Randy Pitchford On Challenges Facing Borderlands
Tue, 06/23/2009 - 19:57
VideoGamer.com posted an interview with Gearbox head Randy Pitchford today. It's an interesting Q&A on the state of the gaming industry. Pitchford talks about how difficult it is for a new franchise to compete in a space where hackneyed sequels typically thrive.
There are a lot of sequels out there, and it's hard for the original stuff, the stuff that's taking risks, to break through all that. The Machine really tends to prefer the sequels. Our industry clamours for originality but The Machine works against that, so we’re taking some big risks.
Interesting Randy brings that up now because we were talking about this exact thing yesterday. Borderlands is getting more attention than other upcoming new games, but is falling way behind upcoming sequels like Bioshock 2. (See: How Hyped Is Borderlands? (An Answer With Fun Charts))
Sadly though, isn't this what happens in almost every type of media? The stuff that makes the most money is usually not the most creative book, movie or album. It's the stuff that people heard of before.
I haven't seen Transformers 2 but the reviews have been pretty lousy. Still I bet a ton more people are going to see that crap than Moon, a film that a friend told me is one of the best and freshest sci-fi movies he saw in the past decade.
What do you guys think? Does the video game industry have more sequelitis than other media avenues like film? Or are all types of media going through an innovation drought?
Tue, 06/23/2009 - 21:42
#2
Nope, that makes a lot of
Nope, that makes a lot of sense JWB2894. I think there's so many games released any given month, people's natural reaction is to dismiss a new game they haven't heard of before. If they didn't, they would be overwhelmed with all the new titles.
So to convert somebody, like you pointed out, is trying to make friends with somebody new. You have to win them over a bit.
Tue, 06/23/2009 - 22:38
#3
Makes sense.
Makes sense.
Wed, 06/24/2009 - 21:08
#4
Advertise more
yah if they really want to make borderlands sell then need to invest some in advertising the game cause as soon as people hear about it they will love it. I found Borderlands when i was look ing through an old OXM disc and it looked sweet so i started looking it up online.
Thu, 06/25/2009 - 01:15
#5
I like jwb's "friend" metaphor.
I does make sence. And to answer BG's original question. Yes. All media are going through it. For example some movie series that used to be good are going through their upteenth sequel. Seriously.
Wed, 08/05/2009 - 17:17
#6
Nice metaphor
That friend metaphor makes perfect sense, and it's very true. I think that the number of guns is the games best feature to reel people in, and then the details will really capture them. Once advertising really starts, reviews come out, etc. I think Borderlands will really take off for sure. The only thing I can see turning peopel away is the graphics. Not that I have anything personal against them, it's just that not everyone is going to like the semi-cel-shaded graphical style.
Thu, 08/06/2009 - 02:59
#7
There are a lot of sequels
There are a lot of sequels out there, and it's hard for the original stuff, the stuff that's taking risks, to break through all that. The Machine really tends to prefer the sequels. Our industry clamours for originality but The Machine works against that, so we’re taking some big risks.
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ive pretty much known this for a long while, but it still bums me out, especially coming from people like randy. its really cool that he gave his art team a chance to do their own thing. seems like GB is one of the few remaining companies that makes games with the intent of making something fun.
i just graduated, and the thing that i fear the most, is ending up at some company that just cranks out mediocre games, or sequals, where the 'art' takes a back seat in the production process. ill take what i can get, but i just hate the idea of working on crappy games, that i would never want to actually play. or one of these games that just gets rushed through production, with all the 'creative' decisions coming from the corporate office, instead of the actual artistic people.
it kind of sucks though, that the only real creativity and innovation in gaming seems to be coming purely from graphics. the only leaps they seem to have been able to make, gameplay wise, is to just combine two or more genre of games together. ie fps/rpg, rpg/rts, etc.
we just need that new tech leap, with some new kind of interface i guess.
Thu, 08/06/2009 - 03:57
#8
@Side_Show
Some info for you:
I myself actually fear kinda the same thing, which is why my college degree isn't anything related to game development. I currently am an Information Technology major, and taking quite a few programming classes on the side. =)
What I will say, I have a notepad laying around riddled with idea's I havn't seen and a lot of stuff I want to see/play myself. If I can ever settle into a programming language and work up a team I'd love to.
