do we have any evidence that multiplayer=higher sales?

 

[harvz]

ah, Bleszinski, aka Capt. foot in mouth, he takes some very weird stances on certain issues, most of which are more on the wrong side but this one I can sort of see. Multiplayer is not done in japan as often as western developers because lately, the bulk of games coming from that area are the current Japanese style games, see Final Fantasy 13 for reference. I guess that style of game is still really popular in japan unlike how it is viewed here.

all of that being said, I would love for vanquish to have a co-op or full on multiplayer mode but with most games coming out with a heavy emphasis on story and graphics, I can't see them moving too far from the proven formula, just as I cant see call of duty becoming a good game with the new iteration.

 

[Dandark]

Tacked-on multiplayer like on Mass Effect 3? NO!

WTF, ME3's multiplayer was astoundingly good and has some of the best depth in a multiplayer mode of any kind ever. What are you smoking?

It was Horde mode. It was Nothing But Horde Mode. I know you're of the GoW generation but please. ME3 was nothing but a rip off copy paste of Horde Mode. If that's you're standards of deep, well integrated Multiplayer, don't ever play Team Fortress 2. You're mind won't handle the shattering of your reality.

Thank you so much.
Everyone keeps holding it up as some incredible multiplayer that was the greatest thing ever when all EA did was copy the same thing half the other shooters have been doing. It was just horde/zombies mode people, I don't know who started it but I have noticed games throwing in the same damn survival mode ever since GOW2 did it.

ME3 MULTIPLAYER WAS NOT THAT GREAT, IT WAS JUST A SURVIVAL MODE!

(Breaths) I have been wanting to get that out for a while.