A healthy (harsh) assesment of games that are made today

#1 ROFL! That was hilarious, and truthful.

#2 I read that a while ago, when it was posted on slashdot a few hours ago, :P.

Anyway, funny read, but entirely correct, in my opinion.

Robert

#3 LOL! I agree with a lot of that, but man, he insulted Katamari Damacy's art and that was just stupid. I mean, its meant to be weird and I love the art in that game! Also, DOA Volleyball is fun! Of course for obvious reasons...anyway, my cousin is a girl and she plays those games! Still, yes, I feel that we should stop objectifying women in all our games. But sadly, thats not gonna stop me from playing them. And the crate thing. I think thats hilarious! It's exactly what I've done in some of my levels! Haha! Thats a hilarious thing. I agree with the AI facors too. Most of your opponents end up shooting themselves in the foot and may even run around in circles. That's one thing that I like about the new Resident Evil games. Slick AI! Like in Outbreak 2 when the tyrant goes crazy and will start killing you and the monsters! Same with Resident Evil 4. That game rocks!

-Matt

#4 ROFL! That was hilarious, and truthful.

#5 Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe...

#6 This person has obviously never made games. Parts were funny ... and others were annoying, still a good read.

#7 Yeah, seriously. The guy brings up some good points, but acts like a bastard. Also, how he said that Square was bad for using the opening prerendered scene as a preview for FF8. Man, thats not fair. FF8 still looks pretty good in some parts. Also, you've gotta be pretty stupid to not be able to tell obviously prerendered scenes from realtime. I'll admit that its getting harder now, but with Gears of War on the 360, yes its amazing, but you can still tell that it is in realtime. For some of these racing games that we've seen at e3, I have my doubts if that's realtime.

#8 Honestly, in the past I've always known what was pre-rendered and I knew what to expect from the actual games. However, we're getting to the point where it's a different story. What's funny is that NOW of all times people are crying LIE. NOW ... I mean with the previous generation games almost looked as good as CG ... especially the racing games. GT4 and Forza ... look amazing ... just as good as the CG (only with higher framerates) from the original Gran Turismo.

I'm not surprised that these new scenes are run in real time ... I don't think it's a lie and if they don't actually look that good or darn close (mind you gameplay does take processing power) then something's gone horribly wrong because the last generation of games was darn close to CG and it was a huge jump from the generation before that visually ... I for one believe that's what the games should look like or darn close. Heck ... Doom 3 looks like CG ... and it was designed 5 years ago with a GeForce 3 (or Xbox) in mind. Give it up ... the stuff (or a lot of it) is rendered in real time and crying LIE only serves to make you look more naive ... not less as you'd hoped.

I'm not saying that every vid shown at E3 was real time ... but I believe that a lot of them were because that Unreal 3 demo was surely real time and none of the others looked any better.

#9 I'm willing to believe that. Doom 3 did look pretty amazing and I believe that a lot of the stuff is real, but some of it looks like Prerendered CG. And with my previous statement. I was talking about last gen games like FF8 that were obviously prerendered. Now it looks much better, I mean Fight Night (I think thats what its called) looks pretty amazing with the facials. I want to play these games to see if it really is like it looks in E3. Unreal 3 is really interesting and yeah, I'll believe that's definately real just because I saw some of it being played on E3 and it looks pretty crazy. Killzone2 looked pretty amazing, but with it seemed to have a great framerate and moved just a little too smoothly where I have my doubts if that is in realtime. Still, I'll try to believe that killzone demo is in realtime.

#10 Funny and does have points, though I really am getting tired of people pointing out the problems without the solutions... lol not that it refers to this exact case, but you have to get to a point when theres the talkers, complainers, and doers... theres a time for each and the first two has run its course in this case.

Plus some of the points aren't exactly unbaised. Like AI complaints, for one a flying skeleton obviously isn't going to produce a flawless attack strategy, I mean its a flying skull, on fire! Lol, I would think it would see you and attack, in fact other than the overlords and main boss demons in Doom I'd expect each of the enemies to just see and attack style of things.

Another argument they didn't take into consideration is realistic expectations. I mean if you have super smart, awesome, and humbling AI then your going to take a hit on pathfinding, graphics, and ammount of enemies on screen. You just can't get everything and if you come to the table asking developers to improve things then you should do some research and understand the limitations of everything.

Again I think there are some valid points, but I think its time for people like this to shut up and do something, or let those that can/will actually do it get it done *shrug* maybe I'm jaded though.

#11 Man that post-apocalyptic tidbit really got to me, i'm actually thinking of changing my games story line because of it. (not a joke!)

#12 /begin rant

Well, it's nice to see all of my game designs appeal correctly and thoroughly, I just wish I could get them done, even if I had to do without the appealing graphical polish.

I honestly didn't see much to laugh at, these are all very real 'disturbances' found in most (har har har) AAA, big-name titles. These things really are causing games to suck for their intended audiences.

