Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

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Segatarious1
Posts: 1110
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby Segatarious1 » March 24th, 2014, 1:21 pm

I want to use the new Donkey Kong platformer as my example. I do not own it, I have not played it, but I am familiar with the series having played the past games, and of course look it up on youtube, you can see what I am talking about, whether you agree or not - well that's what the comment bar is for.

An expensive game to make, took a lot of time, obviously tons of attention to detail.

But so what? Most of this is just eye candy, and the 'dynamic' camera in the levels - as in, you do a SIMPLE button prompt to shoot DK through etc, etc and etc that are blowing up and particle effecting all around you.

Does it really add anything to the bread and butter game play? I would say no. It is just a lot of flash and noise. To me, things like this are a big turnoff, like calling in air strikes in FPS, or automated sequences you trigger in any game, usually they are cinematic or what have you, boom boom boom oh nice, now you can play again.

Seems to me like a big cop out. One of the reasons I have avoided this game. I will pick it up eventually, but it feels so 'western'. Which is to say, a game just needs to be flashy to be 'good'.  Mario 3D World looks really nice, but it is all bread and butter Mario gameplay, nothing is sacrificed for the player so we have to watch the game developer flex their muscles, or pull the table cloth out from under the dishes, and all that.

What do you think? It is not as invasive as story, I guess, but still feels cheap and over the top to me.



Sut1
Posts: 789
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby Sut1 » March 24th, 2014, 5:10 pm

It's a good question. I think initially it adds to a games 'wow' factor and I do like games to have a high level of polish, however if it's too frequent it gets just 'meh'.

Killzone Shadow Fall has a lot of those moments, by design it is an eye candy launch title but gameplay wise it's a by the numbers FPS. So yeah it does add that pizazz and probably adds something to the overall experience but does it make the core game better ? No probably not.

gleebergloben1
Posts: 687
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby gleebergloben1 » March 24th, 2014, 5:52 pm

Steer, I kind of like the production values of the new DK platformer. I realize that you are only using this one game as an example. And I'm not up to snuff with some of the finer points in gaming, but if I understand you correctly, the question is "Do all the extra explosions, cut-scenes, and eye candy take away from the gaming experience?" As for the new DK, I would say no.

Again, don't know if that's what you mean (your knowledge of modern gaming far exceeds mine). For me, I guess it comes down to whether these aspects feel forced, unnecessary, or drawn out. For DK, I'd say no. In fact, I like how this sets the scene for the game. Granted, it gets frustrating if it's used too often, but in DK, it is usually short and sweet, and they use these scenes in a comical way.

By the by, I would suggest picking up the new DK. My son and I are having a blast with it.


darkrage61
Posts: 1678
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby darkrage61 » March 24th, 2014, 9:10 pm

I'm surprised to hear you actually criticize a Nintendo game for once LOL.  Anyways I personally disagree, I think Tropical Freeze looks absolutely beautiful and it dosen't come across as a "cop out" or "flashy" at all.

HardcoreSadism1
Posts: 526
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby HardcoreSadism1 » March 24th, 2014, 11:03 pm

Yet be so ironic as to use "Western" as if it were a detraction...

Tron1
Posts: 401
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby Tron1 » March 24th, 2014, 11:54 pm

I feel that way with FPS for the Xbox 360. I feel like I've played the best FPS on the Xbox 360; Bioshock, Fallout 3 & Fallout New Vegas. For me to be interested in playing another FPS its going to have to equal or be better than those 3 games. So far I haven't found any.

darkrage61
Posts: 1678
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby darkrage61 » March 25th, 2014, 4:28 am

The Fallout games were pretty good but I don't feel that they were the best FPS's on the 360.

Didn't care much for Bioshock, that's a game that I felt did not live up to the massive hype it got from magazines like Gameinformer. If there ever was a game that felt "overproduced" to me, it's that one, it felt to me like the developers were more interested in how realistic the water and cities look and kind of neglected the gameplay and story.

I love stuff like the Modern Warfare series, Black Ops 2,  Quake 4, Far Cry 3, The Darkness 1 and 2, Medal Of Honor, Timeshift, Halo 3, 4 and Reach, Turok, Battlfield 3, Bad Company 1 and 2, F.E.A.R. 2 and 3, Borderlands 1 and 2, Rage, Metro 2033 and Last Light, Bulletstorm, Homefront, Crysis series and Deux Ex: Human Revolution.


JWK1
Posts: 904
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby JWK1 » March 25th, 2014, 10:06 pm

No. I understand what you're saying and where you are coming from, Steer. But no. There are lots of things that have nothing to do with gameplay that are nevertheless important to gaming. Graphics, music, draw distance, frames per second, polygon count, story, voice acting... None of those things have anything to do with gameplay but that doesn't mean I want them sacrificed. Otherwise we wouldn't need anything beyond the square shaped sprites of the 2600; no story, almost no music, nothing graphical to speak of but shapes. In 2014 and beyond, I need more than that.

I love what retro studios has done with the DKC franchise. Yes there's a lot of flash and the games are technically impressive (even DKCR ran at 60 fps on the humble Wii). But the gameplay is solid and silky smooth. Gameplay vs. graphics? No. I'd like both please.

Paul1231
Posts: 261
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby Paul1231 » March 25th, 2014, 10:43 pm

[QUOTE=darkrage6]I'm surprised to hear you actually criticize a Nintendo game for once LOL.  Anyways I personally disagree, I think Tropical Freeze looks absolutely beautiful and it dosen't come across as a "cop out" or "flashy" at all.[/QUOTE]

IIt's almost the equivalent of Darkrage6 criticizing... Nevermind.

Paul1231
Posts: 261
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Overproduced games - plaguing the industry?

Postby Paul1231 » March 25th, 2014, 10:47 pm

[QUOTE=Segatarious]

Mario 3D World looks really nice, but it is all bread and butter Mario gameplay[/QUOTE]

I think you kind of ruined your point right here, because you said yourself that you haven't played the game, so you don't know if it has the "bread and butter" needed to justify the production values.



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