Face the wall and kiss your ass goodbye, its EpicBattleCry On-Tap! With DK out-of-town for a couple weeks on official awesome-duty, Brent, Tony, and Lorin pull up a chair to discuss the onslaught of gaming news that has descended upon us this week. Is EA shifting gears on the Online Pass? Is THQ in...]]>

Face the wall and kiss your ass goodbye, its EpicBattleCry On-Tap! With DK out-of-town for a couple weeks on official awesome-duty, Brent, Tony, and Lorin pull up a chair to discuss the onslaught of gaming news that has descended upon us this week. Is EA shifting gears on the Online Pass? Is THQ in real financial trouble? Does the Skyrim Creation Kit own your unworthy ass? There’s only one way to find out, grab a stein and pour a round, its EpicBattleCry On-Tap!

-Download-

On this week’s episode of EpicBatleCry, the hosts talked quite a bit about game delays. As you know this is a favorite topic of mine and, therefore, you might be expecting me to write about it this week. Well, I will not. Although – I will say that I still...]]>
By Lorin Baumgarten

On this week’s episode of EpicBatleCry, the hosts talked quite a bit about game delays. As you know this is a favorite topic of mine and, therefore, you might be expecting me to write about it this week. Well, I will not. Although – I will say that I still can’t figure out why an industry that makes more money than the music industry and is creeping up on film still cannot seem to manage what the other two forms of entertainment mastered long ago: schedules. I mean, didn’t we all learn about schedules and managing expectations and fulfilling commitments in some intro class in high school? I mean seriously, gaming industry, get your sh*# together when it comes to…wait a minute, wait a minute. I said that I am not going to write about this topic this week, didn’t I?. Sorry. I got a little caught up there. What I dowant to discuss this week is a topic DK brought up on the show in the context of Mass Effect 2, but is an even more interesting question when extrapolated out to the industry in general. That question is: are games being dumbed down and/or diluted in order to appeal to the masses and , if so, are they losing quality and merit because of it?

So when Mr. Daniel Kayser brought this topic up on EBC, he got a bit of flack from a few people. The thoughts I saw expressed, thought they were not the majority, were simply that DK was just upset that Mass Effect 2 was going to appear on the PS3 early next year. Though I do not speak for him, I think that I managed to ascertain from what he said on the show (you know, the part where he said he was glad the game would be released for the PS3?) that he was, in point of fact, glad that the game would be released on the PS3. I think the point he was trying to make by bringing it up was one of whether or not diluting the production team by having them build the game for another platform would hurt the game’s content in the long run, as the same number of people would be forced to do more work. I think that point got a bit twisted up during the course of the conversation with another assertion, brought up by one Brent “ThunderSmash” Adams.

Brent’s suggested that if one was concerned about franchise or property dilution, perhaps one should look to the Dragon Age example. A good point, indeed. BioWare has said, in no uncertain terms, That Dragon Age 2 would play more like Mass Effect 2 and less like a traditional RPG. They have also stated that they are doing this to make the game more accessible to a wider audience. So when you put those two things together, expanding platforms for ME2 and changing the gameplay of Dragon Age 2, it does beg the question as to whether or not BioWare is trying so hard to widen its audience that it is doing so at the expense of game quality. Which in turn leads to the question: is this happening throughout the gaming industry?

Let’s start with BioWare specifically. The answer is no. At least, so far as we know. There is no reason, from what we have seen in BioWare’s past, to think that they will give us anything other than a top-quality product. Until they give a reason to believe otherwise, specifically by putting out a poor quality game, BioWare deserves the benefit of the doubt as much as any game company out there. Personally I thought that their decision to curb the RPG elements of Mass Effect and focus on enhancing the shooting aspects for Mass Effect 2 to be a very solid one. As a matter of fact, I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who thinks the original Mass Effect is a better game than the sequel. Well, aside from Brent. As for Dragon Age? I have enjoyed the six or so hours I have played of it so far. However, I am really looking forward to playing Dragon Age 2 with it’s new feel. Not being one of those people who comes from an old-school RPG background, I am much more excited to play the game in its new format than I would have been to stick with the previous one (I played it on the PC, by the way). Of course, I could be wrong. It could hurt the game. But as I said earlier, until I see that game, I will give BioWare the benefit of the doubt.

Enough about BioWare though. What a bout the gaming industry as a whole? Peter Molyneux has said, on many occasions, that Fable III is being tweaked to become less of an RPG and more of an adventure game in order to make it more accessible to a broader fan base. So, is the industry intentionally diluting game content? Are they making it easier or more low-brow in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience? Before I answer that question, I feel a need to remind you (and myself) of something. Video games are a business. Not only are video games a business, they are BIG BUSINESS! Hundreds of millions of dollars can be made by one game alone and billions of dollars changes hands each year in the gaming industry. And, fundamentally, it is the job of the CEO’s of publishing companies to make more money. And, as you might suspect, one of the primary ways you can make more money, in business, is to get more people to buy your product. That being said, we would all like to think of the developers as people whose job it is to be creative and come up with rich and rewarding games for us to play. That is true – that is one part of their jobs. But it is also part of their job to create games that will sell. Their games must sell. In order to obtain the funding necessary to pay a staff to create a game, frequently to the tune of millions of dollars, companies must sell games. So I want to be clear that it is my opinion that trying to appeal to a larger audience is never something for which a design or publishing company should ever have to apologize. It is the nature of business and, frankly, the more people that play games the better it is for all of us. The more consoles in homes, the more money games make, the more people who associate themselves with games – these things all serve to bring more attention and money into the industry which will, in turn, mean more games.