It's not that hard to be creative, which is why those game designers and huge, efficient, productive teams are there, not me, right? I'd hate for me to be there, too. Just what they need, someone actually concerned with developing the game thoroughly, creatively, and innovative enough to keep the game worth playing for a long damn time. Like I'd want to crush their hold on the marketing scheme of things or something...

Speaking of the marketing schemes, although there's a very clear and benificial way to bring in extra bucks for game additions, they've clearly already dove into messing that up! Maybe I should patent that or something, for a good reason!

Gaming heaven is being ruled by money mongrels.

I bitch about it, yes. Am I doing anything about it? Yes, well trying, even though most routes are hopeless no matter how seamless or simple they seem at first. Especially since the 'norm' requires me to have something under my belt - I don't even have the belt yet because it's being held from me like from a brat on a power trip. I'm about to kick him in the junk though...

In any event, I will get where I'm supposed to be, with help or not, I won't give up. Then, maybe, they can write up another post like this one, discriminating the crap all the same, but using my examples as reference to what's being done about it.

/end rant

- Ronixus

#13 And this is years after analysts told developers that women would happily play games if they didn't feel so objectified by them, and several decades past the point where they should have even needed to be told that. Have you guys ever met a woman? Then why don't you try making just a few games that don't play off of a 14 year-old male's idea of womanhood on the apparent hope that he'll play the game one-handed?

THAT is funny! Funny funny funny! It's funny... cause it's true. :)

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahehehehehehehehahahahahah... oh, that was a good laugh again. Whew! I gotta catch my breath!

My wife and I read thru this whole article together... we laughed our asses off! You may think that this article is bullshit or that the guy is just being a dick about it... but I think that it is a very accurate representation of your future customers. Yeah... you are trying to make something that you think is cool and if other people like it too and buy it then that's even cooler. OK. But, and let's whisper this part so that no one overhears the truth... since we really DO care about selling our games... we should listen to the customers complaints... cause sometimes customers know a thing or two about the products they buy and maybe they have some good advice. Or at least the customers complaints are worth listening to so you can make fun of them for being such idiots. Win win.

#14 (EDIT: btw just some healty counter arguments)

I support evaluating something, even evaluating and harsher than this person did. Though I don't think its a fair analysis, I think its very shortsighted. The author doesn't take into consideration technical limitations, money, time, etc. In fact I found no real evaluation of game development, just some very real concerns phrased sarcastically, these concerns have been stated and stated again and again, theres nothing original about the data behind this article, only the tone it takes. If you take such a tone like this that you really know what your talking about and you have a right to critique all these aspects so harshly then I suggest you back it up, with figures, stats, realistic evaluations, comparissons, unbiased evaluations, experience, or something at least. Its easy to say the AI needs to be smarter and less buggy, its much harder to accomplish this, then with a limted team, budget, time, weighing graphics, gameplay, and other factors into the mix of constraints.

Yeah this is a bit of humor (gave me a good laugh honestly) and more repitition of the same points we all should know by now, nothing more to me, I took no real value out of this, nothing I haven't heard or seen 100 other times, and definately no productive or constructive outlook/suggestions to it.

Maybe its just the female in our team, but I think exagerated women are less of an issue. Quite honestly I don't think women want to play an ordinary looking women, you don't see many games with overweight guys, or less than perfect bodies on them. There are some, but for the games that take the same role as the females (actions heroes, like Tomb Raider, etc) the guys are definately over skilled, often very muscular, fit, good looking, etc. But when it comes down to it people play games to escape. Most women who I've met online playing MMORPGS like EQ, EQ2, DAoC, etc, like playing the exagerated character for the same reason guys like playing a secret op, buff warrior, etc. You don't play games to be "ordinary," you play to escape into a world where you are extra-ordinary. At least thats my outlook and what I've seen from women that actually play. Now the women who don't play often criticize it, or even the ones who do play do so when they aren't playing, or when they want to make a point, but in the end it usually comes down to them still wanting to play the good looking character vs an overweight and/or normal looking character.

#15 I think that it is the lack of clothing and the seriously exagerated breasts that are annoying for women. I've been in the GG irc, I've heard the guys talking about how big the tits are on the character they are making and how it looks when they jump. Those were some of the guys in charge of irc talking like that, by the way. So, who are we kidding about this. These women are for men to oggle. And it is pathetic. And it is because they need to grow up. I do think that if men had to play a character with a 16 inch penis sticking thru his pants that... well, while it would be funny at first... it would get annoying. How about an erect penis sticking thru the pants. Shocking! Same thing as erect nipples and women wearing thongs. Come on. Also, I don't think that most female characters in games look the way women wished they looked. I don't think most girls want to look like a stripper. So, it isn't escape. I know many women who while liking the way recent female characters look in games, because of the clothing, they play as male characters to avoid the constant flirting. Aparantly they don't like cat calls. Go figure.

