Friday, November 13, 2009
Give Innovation a Chance!
So Jeff Vogel sez: "People say they want innovation. But actually give them something different that they have to adjust to and they get all angry and full of nerdrage."
I haven't played Brütal Legend yet (maybe it will arrive under the Christmas Tree for me a few weeks). So I can't speak to the review. But I can definitely speak to the frustration.
There's a quote I love by Howard Aiken: “Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats.” I like to tell this one to indies who get all caught up in secrecy and NDAs around their "game idea."
And truth be told, most innovative / original ideas really ain't all that awesome. The path of innovation is the path of failure. That's the whole point. When you abandon the tried-and-true, you are exploring the space of the untried-and-possibly-untrue. You are entering the realm of the experimental. And if every experiment succeeded, it wouldn't be very experimental now, would it?
But as much as we rip on designers for staying in the safety of their comfort zone, the average player is even worse. Heaven help the poor designer that messes with the "standard" interface for games of a particular type, even with a damned good reason! For people who really enjoy such cutting edge entertainment, we can be real sticks-in-the-mud when it comes to innovation.
I'm no different. I find myself complaining sometimes too, asking, "Why did they do this? Why didn't they just let me do what I've always done in previous games? Why'd they try to 'fix' what wasn't broken?" I guess my knee jerks as quickly as anybody else's. But I believe that I'm at least slightly more generous than the average gamer these days. After all, my love of the hobby was born in the extreme Darwinian Deathmatch days of the arcades, when there were no rules to be broken and every week offered something new, original, and sometimes downright stupid. We played them all.
All I'm saying is that if we gamers claim we want innovation to break us from some of the ruts we find gaming in, we need to put our money where our mouths are. Be willing to try out something different that changes the status quo. And accept the fact that not every innovation is going to come bathed in angelic light - sometimes they'll really stink. But we need to give them the chance.
Labels: Game Design, Mainstream Games
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 6:46 AM (Permalink)
Comments:
Links to this post:
<< Home
I think that Jeff is missing the point of the people who are complaining about Brutal Legend. They bought the game expecting it to be something (which they enjoy), and found out that it's something else (which they enjoy less).
I blame the demo. I downloaded that demo, and was left thinking that the game would be a brawler, with a fun and comedic story. I pre-ordered it on the strength of that demo.
Then I got the game, and found out that it was a RTS, with some brawler-y elements. It's an interesting take on an RTS, no doubt, but I don't like RTS games.
It's not about innovation at all.
I blame the demo. I downloaded that demo, and was left thinking that the game would be a brawler, with a fun and comedic story. I pre-ordered it on the strength of that demo.
Then I got the game, and found out that it was a RTS, with some brawler-y elements. It's an interesting take on an RTS, no doubt, but I don't like RTS games.
It's not about innovation at all.
I think that's a legitimate point, but it doesn't necessarily contradict Jeff's sentence either.
But the reviewers should be reviewing the game based upon what it really is, though, and not what they wanted it to be. I've seen a lot of problems with that, even (especially?) with some of the larger review sites.
But the reviewers should be reviewing the game based upon what it really is, though, and not what they wanted it to be. I've seen a lot of problems with that, even (especially?) with some of the larger review sites.
I haven't played it myself, but if If I understood correctly, one of the mayor problems of the RTS part is that the tutorial is less than worthless because it basically teaches the player how to approach battle the wrong way. That's why Tim had to go out and say "Nono, you are playing it with the wrong focus!".
If I ever play it, I'll keep an eye on that tutorial.
If I ever play it, I'll keep an eye on that tutorial.
@Rampant: I'd say that the reviewers are reviewing it as what it is. It's just that what it is is something they don't like.
The mentioned examples of PA and Yahtzee are people who were predisposed to like the game, but who realized that they don't enjoy the RTS aspects. That's reviewing the game based on what it really is.
I have to admit that I've not actually read a mainstream review of the game, so I can't comment on that coverage. I'd imagine that it's a difficult game to assign, though. do you give it to your RTS guy, who will find it overly simplistic? Or do you give it to your adventure-game guy, who may not like the RTS bits?
The mentioned examples of PA and Yahtzee are people who were predisposed to like the game, but who realized that they don't enjoy the RTS aspects. That's reviewing the game based on what it really is.
I have to admit that I've not actually read a mainstream review of the game, so I can't comment on that coverage. I'd imagine that it's a difficult game to assign, though. do you give it to your RTS guy, who will find it overly simplistic? Or do you give it to your adventure-game guy, who may not like the RTS bits?
Having not played it myself, I'm not going to defend it right now.
I made that mistake once. Told a co-worker that he just didn't UNDERSTAND what kind of game Trespasser was. This was about three hours before I bought the game myself. And twenty-seven hours before I returned it.
I made that mistake once. Told a co-worker that he just didn't UNDERSTAND what kind of game Trespasser was. This was about three hours before I bought the game myself. And twenty-seven hours before I returned it.
Brutal Legend is currently residing on my "I don't give a flying damn" list. Not going to purchase it.
And if the demo represents the game as something it's not, then customers are fully within their rights to be irked.
Regarding innovation: Innovation solely for innovation' sake -- never good. Innovation needs to bring something truly clever and useful to the table. Otherwise, fuggedaboutit.
And if the demo represents the game as something it's not, then customers are fully within their rights to be irked.
Regarding innovation: Innovation solely for innovation' sake -- never good. Innovation needs to bring something truly clever and useful to the table. Otherwise, fuggedaboutit.
I agree about reviews based on what they want rather than what the game is. I hate reading RPG reviews from certain sites, complaining than an RPG is too much like an RPG and not enough like the original Mario Brothers. True, it's a bit exaggerated, but not much.
I don't have any of the current gen consoles, so I haven't played it, but from what I'm hearing about the game, it's a mashup of genres like Spore but does a mediocre job of each of them.
The demo gives the impression of a Metalized God of War. Advertisements make it out as a Metalized Zelda with driving but half of the game is actually a Metalized Halo Wars.
Tim Schafer's creativity and humor is evident in the dialogue, story, setting, and art direction but the actual gameplay itself is severely lacking.
Or so I've been told...
Post a Comment
The demo gives the impression of a Metalized God of War. Advertisements make it out as a Metalized Zelda with driving but half of the game is actually a Metalized Halo Wars.
Tim Schafer's creativity and humor is evident in the dialogue, story, setting, and art direction but the actual gameplay itself is severely lacking.
Or so I've been told...
# posted by 
: November 14, 2009 11:40 AM
: November 14, 2009 11:40 AMLinks to this post:
<< Home