But the question still remains as to whether or not quality is suffering because of this need to expand the gaming audience. I say no – it is not. How can I say that so quickly? Well, with games like Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, Alan Wake, Red Dead Redemption, Borderlands, Assassin’s Creed 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Little Big Planet, and Batman: Arkham Asylum sitting on my shelf (just to name a few), it’s hard to complain that games these days lack quality and depth. Sure, it is possible that some games or franchises are getting watered down, but I would say that those are the exception and not the rule.

Gaming has been growing steadily for years now and looks to continue to do so. Growth is good for gaming. It is good for developers, publishers and gamers alike. Making a game “more accessible” does not inherently mean making it “less”. As a matter of fact, it means making it more. It means that developers are really looking hard at gameplay and streamlining it to the best of their abilities. Mass Effect 2 is a brilliant game and Fable III looks to be fantastic. So let’s not put the cart before the horse and worry about something that hasn’t happened yet. Enjoy the incredible games we have been getting over the last two years and that we will be getting over the next one. And if game companies are putting out games that can bring your non-gamer friends into the fold, then thank them, don’t revile them. Not all games will be perfect. But trying to widen the gaming audience is not a crime. So don’t worry.

Of course, if Dragon Age 2 sucks, we are storming BioWare!

I am back from my short-lived vacation and I am ready to grumble. While I was gone, I missed my weekly opportunity to discuss with you the relative merits of all things gaming. So it is with a full heart that I popped the Alan Wake soundtrack on to the old...]]>
By Lorin Baumgarten

I am back from my short-lived vacation and I am ready to grumble. While I was gone, I missed my weekly opportunity to discuss with you the relative merits of all things gaming. So it is with a full heart that I popped the Alan Wake soundtrack on to the old headphones and begun typing. The topic-du-jour is one that has come up in the past, and will likely not go away anytime soon. It was the main topic of this week’s episode of EpicBattleCry and one about which I have very strong feelings. I am betting that you do to. The topic discussed on EBC was whether or not current video game marketing, specifically Limited Editions, console-exclusive content, and pre-order bonuses is good for gamers. More to the point, however, is if this type of marketing is good for gaming.

Although I have been playing games for years, it is only in the last twelve months that I have begun to write about them. Because I am fairly new to the industry, as a member of it, I have no special insight into the behind closed doors mechanisms that turn the gears that move the gaming establishment forward. One thing I can say for sure, despite my lack of inside information, is that video games are a business, and business is about money. It seems like an obvious statement, I know, but sometimes we (read: I) forget that. Gaming is a business full of artists and creative people, like film, and like film the video game industry carries with it an inherent juxtaposition of those who want to create for the sake of being creative with those who want to make money off of those creations. So while the creator of the game may care deeply about the piece and wish to give the gamer every morsel of fan service imaginable, the forces who are charged with the responsibility maximizing profitability for shareholders care nothing (or very little) for the gamer, except in so far as that caring effects sales. I am not trying to demonize those who sell the games, it is simply a fact of the real world. These are, primarily, the people who make the decisions about marketing.

With that in mind, in order to discuss the three types of marketing I mentioned above, I think we need to separate Limited Editions from console and retailer exclusivity. So let’s begin with the latter. If I haven’t made it clear in previous writings, let me state for the record that I believe that both console exclusive content and retailer exclusive content are some of the most disrespectful and consumer averse parts of our, or any, industry. They are manipulative and exclusionary and they take what should be a straight forward purchasing decision, “Do I want this game or not?”, and turn it into a stressful prospect that ultimately results in a feeling of loss and exclusion. In short, they are horse shit! Not the most eloquent way to put it, I know, but perfectly descriptive.

Allow me to illustrate. Most gamers can’t afford both a PS3 and an Xbox 360. Therefore, console exclusives automatically leave a significant number of consumers, you know – the ones who want to support your product by giving you their money, out in the cold. They don’t choose the Xbox version over the PS3 version because of the bonus content, usually that is simply the console they have – and now they feel like they are being short changed because of it. Nor do they feel driven to buy the other console to play your multi-platform game, they simply feel disrespected and cheated – and all for wanting to give you their money. The situation is similar with pre-order bonuses that are specific to retailers. Why not make the bonus the same everywhere, so the bonus is actually for pre-ordering, not for pre-ordering at Amazon or Best Buy. Why should I be left out of content for this game that I am so excited about because I don’t like shopping with Game Stop or I don’t feel comfortable buying off of the internet – or simply because I am not going to pre-order at ten different stores? The trend of having different bonuses at different retailers, again, inherently creates the feeling of exclusion and loss. Is that really the feeling marketers want to elicit?

