"Crisis of creativity in vid game industry."

[I.S.T.]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...1&e=1&u=/nm/20040328/tc_nm/biztech_games_dc_1


I could have told these dumbasses this six months ago. Last year was the beginning of the shit game that makes back 10X what they spent on it. Much like the Hollywood blockbusters that are nothing more than spectacular looking, except perhaps more profitible in terms of percent of money gotten back.

 

[Ty]

Chris Crawford has been yelling from the mountaintops about this issue for sometime now.

 

[I.S.T.]

Pardon my ignorence, but who is that?

 

[London Geezer]

ICO.

 

[I.S.T.]

One of the guys behind ICO? Damn. That certainly wasn't your run of the mill game, lol.

 

[London Geezer]

One of the guys behind ICO? Damn. That certainly wasn't your run of the mill game, lol.

NONONO!!! Didnt mean that!

I meant, all i can say to people worried about lack of creativity in the videogames industry, and (especially) all those involved in making games, should remember one name. Ico.

 

[Squeak]

Pardon my ignorence, but who is that?

http://www.erasmatazz.com/team_bios/chris.html

http://www.robotwisdom.com/ai/crawford.html

http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Coverpage.html

http://www.erasmatazz.com/library/JCGD_Volume_6/Dragon_Speech.html

 

[I.S.T.]

LOL! I see now, london-boy.

Wow, it looks like Chris Crawford likes to keep busy. Seriously though, I wonder why I haven't heard the man's name before? He seems to have had a huge influence on gaming in general.

 

[Guden Oden]

Much like the Hollywood blockbusters that are nothing more than spectacular looking, except perhaps more profitible in terms of percent of money gotten back.

Hm, I myself enjoyed T3, Pirates of the Caribbean and Return of the King immensely, just to mention three such hollywood blockbusters (if RotK counts as such, considering it was made in NZ... ).

 

[Dio]

Last year was the beginning of the shit game that makes back 10X what they spent on it.

There have been 'bad', insanely profitable games for years. Deer Hunter anyone? You can go back all the way to early arcade games and find crap that sold.

Of course, it used to be easier (when the budget was $10k, not $10m) to make back 10x.

You can argue what's 'good' and 'bad' all day as well. As pointed out, I thought Pirates of the Caribbean or the Scorpion King were great fun, but I doubt many would say they were much other than unchallenging nonsense. You could say the same about just about any of the Final Fantasy series, for example.

And let's not get into Titanic, or Britney Spears, or Eastenders, or any of a dozen other pop-culture examples of things which would be defined by many as 'poor' but still win awards.

 

[I.S.T.]

It seems I have been slightly misunderstood. Or perhaps I haven't had enough sleep. I meant games that are the game equvilent to stuff like Britany Spears, Bad Boys 2(Even if you liked it, it does follow a shallow formula. It's a big budget Hollywood sequal.), etc. Maybe it is the lack of sleep...

 

[Bohdy]

As long as we are talking about the movie industry let me say that there has never been a better time for movies IMO!

Only now do film-makers have the experience and technology to turn seemingly cheezy ideas like trolls, vampires, pirates and monster hunters into a compelling movie experience instead of a lamefest.

Just imagine if those ideas were made into movies between the 60's and the 80's (and many of them were)!

*shudders*

Edit (more to say!):

Its a different matter entirely with the game industry though; when games like GTA 3 can be held to the same acclaim (or higher) than a masterpiece like Metroid Prime (and sell infinitely more) you know there is something wrong. And this is not *just* my bias flaring up either! How many of you can honestly say that GTA 3 can even compare to Metroid Prime in terms of obvious polish and objective analysis of quality (whether it appealed to you or not)??!

 

[London Geezer]

As long as we are talking about the movie industry let me say that there has never been a better time for movies IMO!

Only now do film-makers have the experience and technology to turn seemingly cheezy ideas like trolls, vampires, pirates and monster hunters into a compelling movie experience instead of a lamefest.

Just imagine if those ideas were made into movies between the 60's and the 80's (and many of them were)!

*shudders*

Edit (more to say!):

Its a different matter entirely with the game industry though; when games like GTA 3 can be held to the same acclaim (or higher) than a masterpiece like Metroid Prime (and sell infinitely more) you know there is something wrong. And this is not *just* my bias flaring up either! How many of you can honestly say that GTA 3 can even compare to Metroid Prime in terms of obvious polish and objective analysis of quality (whether it appealed to you or not)??!

I don't think it's all about technology. Yeah, the fact that we can now produce photorealistic images helps a lot, but in the end if LOTR was made by John Woo, it would have been hideous... If you get my example...

The Hulk was dreadful, The matrix sequels and Star wars prequels were totally embarrassing, especially Matrix Revolutions. Total waste of many people's time, efforts and resources... Yet technically all those movies were top-notch...

 

[Bohdy]

I though that the [big!] battle scene in Revolutions kicked all sorts of arse personally!

The other one between him and smith at the end just reminded me too much of DragonBall Z to take seriously though and the ending was balderdash, but I would say it was well worth seeying overall.

Edit (more): But then again, I go to the cinema for the thrills! If I want to be intellectually challenged I read a Moorcock novel or something ;-)

 

[tuna]

Objectivity is as pointless in games as it is in any media. The only factor that matters in games is how they effect us emotionally, ie making us wanna try harder to beat it, making us think, making us marvel at the visuals, making us move along to the music while playing, making us think about the concepts of the story, making us want to beat the real-life opponent, making us part of a team etc forever.

If the game manages any of this, it doesn't matter how good it "objectively".

 

[Bohdy]

Ahh, but objectively fine games do that more than any others, just people these days are too insensetive to the finer points. All they want is cheap thrills.

.....And having said that, I have just detected some hipocrisy with what I have said about my movie habits lol!

Oh well, I'm sorry if I come off conceited but I can't help but think this way.

 

[Natoma]

I don't think it's all about technology. Yeah, the fact that we can now produce photorealistic images helps a lot, but in the end if LOTR was made by John Woo, it would have been hideous... If you get my example...

The Hulk was dreadful, The matrix sequels and Star wars prequels were totally embarrassing, especially Matrix Revolutions. Total waste of many people's time, efforts and resources... Yet technically all those movies were top-notch...

Bah! I liked the matrix sequels a lot.

 

[GHost]

I don't think it's all about technology. Yeah, the fact that we can now produce photorealistic images helps a lot, but in the end if LOTR was made by John Woo, it would have been hideous... If you get my example...

The Hulk was dreadful, The matrix sequels and Star wars prequels were totally embarrassing, especially Matrix Revolutions. Total waste of many people's time, efforts and resources... Yet technically all those movies were top-notch...

Going a bit off-topic... but I'll have to agree with that. To those who care, Lars von Trier, the director of such gems as "Idiots", "Dancer in the Dark", and the amazing "Dogville", would have to say something about it: The Dogme95 Vow of Chastity.

 

[cthellis42]

Haven't we been getting articles like this a few times a year since the early 80's?

 

[Guden Oden]

I remember reading the Amiga would kill off all creativity in videogames because its graphics was too good.