QuickDEMOL1SHER said:
Treblaine said:
QuickDEMOL1SHER said:
Wow. Too bad their not making anything GOOD with all that money.
snip
I think the problem is, is that although, yes, all those games are bridging the market(sort of), most people don't want a bridge built. That bridge happens automatically. If you are the kind of person who is going to enjoy upmarket titles, you will get them when you want them. But in terms of hardcore titles, I guess if you like constant remakes and sequels to games that have already had forty sequels than have tons of fun. I don't mind a couple of sequels to a game if it was good enough and made enough of an impact, but this is just getting ridiculous. ANOTHER Zelda AND another Metroid? Really Nintendo? When I said they are not making anything good, I think I more meant that even though they have more money than some countries, they refuse to innovate any more than the Wii and they refuse to make anything except the same games.
Microsoft and Sony not doing casual titles? Thats just funny. Did you watch E3? They both managed to make a motion control system that has games even more pus.... I mean kiddy than the Wii.
Firstly, if you are keen about this subject I 'd like to point you to this article. It's old, from 2008 but it is AMAZINGLY prophetic, I think this guy has totally "figured out" the Wii, but more importantly whte wider gamign industry:
http://malstrom.50webs.com/birdman.html
But, I have to contest this one sentence in particular you made:
"If you are the kind of person who is going to enjoy upmarket titles, you will get them when you want them."
The "type of person" you are is irrelevant, there is nothing fundamentally different in the character and personality of someone who plays action-adventures games and those that don't. It's just a non-gamer simply can't even GET STARTED with these upmarket games even if they were interested, too many barriers of experience and gaming intuition needed. Hell, how could they know if they liked it, they never even played an action-adventure game before!?!
That bridge CANNOT happen automatically, it can happen with little kids (because their brains can learn so damn quick and they imitate their older peers well) but for MILLIONS of people they look at games like Gears or Killzone 2 and they wouldn't even know where to start. They'd get bamboozled with the controls, confused with the objectives, they don't have the hand-eye co-ordination to even START to ENJOY those games.
Bridge titles like Mario Kart Wii, a game that is usually not bundled but sold separately has sold over 22 MILLION copies! That knocks out even Modern Warfare 2's sales. They ARE selling and I think they are serving their purpose.
It's all ingeniously simple, the Wii mote in a steering wheel, it's such a natural introduction but VITAL for introducing New Wii gamers - who may only have experience playing around at Wii Tennis before - the nature of conflict and competition, navigating a 3D space, avoiding obstacles and the challenge of the Win.
The lineup of Rail Shooters separately introduces the challenge of precise aiming under pressure, without the worry of having to simultaneously navigate the 3D space, the experience is still made familiar. Also, 2D platforming games (new Mario bros Wii) have greatly featured on Wii, and they suit the purpose as bridge titles. With only 2 dimensions of freedom and no worries about camera perspective, this gives the opportunity to master more direct conflict and avoidance of enemies and navigating an environment... but most importantly they can do all this while HAVING FUN!
A complete novice is not having fun wandering around a level of Halo or Killzone, getting killed repeatedly and unable to get any kills or even know which way to go. As without the EXPERIENCE or skillset needed to even begin playing, then their first gaming experience could be a huge turnoff. And I'm not talking mere familiarity with gamepad vs Wii-mote, I'm talking about confidence and expectations.
I'd also like to clarify, and perhaps I should have emphasised more the past tense, that Microsoft/Sony HAVE been aiming too far up-market with very expensive consoles from the start and that cannot be changed now, higher game prices, higher development costs, too slim a profits.
Switching focus downmarket this late in the game is too late, they STILL have very expensive consoles and expensive peripherals that can pump out graphics that novice gamers will be unlikely to appreciate. The price is the biggest issue and complexity.
They are being birdmen, copying Nintendo's feathers in form (move) or function (kinect) but I think failing to realise the actual dynamics of their flight, how they can fly so high.
I think they should take a clue from the BIGGEST "casual" market out there at the moment, Browser-hosted, Flash-based, ad-funded games... they all use the humble computer mouse. I've been singing the praises of the humble computer mouse for a while now in its ergonomics, familiarity, effectiveness, and utility in ALL gaming applications. And they are cheap, unlike Kinect/Move. I'd build on that.
Seriously, both Move and Kinect do motion control in a far more sophisticated way than the Wii, and Kinect has the bonus of voice control. Considering that motion control is the only unique selling point of the Wii (other than price, but I wouldn't pay that much for last-gen processing and graphics anyway, I'd just buy a gamecube on ebay) and they aren't even the best at that anymore. Reggie is scared, and if he isn't then he should be.
