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Why Do Games and Game Studios Fail?

Posted by chrisd on from the when-franchises-attack dept.

LukeG writes "This new article discusses the reason behind games and their developers failing, noting the distance of those selling the games, from those that buy them as one possible cause. Doomed games such as Bablylon 5 come under the spotlight, while the ubiquitous Duke Nukem Forever is also touched upon." For me, this article brought to mind the twin disasters of Fallout Tactics and the Farscape based game.

14 of 389 comments (clear)

  1. This is a very complicated issue: by thisisatest · · Score: 5, Funny

    But I think it can best be summed up with the following words:

    Because the games suck.

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    You'd almost think a 'net company would know
  2. I think the title should've been... by Robber+Baron · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why Websites Fail. It appears to be slashdotted already.

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    You're using her as bait, Master!

    1. Re:I think the title should've been... by 0x0d0a · · Score: 3, Funny

      God is dead - Nietzche
      Nietzsche is going to hell! - God

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      May we never see th
  3. Here, by the way, is a mirror of the content: by thisisatest · · Score: 5, Funny
    This is about a minute and a half after the story was posted, mind you.

    The page cannot be displayed
    There are too many people accessing the Web site at this time.

    Please try the following:

    • Click the Refresh button, or try again later.
    • Open the www.ferrago.co.uk home page, and then look for links to the information you want.

    HTTP 403.9 - Access Forbidden: Too many users are connected
    Internet Information Services

    Technical Information (for support personnel)

    • Background:
      This error can occur if the Web server is busy and cannot process your request due to heavy traffic.
    • More information:
      Microsoft Support
    --
    You'd almost think a 'net company would know
    1. Re:Here, by the way, is a mirror of the content: by anonymous_wombat · · Score: 3, Funny
      This is about a minute and a half after the story was posted, mind you.

      The page cannot be displayed

      That's funny, mine comes back with that in less than a second. I must have a faster processor.

  4. If you end up banging Stevie Case... by SensitiveMale · · Score: 3, Funny

    then I wouldn't call that a failure.

  5. Ubiquitous? by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    the ubiquitous Duke Nukem Forever is also touched upon... This is the first time I've heard of something that doesn't exist yet, and that probably never will, being ubiquitous.

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
    1. Re:Ubiquitous? by Alea · · Score: 5, Funny

      >> the ubiquitous Duke Nukem Forever is also touched upon...
      >This is the first time I've heard of something that doesn't exist yet, and that probably never will, being ubiquitous.

      Hmmm... God?

      (Atheist humour... I'll probably be modded into hell itself...)

  6. The best way to save a game... by the_other_one · · Score: 3, Funny

    is to add more frogs.

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    134340: I am not a number. I am a free planet!
  7. My guess is... by JanusFury · · Score: 5, Funny

    My guess is games and game studios fail because of something us in the industry call 'sucking'. This is a very hard to describe phenomenon, and can be caused by a number of factors. One common factor is the 'movie tie-in' in which a game is based on a (usually crappy) movie and thrown together in about 6 months. Examples of games which exhibit 'sucking' include:
    "Daikatana"
    "Blood 2"
    "Disney's Lilo And Stitch Interactive Pop-Up Book" (or whatever the heck they call the tie-in for that movie)
    "CowboyNeal, Space Crusader"

    We here at the Fullashita University Interactive Media Department have devoted years of time and careful study to this phenomenon. We are currently in the process of developing 'anti-sucking' technology, based on a scientific phenomenon we call 'Gameplay'. This 'Gameplay' has proved to be extremely useful in protecting against 'sucking' in most of our tests.

    - Kevin Gadd, Head Researcher, Fullashita University Interactive Media Department

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    using namespace slashdot;
    troll::post();
  8. HTTP 403.9: IIS can't handle the load by Tester · · Score: 3, Funny

    Since its an IIS server and it clearly can't handle Slashdot, could someone post the content here?

  9. Duke Nukem Forever... by Sivar · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now there's a game that lives up to its name.

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    Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. --E. W. Dijkstra
  10. 4 words by legLess · · Score: 3, Funny

    "John Romero's Shampoo Budget"

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    This isn't as much "normalization" as it is "don't take so many drugs when you're designing tables."
  11. Re:Doom III by ymgve · · Score: 3, Funny

    Since I am, much to Carmack's chagrin (ha ha), in possession of the Doom3 alpha leak, I can tell you this: the only thing that Doom III has going for it are the models -- with normal maps, they look fucking amazing -- and the real-time lighting on the worldmaps, a leap forward for rejecting built-in lightmaps.

    Even on a Radeon 9700, 20-40fps is the best you will get save for a few scenes which are the rendering equivalent of looking at the ground.

    The rest is just a blatant ripoff of Resident Evil with a bit of Half-Life thrown in.

    Sooo...you're basing your opinion on how a game will be when it's finished on a never-to-be-released alpha build...