Playing Mogul In The Games Industry

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Playing Mogul In The Games Industry

Posted by simoniker on Saturday December 20, 2003 @01:51AM from the armadillo-thumbing-a-lift dept.

incognitius writes "As sometimes happens, a mainstream publication (the New York Times Magazine, free reg. required) has a feature article on videogames written by a non-gamer. The piece, called 'Playing Mogul', discusses how and why video games conquered music, TV and the movies to become America's pop culture of choice. The article offers some interesting insights into the future of the industry, though it's pretty incompetent in places. It also gives one a good idea for what Atari is doing these days. Worth a read, especially to see what millions of non-gamers will read next Sunday morning." Particularly notable is Atari boss Bruno Bonnell's turning down of a game featuring "a major hip-hop artist" which it's claimed "would net Atari many millions of dollars" because it "lacks an ethical dimension."

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No registration with print layout by br0ck · 2003-12-20 02:48 · Score: 5, Informative

Go here and click the 'If the URL is valid, try visiting' link.
Judgement by Anonymous Coward · 2003-12-20 02:50 · Score: 3, Funny

Particularly notable is Atari boss Bruno Bonnell's turning down of a game featuring "a major hip-hop artist" which it's claimed "would net Atari many millions of dollars" because it "lacks an ethical dimension."

Good call. The last thing we needed to see released in 1992 was a dancing game called 'Ice Ice Revolution'.
Hummm by saden1 · 2003-12-20 02:58 · Score: 2, Funny

I want a sequal to ShaqFu.

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So by metamatic · 2003-12-20 03:35 · Score: 3, Funny

I guess now we know that the next Rockstar game will feature a major hip-hop artist...

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1. Re:So by mrseigen · 2003-12-20 05:29 · Score: 1
  
  Only if Infogrames isn't done ruining the name of one of the game industry's pioneers. Take this man at face value -- he's obviously here to make money.
violence in video games by zors · 2003-12-20 04:12 · Score: 5, Insightful

One of the things people forget alot, when theyre talking about videogames with god p.o.v. or any game where you get to choose how violent to be or how good or evil, is that the choice belongs to the player, its not forced on them by the game. For example, in a game like Black and White, you can choose to be a good god, or a bad one. Or in KOTOR you can choose to be light side or dark side. What these games really do is show what people like to do in a situation without consequences, whether you may be preternaturally good, or evil. granted its not a perfect microcosm of life, but there is something here. Maybe the game isn't whats fucked up, its us. This actaully reminded me of when my brother tryed playing postal 2, and he was disgusted when he tasered a cop so much that she urinated on herself. Well, he didnt HAVE to do it that much, if he really hadnt wanted to.
1. Re:violence in video games by illuminata · 2003-12-20 05:06 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  We're fucked? But that construction worker in GTA 3 called me an asshole! He had to pay!
  
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Mod parent down by t0ny · 2003-12-20 06:20 · Score: 1, Funny

Come on, the guy is talking about "Black & White" and "Postal 2" like they are good games. Ick.
He is tainting KotOR just by mentioning it with those stinkers. Being a Jedi will never be the same again. Thanks, man.

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If you want to know the future of the industry... by Meat+Blaster · 2003-12-20 07:51 · Score: 4, Insightful

You need only look at the competing industries (radio, TV, music, movies) and realize that the mentality of the individuals at the top has a common element: maximize stockholder return. Creativity, once integral to the game industry, today has little or no bearing on the decision of which projects to approve and which to ax -- instead, it's all about repackaging what was hot yesterday and marketing the hell out of it.
In a way, this signals the maturity of the game industry. The others have been doing this for decades, but none to the extent that it's been going on over the last 5-10 years, and the solution for those that are tired of the sameness of what's popular in the game industry is probably the same as that for the other industries: give your patronage to the independent developers, and sweep the bargain bins whenever you can.
reinactment by andy_fish · 2003-12-20 12:25 · Score: 3, Funny

Particularly notable is Atari boss Bruno Bonnell's turning down of a game featuring "a major hip-hop artist" which it's claimed "would net Atari many millions of dollars" because it "lacks an ethical dimension."

