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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.

3 of 59 comments (clear)

  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. 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).