The fact that Nintendo is defending their decision is pretty telling of the situation involving DLC in today’s age of gaming.
It’s very polarizing. Gamers know it and I think they know it too.
It’s very easy for a game developer to be labeled as “selling out” or “cashing in” when that acronym is used. You have a certain group of gamers that the mere mention of DLC (before the main game even comes out.) makes their heads spin with anger as it is seen from their perspective as a form of “cutting content” or partitioning resources away from development of an otherwise “finished product.”
I totally understand this mindset as in most cases it is merited but at the same time there have been some good examples of DLC done well and in a more “acceptable” manner.
Gamers usually point to DLC from the souls games, Bethesda games or Witcher 3 as DLC done appropriately but the only concern I have with those DLCs (I’m not saying I don’t like them, that couldn’t be further from the truth.) is that in dealing with an add-on that comes out months after the main game launches is that they run the risk of being overlooked or forgotten.
It seems to be a double edged sword, doesn’t it?
Ideally we would want DLC of that caliber right away, almost simultaneously after the release of the main game as we are still captivated and in the right "groove" with the main game. However, even if these quality DLCs were out in such a scenario more than likely we would run back into the problem mentioned above, namely gamers would think they were stripped out right from the main game and thus we would feel “cheated.”
Let’s just hope Zelda takes a page out of some of the more successful examples of DLC done right seeing as how this could be considered their first real foray into this controversial arena.
@sellingthings: When you say "they gave people real demo time to get the people that would like it hooked" are you referring to people who write reviews (like Gamespot, USgamer's, IGN, etc...) or to regular people like you or me (Ninja, there's nothing "regular" about you except possibly your bowel movement frequency.)?
If you are referring to the latter than yes I think that would be a great idea (But is it VIDEOGAME NINJA APPROVED, Ninja?) but at the same time I don't foresee that coming to fruition due to a multitude of varying factors.
Definitely something like that would expose how good or bad a game really is from the get go and I have more than a sneaking suspicion that a few developers out there might be nervous by just the thought of that alone.
I know these reviews are all just opinion but a red flag always goes off in my head when there is such a massive disparity between the gaming community at large and a single review outlet.
Reminds me of Uncharted 3’s launch in 2011. I remember it was getting 9’s or higher from pretty much every game website there was but there was one place that gave it a 4/10. Totally credible, lol.
I understand not everyone will like something but when you make such bold claims you draw attention to yourself (which is more than likely what they were doing.) and it is usually negative. Another concern is it brings your credibility into question.
I don’t care what anyone says, if I saw a website rate games that have pretty much reached universal acclaim like Uncharted, Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid, Mario, Zelda, Dark Souls, Halo, etc… (Despite if I think those games are good or not.) a 2/10 that would just reinforce that “red flag” mentality in my head.
Either way USgamer is gonna get a lot of attention today, but y’know what? Something tells me they won’t mind.
As much as I was hoping for it to be great I have to admit that a part of me was a little bit skeptical that it wouldn’t live up to all the hype it was generating, especially over the last few months.
I think that is a reasonable response (pff, nothing is reasonable with you Ninja.) especially considering all the “talk” in the industry about this game potentially being a game of the year nominee.
Unfortunately, I won’t be starting this until I’m done with Nioh (Yeah, I’m one of those gamers.) but all the positive reviews have me more than excited to get to this game ASAP.
FF7 Remake is going to be a very crucial game not just for Square Enix (I keep wanting to just call them Square, lol.) but for the entire franchise moving forward.
I think that a game of this notoriety would be remiss if it did not have a sea of skepticism following it around everywhere it went. Why? Simple. This game, possibly more than any other in the JPRG genre, is the game that occupies a space between people’s ears when they hear the term Final Fantasy or “Turned based RPG.”
Is this really a surprise? If any of us were fortunate enough to be around during the original games release than it goes without saying they know the impact it not only had on the genre but on all of gaming culture. For the love of Miyamoto, people who have never even played a final fantasy game know who Cloud and Sephiroth are. These characters, this story, it has forever been ingrained into our videogame culture and for good reason.
FF7 was a game unbelievable in scope and scale when it launched. I can’t count the number of gaming magazines at the time that were giving it perfect scores and just in total awe over what Square had created. If anything, that game made Square a “heavy hitter” in the industry, one in line with the likes of juggernauts like Nintendo (Ok Ninja, that was a bit of a stretch.).
As such it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many who were there from its inception are worried over the finished product in this rendition. Hell, I would! But I think a part of this skepticism or “worry” comes down to human nature (Cue Michael Jackson song.).
We tend to look back on things in the past (not all the time but for the most part.) as somehow being “better” or more in tune with the essence of whatever it is we are talking about. This is not just exclusive to the videogame industry as people have been doing this ad nauseam in regards to different eras of sports players, music, leaders, etc, probably since the dawn of mankind.
For people who loved the original any slight difference or deviation (or news of.) is akin to engaging in some form of blasphemous activity. I get that. But at the same time FF7 Remake, for all intensive purposes, is not FF7. It can’t be. It never will be.
This game is not coming out in 1997. It is not going up against the conditions that were the norm or popular back then. Heck, it more than likely won’t have the same impact on the gaming culture that the original had… but you know what? That’s ok. After all, it can only be what it is.
Hopefully Square (It’s Square Enix now Ninja.) will take a page out of “old school” Capcom’s book in regards to how they handled the Remake back in 2002 but at the end of the day that’s a decision that’s up to them and them alone.
I just hope it manages to recapture even just a little of what made the original so great.
As much as we all rag on Phil for what he does or doesn’t say half the time I actually kind of like him (heavy emphasis on the words “kind of”).
For some reason in my messed up head (that’s putting it lightly, Ninja.) he seems like he actually “cares” about the gaming world and I’m not just talking strictly from a financial point of view (although that is more than likely the driving motivation behind this appeared concern.).
I think he’s pretty aware of what’s going on in the industry and what directions his brand needs to take to move forward thanks in part to feedback and concerns raised by those not just in the Xbox community but in the greater gaming community at large.
Obviously there are other people behind the scenes calling the shots but Phil is the face of the brand, and as such he takes most of the heat for decisions in and out of his control.
Personally speaking I think he realizes some of the problems his brand faces, especially as it relates to things like exclusives and new and original IPs and I think deep down he actually wants to do something about it even when it’s harder for him to do so. I want to say this is also part of the reason why he makes such “bold” claims or makes a “fuss” whenever the brand sinks a new exclusive. He wants to show everyone he’s actually putting in the effort and that their concerns are being heard. I don’t think anyone can really fault him for that.
I don’t know… maybe it’s just the optimist in me but I want to believe (cue “I want to believe meme here.”) that Phil is actually a decent guy who above all else just wants the same thing we all do…
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