There is no question that these exclusive bonuses are bad for the gamer, but are they bad for gaming? I can only imagine that the publishers are getting some sort of compensation for these exclusives, such as cash or ad space or a future buying agreement. If they weren’t, why would they do this. So do they need this extra – whatever they get – to supplement the income generated from retail sales, or is this just greed? I know that revenue is down for many gaming companies, as it is for nearly every industry. But is this really necessary and what are the long term implications of marketing of this ilk? Well I certainly don’t have all of the answers, and I would love to hear your thoughts on this. But I do think that one thing to be considered is how this might effect the industry’s ability to attract new gamers. If publishers and marketers make it as difficult as they have been to make a simple decision about purchasing a single game, they could very quickly alienate new gamer interest, something that is vital to the continued growth and sustainability of gaming as an industry. Additionally, with so many high quality games being released as of late, 2009 and 2010 have both been incredible gaming years, brand loyalty is as important as ever. Leaving a bitter taste in the consumer’s mouth is ill-advised in such a competitive climate. Tony mentioned on the podcast that gamers will “take it” from the publishers because they want their games. But I believe that that is only true to a point. Eventually you will see gamers saying “Screw you!” and, while a few hardcore fans will pony up on Day 1, others will simply wait until prices come down or until time sorts out the exclusive content because they don’t feel like paying full price for an incomplete product is fair. I agree with them and I am already starting to do that.

Now as for Limited Editions, well that’s a whole different animal. Limited Editions (or Collector’s Edition or Special Editions – call them whatever you want) are good for gamers and gaming – well, the good ones are. I recently purchased my very first Limited Edition game. The game was – wait for the surprise – Alan Wake. For an extra $20 I got a soundtrack CD, a Bonus Content DVD with the Making Of content and video developer commentary, and a book written as if it were part the lore of the fiction, and all in a case that looks like a giant book. In my opinion, totally worth it, but I am a fanboy of that game. And that’s who they are designed for. There are others I wish I had gotten in retrospect: the Bioshock statue, Fallout Boy and the coolest lunchbox ever, the Ezio statue. Well done Collector’s Editions are a great joy for those fans of a game who are interested in such things. They are great for the industry because they really create buy-in for the gamer into an IP and they also, often times, have a product that is a physical manifestation of the game which can stimulate conversation with others who may not have the game, or any games for that matter. Best of all, if you don’t want one, you simply don’t buy it. No harm, no foul. Yes there have been some pretty lame Collector’s Editions that really leave you scratching your head and wondering how anyone thought they were worth an extra 20 bucks. But so what, you didn’t buy it (or maybe you did, and for that I am sorry). Ultimately, though, these special editions don’t serve to create a sense of loss the way the previously discussed forms of marketing do. They add to the product and they serve both the publisher and the gamer equally (novel concept, I know).

So that’s my take on this subject. Special Editions good, “Exclusive Bonuses” horse dung. What do you think of all of this? Do you agree with me? Should we get rid of these ridiculous pre-order bonuses and console exclusive content, or does it not bother you? What about Special Editions? Any great ones you loved or rip-offs you would like to throw at the publishers? Let’s hear what you think below!

Editors Note: We speak about issues like this all the time on the ‘Axe, but we need YOU to help spread the word. Share this article on your Facebook, Twitter, via Digg, in forums…WHATEVER! We need to show the industry what gamers want and gather feedback regarding why these things are in place. Cry Havoc and Let Your Voice Be Heard!!!

If you were still wondering how much you will have to shell out in order to continue the adventure of Mr. Wake, wonder no more. The dudes from Remedy broke word that each Alan Wake DLC pack will cost $7 (560 MS Points), and that the $10 price tag shown before...]]>

If you were still wondering how much you will have to shell out in order to continue the adventure of Mr. Wake, wonder no more. The dudes from Remedy broke word that each Alan Wake DLC pack will cost $7 (560 MS Points), and that the $10 price tag shown before was just a placeholder.

The first DLC pack, “The Signal”, is free to those who purchased the game new, and is due out July 27th. This pack is said to run at about 90 minutes of play time, which sounds pretty good to me.

“The Writer”, the second Alan Wake DLC pack will also run for $7 and is releasing later this year.

Does this price entice you to queue up these DLC packs day one? Creep down to the comment section and cry havoc!

Source

However, the guys...]]>
Alan Wake is a game that has a nice setup for future story telling, and that is made obvious by the downloadable content plans Remedy has for it. We already know about two DLC packs for Alan Wake, “The Signal” and “The Writer”, the first of which drops July 27.

However, the guys and girls at Remedy revealed they have more up their sleeve, with Managing Director Matias Myllyrinne telling MTV that they’ll “have a future pack coming later this year.”

Not bad I must say, since now Alan Wake players can savor the horror even longer. Are you man (or woman) enough to continue battling the darkness in the DLC packs? Let us know your thoughts below.

Source