Square Enix Says Japan Needs a Gaming "Alliance"

[Schnoogs]

Japan has decided to align itself with German and Italian game publishers....

[KingGorilla]

Originally Posted by Schnoogs

Japan has decided to align itself with German and Italian game publishers....

I just read that Crytek is orchestrating a hostile takeover of CD Projekt, something about breathing room.

[mister slim]

Now we know what really happened to Rockstar Vienna. Closing was just a cover-up.

[Variable Gear]

Originally Posted by bean

That's too general a statement. There are western games with incredible art and Eastern games with ridiculously over-the-top art. It's all subjective. I'm the first person to say that I'm really damn tired of brown and grey metallic worlds with big, hulking dudes wearing metal armor, so I disagree with the broad statement, but would absolutely agree with a more detailed critique.

You don't deserve a more detailed critique.

Originally Posted by bean

This doesn't happen enough to be a trend does it? For a trend, you'd need like ten examples right? I can only think of one bad game that has co-op (Army of Two). The other co-op games I can think of easily are all fucking great (Fable 2, GoW, Saint's Row 2, etc.)

There are tons of games that depend on co-op because of the unsatisfying nature of standard gameplay. All of the Lego games instantly spring to mind. The Halo series comes to mind soon after. Not all games with co-op are "fucking great," and not all the games you mentioned have interesting co-op. Fable 2, for example, is diluted by the fact that you can't take your unique character into your friend's world.

I wasn't being completely serious, bean, but I still think it's ridiculous to criticize Japanese developers for their reliance on traditional gameplay concepts, character archetypes, story arcs and genres when Western developers fall into the same repetitive funk.

[Schnoogs]

Somewhere out there French and Chinese developers are shakig in their boots

[bean]

Originally Posted by Variable Gear

I wasn't being completely serious, bean, but I still think it's ridiculous to criticize Japanese developers for their reliance on traditional gameplay concepts, character archetypes, story arcs and genres when Western developers fall into the same repetitive funk.

I didn't criticize them on these things personally, so I agree with the overall statement, and the intent of your satire. I just think it missed the mark a bit in the particulars I mentioned (though obviously we agreed when I pointed out that they both had certain bad traits as your intent was to show the hypocrisy of gamers criticizing Eastern developers for doing the same bad things that some Western developers also do).

About weak co-op, I disagree with your examples. I'm not a fan of the Lego games because they are so simplistic, but that is what makes them so accessible for their intended young and casual audiences. If you stack their gameplay next to that of many of the casual and family-oriented games on the Wii, they are very similar. Of course, I'm a gamer, so I don't like those much either. Still, if someone is playing Mario Kart or Lego Star-Wars, I can have a fun thirty minutes playing with them. I can tell you that if I was tasked with designing a game accessible to young, casual audiences, I would look to these as good examples of how to do it well. That seems to be the Catch 22 for HD consoles. . . they get criticized for not having enough family and casual games but then only Zelda-esque titles like Kameo and Naruto get any love, while party games like Lego Star Wars and Scene It are criticized for being shallow.

Still, I think we are actually seeing a lot of innovation from both the West and the East. I loved the gameplay additions made to Tales of Vesparia and I'm looking forward to The Last Remnant. Plus, Mass Effect, Mirror's Edge, Portal, Dead Space, and EDF 2017 (though only a new IP over here) are all really cool new IPs with interesting gameplay.

Plus, there is nothing wrong with sequels if they freshen up the formula enough to keep us all having fun and being interested. Fable 2, CoD 4, Bioshock, and Tales of Vesparia are awesome improvements on their IP.

[Variable Gear]

Bean, I think that's the best post you've ever written. I agree with you, for the most part.