Re-invention
What do you think of when someone mentions to you that they are going to 're-invent character X'? What is the first thing that pops into your head? Some people might say, "Yeah, he was a bit tired," or they might say, "He wasn't all that relevant any more." I say, "You want a new game, but you're too scared to come up with a new character." Re-invention is a product of publishers wanting to do a new title, but without actually making it seem new by using an older established character. Thus technically it is a sequel, but it is not actually following up on anything in the prior several releases of the game.
I have been involved in a couple of re-inventions recently; actually I'm in the middle of one right now, and I have to say that it feels like a cop-out. Let's take an old well-established character, strip him of everything that made him feel alive, and dump him in a new world with a whole different cast of characters. Actually, no, that's not enough. Let's start the whole story again by going back to his birth. It's not just re-invention, it's re-birth too. It's like saying to the writers of the previous several titles, "Your story sucks. We can do it better."
Re-invention is a publisher creation just like the vertical slice. Let's make your schedule even more gruesome by making you finish two or three levels to a polished state somewhere towards the beginning of the project. You cannot be serious. With the current state of the games industry, the design is not even nailed down at that point. How can you expect us to produce three 100% finished levels at this early stage of the project? You know you will just ask us for changes later on, so why do you grind us into the ground to complete work that you will want changed? Ok, so you promised there would be no more changes. What's this? An email asking if we could perhaps do blah a little different? So much for the promises.
I have been involved in a couple of re-inventions recently; actually I'm in the middle of one right now, and I have to say that it feels like a cop-out. Let's take an old well-established character, strip him of everything that made him feel alive, and dump him in a new world with a whole different cast of characters. Actually, no, that's not enough. Let's start the whole story again by going back to his birth. It's not just re-invention, it's re-birth too. It's like saying to the writers of the previous several titles, "Your story sucks. We can do it better."
Re-invention is a publisher creation just like the vertical slice. Let's make your schedule even more gruesome by making you finish two or three levels to a polished state somewhere towards the beginning of the project. You cannot be serious. With the current state of the games industry, the design is not even nailed down at that point. How can you expect us to produce three 100% finished levels at this early stage of the project? You know you will just ask us for changes later on, so why do you grind us into the ground to complete work that you will want changed? Ok, so you promised there would be no more changes. What's this? An email asking if we could perhaps do blah a little different? So much for the promises.
posted by Steve at 8:33 pm
3 Comments:
I found a site wher I can make money by stabbing myself in the throat repeatedly, and then video taping it for the hedonistic pleasures of the Yakuza.
Oh wait, that's just regular game develoment. Never mind.
But but but! Redesigning a character lets you bring the series to a NEW AUDIENCE! You know, the people who didn't like the previous games (and will surely give this game an open minded look!)...or the mainstream gamers (you know, those people who don't actually buy games!)...yay new audience!!!
But if people didn't like the previous titles in the series, then what is going to make them like a new game with a character they probably didn't like before?
Dang! Missed the sarcasm.
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