Topic: The smartest person on the Internet

[KDR_11k]

I suppose they just ignore the fact that you can't play online with a rented version since you don't buy it and don't try to play it for very long.

Not terribly sure Walmart is helpful, the games departments I've seen in stores like that were downright pitiful.

Then again there were country sales charts posted in the wii sales thread and they had a PC game as the top two spots (limited edition and regular) here...

[BeautifulShy]

http://Http://seanmalstrom.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/dont-worry-about-the-birdmen/

[KDR_11k]

I find it interesting that he identifies Conduit as a useful title when it's designed for good graphics mostly. That Mad World is a niche title is pretty damn obvious.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

But Conduit, at heart, is still the obligatory alien FPS game that has a home on every platform.

[KDR_11k]

Within the old values but what about the new values?

[SixthAngel]

Within the old values but what about the new values?

It uses the new values, Wii controls, completely for its aiming and shooting.  It clearly isn't designed mostly for good graphics because it is on the Wii.  If it was designed for good graphics it would be on the 360, PS3 or pc.  I do agree that in interviews they talk about graphics a lot, sometimes I think too much, but then I realize who they are talking to.  The websites with the interviews care about that and those are the questions they ask and what they and their readers want to hear.  An actual marketing campaign will be very differnt.  Having good graphics on the Wii doesn't put it in a new category.  They always mention the all seeing eye as being this new cool attention grabber but have they shown it yet?

I do find it strange how he talks about Conduit fitting in with the new way but not Madworld because of violence.  While I think Madworld will probably not be a hit it isn't really much less violent then a game about shooting everything and everyone although it will probably have more blood.  I suppose shooting tons of people has always been a bit more acceptable then killing people in other ways.

[KDR_11k]

I don't think the new values consist only of Wii controls.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Back to the original point, Conduit useful for simply performing a job that isn't serviced in the Wii release schedule (current and recent memory), to provide a new FPS game (neglected genre per Wii) for an existing/core market.  New values are concerned with pulling in customers from outside the old core.  And if Conduit proves to be an effective FPS, it has the potential to bridge the old core with the new values elsewhere in the Wii library.

Designing the game for "good graphics mostly" (that is hardly the case; but talking up graphics is an obvious tactic when you are, at first, marketing the game to the gaming media) doesn't perform a job, but its FPS nature does.

[KDR_11k]

From the new post:

When I saw a picture of Dyack and him going on and on about Norse mythology, I said to myself, “How did he wander into this industry? He is supposed to be the typical failing writer!�

That part made me laugh. It applies in more ways than the post even mentions, Dyack seems to love writing stories but the game is an afterthought, as if the game was showing a great movie and suddently interrupted, saying "Oh, hey, you there in front of the TV! We almost forgot about you, here's your assignment to be handed in until 3pm: Kill 12 zombies, 3 robots and 1 boss. Come back once you're finished."

I think the whole talk about pruning the parts you like for the customer made me develop a theory why Miyamoto is so brilliant: He is not a gamer. In order to think like a normal person he doesn't have to make assumptions, studies or anything, he just looks at himself (didn't he say he also shows his ideas to his wife for approval?). That's probably the biggest difficulty other game designers have, they don't know what the average person wants, they can only guess. They write up a design without knowing if the customer wants it, then the requirements clash and in the end they either realize they made the wrong game or they think that's a good thing they did.

[Nick DiMola]

Not only is Miyamoto not particularly a gamer, but he is willing to throw out EVERYTHING if he sees that people aren't having fun when playing his games. Most people take that personally (like Dyack) and start insulting the detractors rather than making an effort to look at and fix what most people think is wrong.

[BeautifulShy]

http://seanmalstrom.wordpress.com/2008/08/22/nintendo-says-pachter-is-wrong-about-the-wii/

[KDR_11k]

Most gamers appears willing to trust ten random people at a game forum over the ten most ‘acclaimed’ and ‘professional’ game reviewers. This should be seen as a warning sign to the established business.

win.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Most gamers appears willing to trust ten random people at a game forum over the ten most ‘acclaimed’ and ‘professional’ game reviewers. This should be seen as a warning sign to the established business.

win.

Well KDR the difference between the opinion of a random forum person and a acclaimed and professional game reviewer is that the pro game reviewer can be paid off or have some parts cut off from their review because of how much advertising money the website received from said company. When 1up reviewed Assassin's Creed there was a few things that Ubisoft didn't like about the review so 1up doesn't get anything from Ubisoft anymore.

[KDR_11k]

That's what the article is about, that noone really trusts the professional reviewers anymore. What's the point of paying people to write long reviews when any random idiot on a forum can say he liked or hated a game and more people heed that than a review?

[KDR_11k]

Hm, the latest post has an interview with Tose where he says there's a contradiction in the two statements. If you read them the spokesperson says it's a bad situation for PUBLISHERS. Tose isn't one of those and it's very well possible that they get more contracts despite publishers falling behind since they'd likely hire Tose to make those "crummy games for non-gamers" as a desperation move. Even if Nintendo beats everyone there's still money for Tose to be made as they aren't competing for the same thing as the publishers (they want contracts, not sales). Tose is also a good hire for a company looking to cash in on the gaming success despite not having a game division of their own...

I can't find Malstrom's email address though...

[Deguello]

I have it, KDR.

It's seanmalstrom@yahoo.com.

[KDR_11k]

Er, do you think he wanted you to type it out like that? I know my email address got leaked to spammers by a forum post.

EDIT: Oh, I notice he said it's good for more companies than just Nintendo. It might still be problematic for Tose despite the current increase as it could be a sign of the death struggle of the publishers as they desperately attempt to cash in on Nintendo's market. I.e. the numbers are going up now but might go down later.

[Deguello]

Well if that happens I apologize.

[BeautifulShy]

http://Http://seanmalstrom.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/hardcore-are-re-writing-the-script/

[bustin98]

What I don't agree with in that last post is he says everytime Nintendo does what the hardcore wants, they lose.

The problem is, Nintendo only goes so far to please the hardcore. No voice acting. No headsets. Minimal update to graphics. Minimal online support. The bare necessities without production value.

So, in reality, Nintendo has never answered the call of the hardcore. They just hear some whining and throw a bone.

I'm not complaining about the games I play from Nintendo. I'm just saying I disagree with the assessment.

[KDR_11k]

I don't think anyone really requires voice acting, headsets, graphics or online to buy a game like Mario or Zelda. The people who buy these games buy them regardless of such secondary features and as such I doubt these affected the sales numbers much. You can expect the final sales numbers to be pretty much representative of what that "demographic" will pay for.

Of course they won't throw a $10 million bone at you, advanced graphics and such cost money. A LOT of money. Adding them wouldn't increase the sales enough to cover the increased costs.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Mario (Galaxy) and Zelda (TP) aren't the industry shakers/hardware sales pushers they used to be (compared to a true "murdering appliance" like Wii Sports), I think is what Malstrodamus is trying to say but did not spell out.

[UltimatePartyBear]

If he's the smartest person on the Internet, how come he uses the word "literally" wrong?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

You can only expect so much from the internet.

[KDR_11k]

Aren't true killer apps always something that hasn't existed like this before? When I think of killer apps in the past I always think of games that were new and innovative in some way. Has a straight sequel (as opposed to a completely different sequel like Mario 64, Zelda OOT, FF7 and GTA3*) ever acted as a killer app?

*=The top-down games played different from GTA3.