#16 This reminds me of a "Whose line is it anyway?" favorite moment. Ryan Stiles was asked to do a quick sketch that illustrated bad parental advice. He said, "Ohhh, honey, I don't think that's the right job for you. You know that prostitutes make way more than teachers."

#17 To some point I would agree, to some of the more recent games that go too far. Though I would have to disagree in that most of the games out there don't quite go too far, though there are some.

I would agree its the clothing vs the exageration, from what I've heard most women like the fit and attractive bodied females, I doubt most would want to play overweight and unfit characters, especially in action roles.

Though guys don't quite have the same level of exposure, there are plenty of games where guys are exagerated, muscular, their muscles (and yes nipples) show through their shirts, or no shirt, etc.

What gets me is in a game where guys wear armor and the same game the females wear something skimpy (at least with no choice by the user)... though most MMORPGs give you an option these days.

I'm a bit jaded by this topic though, though in games I do think its slanted too much and has room for improvement, I think there is double standard in media, men are often portrayed in the equivilent "scanty" clothing and exagerated position as women in much media, though I do think in the Game industry is is moreso towards women.


EDIT: just wanted to add that I'm against games that sell sex, I think its cheap and takes little creativity and imagination, I respect those that sell a game for its quality vs what it shows.

I'm not trying to argue support for those that sell sex, just argue that its not quite as bad as some people make it out to be and that when given an option of playing an exagerated attractive character vs an overweight and/or normal looking character most would stick with the first (men or women). Just wanted to make sure no one thought I am all for selling sex in games lol.

#18 Matthew "King Tut BoB" Langley - yeah, I agree.

My wife loves to play the hot looking elves in EQ2. She just doesn't like getting comments about her ass all the time when she is trying to play a game. You know, I read the articles that started coming out years ago about how sex sells and how games need to use sex to sell, so, if there is any doubts about why women look the way they do in some games... come on. We all know why. It's to make male players horny. And having a bunch of horny 12 or 50 year old panting after you gets annoying. As for games like the DOA series... just look at the extras to see all the women in soft core porn snapshots. Chicks like to play that game... they laugh at the way the breasts are more animated than most characters in FPS games... but the women I know who play games... after a bit it gets tiresome... really it is like if we guys had to play Sam Fisher wearing a speedo codpiece right out of Batman and Robin... it starts to get in the way of the game. And when game after game after game is like that... they just start to lose interest in games. Personally, I don't think I could play a game with a male character wearing a speedo with a penis like an elaphant trunk for more than a couple of minutes before it got annoying... and if it moved up and down with accurate physics like breasts do... man... it would be a while before I played games again too.

#19 I agree, there are some games that exagerate it just to much, like the DOA games and a few others...

though when I think about it there really aren't -that- many that do, at least in consideration with the ammount of games that don't, or the games that balance it enough. I think the few that do over exagerate it ruin it for the rest, put a bit of a bad taste in people's mouths, so when they play the ones that do exagerate it some (but no more than most players, male or female, would want) they notice it moreso.

In games it is far too unbalanced... what really gets me is when people complain about tv/ movies. Like baywatch for example, the guys in that actually wear less clothing than the women, men are being materialized as much as women, though that part usually gets left out. I guess its put a bad taste in my mouth when talking about the subject, considering how many similar double standards there are (women complain about living up to supermodel standards etc, try living up to Arnold, Vin Diesel, or even the less muscular super agent types that can do the impossible and are perfect in most ways). There is a lot of this leaking over in to gaming, though I think complaints against certain games are more than justified, the DOA games are ridiculous. The games that do the same I don't even consider when evaluating games though, they don't even make it into my consideration as a game, much like the movies that do the same (like showgirls).

EDIT: My girlfriends favorite game character is Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, characters like that I think women enjoy more than they would admit. The attractive body, strong will, etc... though I think games like DOA take it too far and like you said are obviously targeting a male audience.

lol she also likes playing the hot elves in EQ2

#20 Yeah, tell that to my sister. She wont play any game with girls in skimpy outfits. My female cousin on the other hand will. I personally love DOA. It was one of my first PS2 games, I have them all on the Xbox, and yes, I even have some of the figures. Yes, I know it is sort of ridiculous, but hey! It's steered towards guys as said earlier! Yeah, I think most girls love those female characters like Lara Croft more than they'll admit, but I think most girls would play games with girls in bikinies and skimpy outfits more if there was a strong connection to the character. I mean, if girls really felt connected to their characters they wouldnt mind them showing some skin. I think that's one thing with MMOs. Whenever I play one I grow a strong feel for my character. I care if they live or die. I can feel what they're going through. All this is good, but when it comes to me and DOA Beach Volleyball, I don't care about story or connecting to the character!