I just saw the current release date of the first starcraft expansionHeart of the Swarmand while I've known this for quite some time I figured this to be a good example. Starcraft 2 released back in July 2010 and HotS is set for a March 2013 release. So what's wrong with this you say? The same thing that seems to be wrong with every big publishers this generation - everything much be grand, hyped and sell beyond measure.
Just to make it a bit more clear:
Starcraft 1 - released March 1998
Starcraft 1 expansion - released November 1998
Diablo 2 -June 2000
Diablo 2 expansion - June 2001
Warcraft 3 - July 2002
Warcraft 3 expansion - July 2003
Do you see a pattern yet?
Diablo 3 - released March 2012 (10+ year since release of D2 and is still managed to dissapoint and almost a year after PVP is nowhere to be seen and team death match is cancled lolol)
Starcraft 2 - almost 3 years to make an expansion. A F***INGexpansion. Not only that but all they had to do was make ONE (oppose to 3) campaign, slap in some new, wanted, units for MP. This took lessthan a year with SC1 and 1 year with WC3.
It isn't JUST Blizzard though
How about dat Grand Turismo series? That once so stellar "racing simulator". We've seenONEgame from them this gen, one the PS3 (not counting BS releases) and it wasn't really as good as hoped was it? We're 6 years into the PS3's lifetime and you're telling me PP couldn't at least come up with somthing more? It's pathetic really and there is no excuse. We've seen 3 mainline Forza Motorsport and a spin-off during the same time. Would be it outrageous to demand at least to games from PP?
Then there is Sony and their absurd amount of attempts to make a "Halo killer"or just about any good FPS/TPS game that is not only critically acclaimed, but also has a lasting effect that actually means something. Honestly, just think about it for one second - how many shooters have we seen from them this gen and how many of them are actually.. memorable or even just great? They're 'good' alright, but that's about it.
I swear, most of the shooting games released from Sony this gen should've been released as either F2P or MP only digital releases.
it doesn't stop there thoughbecause it's apparenly impossible for developers to come up with something truly creative and good that'll actually make people buy their games just on those merits alone. Multiplayer. Even though it has never been so it's apparently and suddenly is a must for every game regardless of genre. The new Tomb Raider game? Multiplayer. Uncharted games? Multiplayer. God of War, Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, The Last of Us, Dead Space and many more, they all got it.
It's sad because it's not long since Insomniac said that all games should feature a multiplayer component. As if Ratchet and Clank couldn't work without. Ugh.
This brings us to an important question -why? Why is this suddenly important? And it's quite clear. It is no longer possible to sell a game with a good idea and good gameplay. Games need to incorporate all aspects and they needs to master them all. Just look at this gen, it's obvious and kinda makes me sick. Games need to have the following:
- Be some sort of "graphic king"
- Be epic with epic music and epic cinematics and Michael Bay slowmotion exlplosion scenes
- Have a fleshed out story with "good" voice actors, characters you "care for" and should at the very least lead up to a sequal with followed by another
- Have some sort of innovative, mindblowing and constant changing gameplay. Have any of you played the SP of Blops 2? Dat **** is crazy.
What happens when all of these (especially teh graphic part) is done and "nailed"? MULTIPLAYER! WE NEED MULTIPLAYER. It's what the player want, right?
No. It doesn't end here either though. We need sequals and we need them annually.But sir, isn't that contradicting what you said earlier?Sure is, so how does publishers go around this? Manpower. They hire more. The price of the product raises so they add more fluff (to make people buy the game), so they hire more staff to make the fluff and when the game is finally released it is required to sell at least 5 millions copies otherwise it isn't a succes. Generic slowmotion, Michael Bay, shooter with multiplayer has just been created. I mean, wtf is Medal of Honor's excuse really? Talk about a game that is so redundant it shouldn't ever have been a though (this gen).
It's as if it is no longer possible to make something "simple" yet good (not counting indie games). Did Diablo 3 really need all those years in the making? How about Gran Turismo 5 or hell even The Last Guardian.
Some of the only developers I can accept haivng a somewhat long development cycle is Rockstar and their GTA games. They might not always please everyone every time, but what they make you can accept for having taken the time it took.
I dread next gen.
There is a lot more wrong with this generation, but this is just what I had in my head.
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