Streamlined vs. dumbed-down - great progressive game design article

[The Vagrance]

the complaints are often not simply "it's different, therefore it isn't good" but more specific criticisms and comments regarding what doesn't work and, often, what works well/what would make the system better (which doesn't send the message of "difference = bad" but "this new system is broken/horribly flawed; fix some of these problems and we'll embrace these changes with open arms.")

I feel like this notion in itself is a very bad thing for the gaming industry and something I was trying (and failing) to point out earlier, that almost every video game undergoes this type of scrutiny. In other forms of art/media the complaints levied are usually very broad strokes and don't have the qualifiers "but if x, y, and z were fixed then I'd like it", yet it feels to be a common theme in video games. I'm not saying criticism is bad, but people are constantly talking about individual features as opposed to the whole product, and some developers fall into the trap of trying to please everyone. More video games need to be seen as works as a whole as opposed to a collection of different sequences and features.

An example of what I'm talking about is Heavy Rain. A lot of complaints have emerged about it basically being Dragon's Lair but after actually seeing it in action and how it all functions the game's vision becomes much more clear. But whatever, I'm just rambling so I don't have to do Computer Science homework.

[Native Jovian]

Zircon, we can pitch "people like ME2!" vs. "people didn't like FF12!" back and forth at each other all day, but anecdotes don't really make a case.

Is innovation riskier than stagnation? Yes, certainly. Are many companies risk-averse? Yes, certainly. Does that mean the industry as a whole is stagnating? No, obviously not. The smaller companies you mention essentially have to innovate because they can't compete with the sheer production values of larger developers. Hell, Nintendo does a lot of this too -- you think the Wii is an example of the industry stagnating? I hope I don't have to point out the different ways that the Wii is innovative to you. And it's, by far, the best selling console -- as in, "nearly as much as the PS3 and 360 combined" best selling.

[prophetik music]

insert "wii sports sold more systems than any other game ever, and yet was the worst thing that could have happened to the wii" argument here.