I want to be a Game Designer
I'm Boricua!

• 2Dec 10

  Thoughts on Game Development and its management

  Just a few minutes ago I read the latest news about an interview with the guys who made Super Meat Boy. They talked about how they made their game without following directions from experts in the business, and still how they're proud of themselves for making a good game, excited that the sales have been awesome and the reviews even better, and basically how they're just about laughing in the faces of the "experts" in the business.

  My thoughts follow their trail. I've been a gamer ever since I played Super Mario Bros. 3 for the original NES when I was three years old, and through the years I've played loads of games. I believe that the average quality of games has dropped to insanely low levels. New games are released every other game; yet, how many of those games are actually good games? My thoughts are that it's not about creating a game, meeting a deadline, finishing a game, and finally smiling because your pocket's full.

  My thoughts are that developers have come to think of Game Develpment as a business and not as a passion. To be honest, I would love to, one day, become a Game Designer just like the guys from Team Meat. Having a small team instead of hundreds, having to meet no standards for HOW the game should be, and having to please no boss on what the company wants the game to be like. My thoughts are that when a game is in development, the ONLY feedback that SHOULD be considered is the feedback that comes from the players, not the experts in the business, because that is the only thing they'll be thinking about: business, how to sell more, how to make more money, how to divide the game into DLC and expensive add-ons, how to limit the contents on the game so that the players will NEED the DLC to actually enjoy what the game was meant to be like... stuff like that.

  My thoughts are that the industry has become corrupt. That's fine, really, because the industry has become rich and has grown over the years, and with the money comes the lust for more money. The only problem is that gamers are not getting what we used to get; a decade ago, replay value was great, having to buy extra content wasn't necessary, playing with your friends was free, but more importantly: GAMES WERE GREAT! That's essentially WHY the VC on the Wii has had so much success: because of it's library of great games from the past. That's essentially why I don't just look at a trailer to consider a game, I also look at Gameplay videos and read the Hands-on previews to actually KNOW how the game goes on (either that or rent the game lol). Becaue nowadays, visuals are great on most games; but the content within the game, gameplay itself is not fun.

  Anyways, those are my thoughts: People in the industry have become corrupt (obviously, there are exceptions), and the industry itself has become viced with visuals, not gameplay (again, there are exceptions; there are still great games coming out every few months). You are welcome to comment if you disagree

  • Posted Dec 2, 2010 5:58 am GMT
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