Game Brain: don’t believe the hype

Brian Diefenbach
Western Herald

In the eyes of many, there are video game developers that can do no wrong.

Entertainment is a fickle business and all the shifting demands and quick judgments must be especially hard on video game developers. They have yet to reach the level of bloated fat cattery that is Hollywood, but they’re getting close.

That’s why it’s surprising how rabid fans of certain developers and video game franchises can be. Even Detroit Lions’ fans will admit when the team sucks, but video game fanboys (pardon the sexism of the term, ladies) just don’t seem to get it.

Take for instance the popularity of the “Halo” franchise. Now, there’s nothing wrong with being passionate about a franchise in spite of its faults (I am a lifelong “Star Wars” fan, I should know). But putting them on a pedestal of untouchable awesomeness is uncalled for.

Granted, “Halo: Combat Evolved” was an intriguing, fun game. The sequels were less so, but still rate as decent games. These days, having a mediocre-to-good game with a big-name publisher pretty much guarantees a sequel. But the profit and units sold on the “Halo” sequels was meteoric, with “Halo 3” sales topping $300 million in its first week. Why?

Maybe people like more of the same. Keep the original fans happy and paying and you’ll be successful — right? Well, gamers got heaping seconds, thirds, and fourths of sameness from “Halo” and loved it, so it must work some of the time.

There’s a fifth “Halo,” “Halo 3: ODST,” out now, and a sixth in the works. The developers of “Halo” have long complained about being stuck working on the same old games all these years, but the big green monster called money chases away those thoughts quickly, it seems.

Maybe sameness isn’t everything, though. Keep the name, but radically screw up the quality — like “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Wasted Theater Tickets.” A future “Halo” game could feature a big pink bunny saving the galaxy from greenhouse gasses, and people would still buy it if the word “Halo” was in the title.

Think of the reviews for “Halo 3: ODST.” Web sites and magazines may rate it lower than “Halo 3” and have a few minor complaints, but would they tell us if it was complete garbage? There’s a lot of money from sponsors and advertising for the reviewers. If you piss off the fanboys, they won’t go to your site or buy your magazine.

I exaggerate a little, but backlash from fans is a very real issue. There are some developers, like Valve Corp., that take criticism to heart and use it to improve their product. Other developers and publishers don’t care. As long as the money keeps rolling in, the fanboys can piss and moan all they want.

As much as I love Valve games (“Half-Life,” “Left 4 Dead,” etc.), they aren’t perfect either. There are morons who constantly hound them over every perceived slight. Conversely, there are the apologists who claim that every Valve game will be perfect because they haven’t screwed up yet. Not only are both ideologies a waste of time, they’re more often than not, wrong.

The truth is hidden in that annoying little gray area. When Valve screws up, like reneging on their promise of “episodic content,” they find an excuse and dangle a shiny new project in fanboy’s face. But it’s a rough gig, the video game business. You gotta cut developers a little slack now and then.

A consumer’s most powerful weapon is his or her money. If you’re tired of a company’s same-old, same-old, don’t buy it anymore. Video games are made and distributed for the money, not the adulation of fans. Just look at old Hideo Kojima and his prostituted “Metal Gear” franchise. Kojima announces his retirement from the franchise, then suddenly involves himself again. Is he a control freak? Does he really love the fans? My money’s on the money.

I’m supposed to “ooh” and “ah” when Kojima brings “Metal Gear Solid: Androgynous Cyborg Ninja” to the Xbox 360. I’m supposed to be stoked for the multiplayer in “Halo 3: ODST.” But their mind tricks don’t work on me. Speaking of which, I’m a big critic of recent “Star Wars” games, even though I’m a huge fan.

I am the most difficult kind of consumer — one that actually makes rational decisions about what I purchase. Sure, it’s only entertainment, but I only have so much money to spend on it.

It’s not paranoia; they really are out to take your money. But if you keep your eyes open and do a little digging past the bluster and hype, you’ll be happier with your video games. Isn’t that what it’s all about anyway?

Brian Diefenbach, a copy editor and columnist for the Western Herald, is a senior majoring in imaging. For more Game Brain, visit gamebrainonline.blogspot.com.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=8992

Posted by heraldstaff on Sep 30 2009. Filed under Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

http://HeraldStaff