Slashdot Mirror
On Videogame Characters And The Poochy Effect
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.
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
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.
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?
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.