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Analyst: sequels, annualization may be killing creativity

Posted Apr 24, 2008 at 5:43AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PS3, Wii, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PC Gaming Tags: Hideo Kojima, Ken Levine, MTV, Swamp, Will Wright

In an industry populated by a swamp of sequels, remakes, annualization, and all manner of money-raking tactics from game publishers, an analyst says classics are hard to get by. Unless developers are treated as artists, he says, true innovation will be a long shot at best.

This is a message conveyed by Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson in an email interview with MTV Multiplayer. He says that today's gaming scene is so restrictive to creativity that it takes a Will Wright or Hideo Kojima pedigree most of the time to really get what you want done.

Case in point, he says, is this analogy: Ken Levine can drop out of the BioShock team and the series would go on. Publishers think of developers as parts to a greater whole which can be interchanged. It's not the same as in the movie industry wherein if George Lucas died today, the Star Wars series will probably see an end as well.

Â“There are very few people in this world who know how to create hits," he said. "Not create a hit, but create multiple hits.Â”

The key for long-term success, Wilson says, is enriching talent with time and investment. If publishers realize that game makers are the stars of this business, they wouldn't have to be pressured to come up with flat sequels and expansions on an annual basis.

Wilson didn't miss the chance to take a swipe at Electronic Arts, known for its sequel-churning ways to generate fast returns to its investments. "IÂ’ve been critical of EA for the last few years and it is common knowledge among gamers that their brand has been tarnished due to deteriorating quality,Â” he comments.

Â“Name a groundbreaking new piece of software that has emerged from one of the large U.S. video game publishers in the last few years," he concludes. Â“Spore could be a rare example. Any surprise it took a Â‘Will WrightÂ’ to create it?Â”

Via MTV Multiplayer

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For the most part, people want sequels. I know I do. I enjoy playing them. Yes creativity is important but it can only be stretched so far. It's like a movie will always have a set of guidelines which most people come to expect. Video games have guidelines. I don't really know how to put what i'm thinking into words, but I have to disagree with this.

It seems like this article was written merely because the "analyst" is running out of creative things to analyze.

The analogy about Starwars sickens me. Choosing the biggest label in the film industry and comparing it to Bioshock (which is a great game don't get me wrong). I like how he mentioned the elite developers (like Kojima) early in the article, but then he blatantly ignored them when he spoke of Starwars. If Hideo Kojima died tomorrow, I wouldn't expect the Solid series to live on. And that brings me to another point. Kojima said this will be his last game of the MGS franchise, far from milking the label if you ask me.

The only thing I can agree about really is EA. They are a poor developer, but they feed off the ignorant gamers who will buy a game based off how shiny the cover is...

This article really just makes me *****ing angry though. It's an insult to most developers either working on sequels (people like sequels to GOOD games), or trying to make something creative of their own, for example LittleBigPlanet .

Who does the analyst think he is, speaking of developers and their "money making tactics". Last time I checked, that's what a *****ing business is supposed to do.

# Hmm — NomadHeath 2008-04-24 08:46

It depends on the IP, I think. Games that have good concepts behind them, deserve sequels. Halo gets a sequel. Mario gets a sequel. Even Red Steel (which wasn't THAT good) deserves a sequel because it was a good concept that they're trying to work on.

Now, if I saw Ninjabread Man 2, I would fall over and die.

# LOL — platon 2008-04-24 10:25

yeah, it's so real, I mean, Assassin's creed, crysis, bioshock, bladestorm, motorstorm, blue dragon, lost odyssey, eternal sonata, rock band, arcana heart, chaos war, indiana jones lego, the world ends with you, and etc (too much a long list to write) are the proof that the industry don't have any kind of creativity, lol.

I wonder where they popped their ideas, lol. They should write science fiction novels, lol.

# Interesting POV — damonous 2008-04-24 11:08

Popson has an interesting point-of-view, because I think it's the reverse of the regular psychology we get: that we need every game to have a from-out-of-nowhere group of devs like id when it was young, or some set of guys drinking beer and coding in their garage. And, I have to agree that something smacked me as 'a little off' with the analyst's viewpoint. It seems to me that only Reviewers and Magazine columnists are frothing-at-the-mouth because of a certain so-and-so writing a game. I think most gamers have come to say, "I want the next 'God of War'!" ---Or the next Zelda, or the next Halo. I don't think developers are necessarily the rock "stars" that he's making them out to be. It's certainly no where near the same plane of notoriety as with movies (the George Lucas/Star Wars reference ---although I'll strongly disagree there, too: I think we'll see MORE Star Wars than ever once Lucas passes. Just look what happened with Star Trek when Roddenberry died.)

# Great games deserve sequel — houaruto 2008-04-24 13:12

such as Crisis Core that was the opposite of a sequel, more like a prequel......But it was a super over the top game that pushed the boundaries of the PSP.

The game is based on almost all new characters......the first new real time combat system for Final fantasy RPG.........Game play was as smooth as it can get. That was true innovation there.........I agree some games and movie that are nothing but a remake just done horribly espcially the movie industry..........All those horrible movies that are big block buster movies are basically just a remake of asian movies that was already a big hit like the grudge, grudge 2, ring, ring2, the shutter, dark water...need me say more..........making a remake is understandable but making a remake of a sequel of the movie you copy from and just keep repeating this pattern is dam desperation of new idea and money...

# who is this news to? — heman8400 2008-04-24 19:23

Ever since they started selling games, people have tried to squeeze more money out of the stone by putting less effort in. If you can make a new DMC or Halo or DQ for 10 mil instead of 50 mil, and sell 100 mil worth, why wouldn't you? Entertainment is its own worst cannibal, eating itself until you're making "scary movie 4" or "Joey."

It never changes though, and every time a new Final Fantasy or Mario game comes out, millions of people will buy it without questioning the merit. This is where Wii has failed because they have now reached a population that doesn't go out and buy new games because of the name alone. They don't know what Zelda is, but Wii Play looks fun as hell. Eventually you might get those people to buy Wii Play 2 or Wii Sports 2, but they're not going to pick up another game without knowing what they're getting into first. Too bad 90% of the games out there are complete and utter crap.

Give it a few more years, we'll see another analyst making the same statement and people will be STUNNED, ignoring the ground we have covered for 20 years of crappy sequels.

Bring back Vigilante 8, there was a game.

# Leave MGS? HA! — heman8400 2008-04-24 19:26

He's said that for YEARS. Since he started working on MGS2 he said he was just going to be a consultant, then he took over and said it would be his last. I don't believe that man will let anyone touch his series until he is long dead.

# ........... — The Obsidian 2008-04-25 03:42

Sequels? no Look at how many mario has and look at Paper mario those games are "sequels" but are very different and unique from other RPG's.But annulization? yes EA coming out with a new Madden game every F***ing year isnt helping creativity

# Um.... — Barakku 2008-04-25 08:20

Mass Effect, Resistance, Folklore, Locoroco, patapon, God of War, Gears of War....Tons of the big exclusives have been original titles.

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