Now heres the answer to your problem: DO NOT go into big corporations. They're the ones who can't afford it.
If you want something kinda innovative, check out a game called World of Goo, by 2Dboy.
It's an indie game, off of an old puzzle game genre, built with an amazingly rich atmosphere, feeling, story, of Dr.Seussian like absurdity. It's an amazing work of art.
Interesting bit about 2Dboy? The company is made up of two guys who pretty much developed the entire game on their laptops at whatever coffee shop they liked with free wifi.
There's another game...I can't remember quite what it's called, but I found out about it thruogh STEAM, and it's another Indie game. This one I believe was called Blueberry? or Blueberry Garden?
The gameplay was...very innovative. I'm not quite sure how to explain it. There is a free demo on STEAM if you're interested (STEAM being a free game-client downloading program if you're not familiar with it)
Then there is Braid, another great indie title, albeit the main dev is a rich guy who could poor money into it. It took the old platformer style, like Mario, and added a puzzle aspect to it: Different mechanics of time manipulation used to get through levels, and layered over that a very rich and very intriguing storyline. Really has some depth, and I'd recommend the living crap out of it to those who can stand platformers (I'm awful at them, but found it enjoyable, albeit frusterating)
Aside from that, There are a LOT of different flash games out there, with just absurd game concepts and sheer innovation that'll melt your face off =P
jmtb02 is a fairly famous online flash developer, who's hit a LOT of acclaim on he's wacky games he's made.
http://jmtb02.com/
Skim down the "Latest Projects" bar on the left and check some of them out.
The point I'm making with all of this is, There IS innovation out there, and it CAN be profitable. Problem is, You're not mainsteram in these avenues. Indie-games and Flash games is kinda the way you have to go to have such innovation.
There is hope out there. Just not in the machine that mainstream goes.
Scribble down any ideas you get or things you want to see in games! Maybe you'll end up making a game from scratch with your friend some time. =)
Thu, 08/06/2009 - 06:45
#9
That is why I really like
That is why I really like user made mods for games, as they can have some real flare and innovation, which can lead to be profitable. Some of my favourite gaming experiences have been from user made mods, mainly on the Half Life engine.
I can understand why the big companies aren't going to risk money on something new which may not work when they have working formulas for games they know will sell, it's business sense and after all, they are a business. Part of me feels that some gamers these days are at fault as well, as they don't want to move away from what thy know and like, and don't embrace innovation and change when it arrives, but rather descemate it and pick it apart looking for every little fault. Of course, this is not every gamer out there, but I am seeing more of it though, which really annoys me, as instead of looking at the game for what it has achieved, they only look at what it hadn't done.
Assassins Creed comes to mind for me. It was the start of a new game franchines/series, and it didn't near enough everything it said it would. The free running was smooth, the setting and environments were really well made and the combat worked how they said it would. Of course there were flaws, but a lot of people only looked at those, which was a shame. Luckily it was coming from a company that could afford to make the sequel which could ammend such flaws, which is more than can be said about other series and companies (Too Human maybe?).
Thu, 08/06/2009 - 06:48
#10
Shirowshadow isnt there a
Shirowshadow isnt there a Braid 2 coming out soon.
I hate to say it but borderlands hasn't really put it's self out there yet i first found borderlands by mistake searching for gameplay of some other game on e3 2008. i meant to click something else but when i saw the game i decided to watch and really liked what i saw and begin researching it. but wht i am saying is i haven't seen trailers for it any where else but dedicated gaming sites and fan sites, i remember the first time i told my friend, all my friends really they have no clue what it is and most of them got turned off by the way the game sounds (until i mentioned 1,000,000 guns) but now i tell them aout the co-op and other awesome features this game is gonna have and the are like no way, dude!?!!!! what i am trying to sayt is release borderlands like you are tryingto make friends with somebody new (to a degree) find equal ground with them, tell them about yourself, learn their name, give yours, begin to trust them, invite them over to hang-out, let simmer for the rest of your life.
Disclaimer:
i will love borderlands forever i meant no harm
hope my metaphors made sense.