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On Videogame Characters And The Poochy Effect

Posted by simoniker on from the verified-simpsons-reference dept.

Thanks to GamerDad for its editorial discussing videogame characters/settings that excessively ape popular culture. The writer summarizes: "A new evil is spreading throughout the industry to stifle gameplay and original game characters, the need to set games in 'cool' or 'hip' settings that meet with mainstream approval", and points to Ubisoft's Beyond Good & Evil, which he says underwent a "...last minute change in the main character to make her more Gen X compatible." He continues: "For Jak II, developer Naughty Dog seems to have wanted to incorporate every possible 'hot thing' in gaming, from a goateed main character to dark themes." But he concludes by lauding some "breakout successes" in terms of original characters, including Halo's Master Chief and Viewtiful Joe.

14 of 59 comments (clear)

  1. Won't matter in the long run... by Danse · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is just another stupid marketing fad that will eventually fizzle out like all the rest. If the game is good, buy it. If not, don't buy it. That's how you tell them how you feel. It's the only thing they understand.

    --
    It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
    1. Re:Won't matter in the long run... by richie2000 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      The problem is they don't understand that anymore. If sales are down, they won't for a second think it's due to a problem with the thing being sold, instead they blame it on getting bad reputation online, piracy, the phase of the moon, too little legislation or whatever.

      This is increasingly becoming a problem but I have no idea how to fix it short of starting to put CEOs up against walls...

      --
      Money for nothing, pix for free
    2. Re:Won't matter in the long run... by August_zero · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You mean a fad like boy-bands and crappy pop music? or maybe like crappy movies that flash some tits to keep the audience interested?

      I like what you are saying, the world would be a great place if dumb ideas just went away when it was obvious that they don't work, too bad the marketing execs of the world don't have the same insight you do.

      --
      On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
  2. Is it just us by tsa · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm wondering. There must be a reason the industry does this. If you want to make a lot of money you have to appeal to the large majority. So apparently the large majority likes the games that we, as /.-ers think are way too 'overproduced'. This proves that we are but a small, insignificant community. Sad but true.

    --

    -- Cheers!

    1. Re:Is it just us by gl4ss · · Score: 2, Insightful

      i don't think them as 'overproduced', i just view quite a lot of them produced into the wrong way.. take 'nfs: underground' for example. it's obvious that makers of nfsu had some idea that buying stuff for your car is cool, but what they did was that you can only buy what they let you buy(upgrades being locked) and you have to race the races that are pre-chosen until you win in them all and you get few more races. now, upgrades like that have little point since they could come on automatically(i've yet to have any money trouble in it buying them things) instead of going through the burden of going to the shop menu and buying everything to the max you're allowed. street rod 1 & 2(and mco) still remain the kings on pc in the car tinkering genre when with very little changes nfsu could be the new classic of that genre(ffs, gt1/2/3 on ps(2) do upgrades a lot better and they don't even market it that way).

      as for halo, the (almost only) reason i know people(normal people, 20-23years) have liked it on the xbox is because the coop play is so goddamn fun(consequently, it lacks it on pc). master chief is HARDLY a character to remember, anymore than the 'doom guy' is.

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      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  3. Halo's Master Chief? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The Master Chief is an original character? Since when? He's a man in a suit of armour - that character goes back to the Middle Ages. Or you might get excited that it's powered armour, which dates back to the '60s at the very very latest. Soldier held in hibernation until he's needed? That's Joe Haldeman's Forever War, at the very very latest, which is the '60s again. He's not an original character at all. He's a good character, but he's not original.

    1. Re:Halo's Master Chief? by Mantrid · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Beat me to it! I agree - Halo is a fun game (MP anyways) - but the Master Chief an original character??? He's a soldier in a suit of powered armour! You can't even see his face. The computer AI chick in Halo is more original - kind of like one of David Drake's "control crystal" type characters (Lord of the Isles or Northworld).

    2. Re:Halo's Master Chief? by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Master Chief isn't a 'hip modern' character; he's an archetype. He's the calm, capable, competant non-com who holds his shit together and gets done whatever needs doing.

      In Rome, he'd be a Centurion. In the dark ages, he'd be a paladin. In any modern army, he'd be the career sargent major, or in the navy, obviously, a master chief.

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
  4. Well, it's cool anyway..... by IM6100 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ....for jive-ass 'cool' culture to be seen for what it is.

    Young people have a need to rebel against something. The important thing is to get through the damn-fool years without taking it too far.

    Commercial games that latch on and make 'cool' seem not so cool help nudge people into a reaility. It helps keep people from going too far. Though sometimes the feeling that they way you've been acting is jive-ass nonsense can drive people further.

    It's all fun, kids. Have yours, but try not to permanently damage the tissue.

    --
    A Good Intro to NetBS
  5. The cleverness isn't the Master Chief.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    it's the marines he fights with. They have a fairly large and amusing script. From the hushed, "It's a Mark V" down to their pithy one-liners when you, or they, kill vacuume sucking alien bastards. For the most part they do a good job, as opposed to getting in the way as is the norm for their ilk. They help set the tone, and string the narrative between cut scenes. The simple play control leading to a rich varied play experience with a setting so completely drawn it's frequently mistaken for characterisation makes for a good game. More developers should stumble on to such wisdom.

  6. Characters don't make the games, but... by bersl2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Characters don't make the games, but they certainly can make money. Not only are good characters a boon for fanboys, but if the mainstream really likes the character, there are marketing opportunities. For instance, take venerable Sonic the Hedgehog. There have been five cartoons, three comic book series, and countless products other than the video games. Result: lots of dollars (and especially yen).

    Relevant article

  7. Re:Viewtiful Joe? by CashCarSTAR · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Exactly. Joe is supposed to be anything but hip. A complete and total dweeb. A guy who would rather watch an old cult movie than make out with his GF. A guy who references EVERYTHING in old movie cliches.

    That said, he has more personality than a whole lot of more fleshed out characters.

    Actually, most of the characters in that game were very well done. Sylvia may be the best DiD (Damsel in distress) ever. As well, Alistor is just cool. I really hope they come out with a sequel, just longer this time with more direct movie parodies, more moves and more playable characters (With bigger differences between them)

    Viewtiful Joe and Sylivia:The Return of Alistor.

    Wishful thinking:p

  8. Hunh? by borg1238 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But there are plenty of other games to pick on here with Ratchet & Clank getting a similar "darker" makeover in its sequel.

    Am I missing something here? What in Rachet & Clank was "dark?" It seemed like the same tone as the previous game.

    Of course most of these games are now story driven with plenty of cutscenes and dialogue that most gamers could care less about. How do I know they don't care? Most folks still claim they skip the cutscenes on a regular basis whether they're good or not.

    Most folks? Who are these folks? I never skip cutscenes (unless they are just really poorly done). Some of them are almost movie quality (the animation in Jak and Daxter is amazing). I think of them as a reward for making progress in the game. Plus they usually only last about minute. I think I can control the ADD for that long.

  9. I'm not sure I get it... by mabinogi · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So basically...it can't be a Good Game if it's designed to appeal to the audience it's being made for?.

    The only Good Game is one that no one else wants to play, because then you can feel like a Real Gamer?

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