MAJOR HIP-HOP ARTIST: Yo, G! I hear you guys do video games and sh*t. I got this mad crazy idea..
BRUNO BONNELL: How did you get my number?
MAJOR HIP-HOP ARTIST: My agent got the hook-up. Listen, man. I was thinking you could have this game, that has me in it, right? Except I'm super powered and I can run around in slow motion like that Matrix sh*t. And the whole time, I'm doing like a rap, right? Like I'm rapping about the sh*t that's happening in the game. And I can fly. And there aren't any bad guys, just a bunch of screaming fans screaming WE LOVE YOU!! and waving their hands and all that. At the end, we could all like get in this big space ship, except it's like powered by my music, and we would take off and fly in to space. I'm telling you man, for real, this sh*t will make millions.
BRUNO BONNELL: Sorry. (click)

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Re:If you want to know the future of the industry. by DerekLyons · 2003-12-20 13:57 · Score: 2, Informative

You need only look at the competing industries (radio, TV, music, movies) and realize that the mentality of the individuals at the top has a common element: maximize stockholder return.
It's not a 'mentality', it's respect for/fear of the SEC. The law *requires* that publically traded corporations maximize stockholder return.
Given that most stockholders have bought stock from other owners, rather than from the company, whether this is a good law is an open question.
Suggestion to mr. Bonnell by Stormwatch · 2003-12-20 17:05 · Score: 1

In case he or someone from Atari/Infogrames is reading this...

Mr. Bonnell: your company, in association with Treasure Inc., has brought Ikaruga to the Gamecube. That was one of the best shoot-em-ups ever. It was nice to know that westerners would have a chance to know this masterpiece. Since thas was a successful partnership, why don't you do it again? Someone should bring its Saturn predecessor, Radiant Silvergun, to the Gamecube as well; I think it would sell at least as well as Ikaruga.

And since I'm just daydreaming anyway, Alien Soldier also could use the 128bit treatment...

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1. Re:Suggestion to mr. Bonnell by DeadScreenSky · 2003-12-21 06:34 · Score: 1
  
  Would have been even nicer if Westerners had got a chance to really know the masterpiece that is Ikaruga. The storyline was ripped out for all of the 'stupid Americans'. Especially tragic seeing as how it is probably the best console game storyline in years, easily.
  
  So Atari can stay far away from Radiant Silvergun. (Which would play exceedingly poorly on the GC controller, besides. Too many button combinations needed. Gotta bring it to one of the other two major consoles, as they have enough buttons to make it work right.)
  
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2. Re:Suggestion to mr. Bonnell by Stormwatch · 2003-12-21 07:08 · Score: 1
  
  That was stupid, I have to agree. The plot was really good for a shmup, indeed. But to say it was the "best console game storyline in years" is a bit too much! There are many games with better stories - Grandia 2, Shenmue, Skies of Arcadia.
  
  Also, it was just a few lines of text. You can read at:
  - http://www.shmups.com/reviews/ikaruga/index.html
  
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3. Re:Suggestion to mr. Bonnell by fondue · 2003-12-22 11:07 · Score: 1
  
  P.S. Thanks for ruining the PAL version of Ikaruga by not including a 60Hz mode, something that has been a de facto standard on Gamecube games since launch. And don't even get me started on Super Monkey Ball 2 and the numerous Sega GBA games you licensed for Western release and then sat on for several months. Stupid Infogrames.
  
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Re:If you want to know the future of the industry. by Meat+Blaster · 2003-12-20 17:37 · Score: 1

Perhaps I should have said that the prevailing mentality in many corporations appears to be to maximize short-term stockholder returns with more casual regard to the long-term viability or growth of the company.
But what I really mean is that they've sussed which formulas sell in today's market and they're content to have cash trickle in on the same idea rehashed a dozen different ways rather than make any great innovation or niche product once in a while.
Re:If you want to know the future of the industry. by DerekLyons · 2003-12-21 06:01 · Score: 1

Perhaps I should have said that the prevailing mentality in many corporations appears to be to maximize short-term stockholder returns with more casual regard to the long-term viability or growth of the company.
That's probably a better way to phrase it, but it's still driven by the laws governing the market, and even more so today by the mentality of the market and stockholders. CEO's that want to keep their jobs have to pay attention to that mentality, and their bottom bottom line. (And whether they make $5.85 an hour or $58.5 million a year, no one wants to lose their job and be seen as a 'failure'.) Back when longer term investments were the norm, rather than day trading, things were a bit different, but as much as you might think.
But what I really mean is that they've sussed which formulas sell in today's market and they're content to have cash trickle in on the same idea rehashed a dozen different ways rather than make any great innovation or niche product once in a while.
Across history, 99% of *all* companies have behaved in just that manner, or something very close to it. The gaming industry really isn't different from any other industry. The real problem with many complaints like yours is most folks don't know history, and don't know industry, and keep assuming that somehow the gaming industry is different. It's not. (No value judgement on the rightness or wrongness of the companies behavior, just facts.) In the real world, the vast majority of folks don't want innovation, but comfort.