GDC 2011
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For those who missed Iwata's keynote. The video stream is here:
http://gdc2011.nintendo.com/
http://gdc2011.nintendo.com/
Don't know where to put it, but one of the important points made this year has got to be this one:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-03-cliffy-b-the-middle-class-game-is-dead
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-03-cliffy-b-the-middle-class-game-is-dead
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-03-cliffy-b-the-middle-class-game-is-dead
Just a remainder that has been said many times but i think needs to be said again, adding "achievements" to the game, doesn't add value to it. At all. So instead of wasting time comming up with useless stuff like that, focus that time instead on doing a proper PC interface/menu, allowing/adding a console access for tinkering/testing parameters/configs.
Just a remainder that has been said many times but i think needs to be said again, adding "achievements" to the game, doesn't add value to it. At all. So instead of wasting time comming up with useless stuff like that, focus that time instead on doing a proper PC interface/menu, allowing/adding a console access for tinkering/testing parameters/configs.
ShadowRunner
Veteran
Who says they dont add value? I dont like them myself, im not that kind of gamer, but i know quite a few people that get a lot more out of thier games than they otherwise would have because of achievements.
dragonelite
Veteran
cliffy B speech i havent seen it yet but it has some vulgar bits in it.
http://gdc.gamespot.com/video/6302264/
http://gdc.gamespot.com/video/6302264/
Or that's what he also wants things to be like?
Personally I think in this regard Double Fine is showing a much more important future. You can make smaller games, with smaller teams, and sell them for less money. As the market is growing, make sure that you target lots of smaller sub-demographics rather than aiming to make that title that everyone (which these days means more than x million I guess) is buying, because there's a max of 1 or 2 of those per genre each year, like in movies.
This is the real future. There are ultra-casuals on the one hand with mobile games and flash based games on one end, and AAA titles on the other with big marketing as well as art creation budgets, but the real area of growth imho is everything in-between.
I like those guys, but they have been hanging by a thread for 9 years. They've never made money on any of their games and they've always gone through lean times in-between games. Definitely not a model for the industry.
I dont know anything about Double Fine and their history, but I think their latest releases Costume Quest and Stacking are what Arwin is talking about.
I like these shorter and different games, I do hope they make money on these ones.
RenegadeRocks
Legend
So, tech wise, what were the highlights this year?
IU heard An updated PhyreEngine was to be showcased and DICE was to have a talk too. Any material we can watch from those?
IU heard An updated PhyreEngine was to be showcased and DICE was to have a talk too. Any material we can watch from those?
PhyreEngine is cross-platform with NGP now. Dunno what was shown at GDC but I imagine it was PhyreEngine games running on both devices. If so, they may not show that to the public with NGP being still somewhat under wraps.
Anyone has info about this presentation http://schedule.gdconf.com/session/12294 ?
It was only about DLAA or they discussed something new?
It was only about DLAA or they discussed something new?
Sigfried1977
Legend
I think proper marketing is still way more important than perceived value. God of War III, Assassin's Creed, Dead Rising, Uncharted, Arkham Asylum, Dead Space, Bioshock - all rather light on content, yet all sold enough to apparently warrant sequels.
I also doubt that games like Majin, Darksiders or Folklore have anywhere near the development budget of a Gears of War game, so they don't have to be quite the sails hit in order to at least break even.
Darksiders must have had a big budget; there's a metric ton of artwork from some of the best guys in the industry in that game. They've also payed us to do two cinematics for the game, too 
Apparently it was successful enough to warrant a sequel, though.
Also, it's quite evident by now that franchises like those you've listed are successful partially because customers tend to flock to them even without significant marketing efforts, based simply on their enjoyment of the previous titles. People are also trying to avoid risks just like the publishers, and focus their purchases on proven IPs too.
Apparently it was successful enough to warrant a sequel, though.
Also, it's quite evident by now that franchises like those you've listed are successful partially because customers tend to flock to them even without significant marketing efforts, based simply on their enjoyment of the previous titles. People are also trying to avoid risks just like the publishers, and focus their purchases on proven IPs too.
Sigfried1977
Legend
^That Darksiders intro certainly was quite nice. Was there another one? Don't remember any high end cgi besides the one in the intro I'm afraid. Oh, and this is kinda off-topic: do you know who did the CGI stuff for Dante's Inferno? That's some truly breathtaking stuff in the game. Shame about the horrible video compression.
