Comments on: Fwd: Game Noir http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/ flash game development discussion Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:52:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bryson Whiteman http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/comment-page-1/#comment-7039 Bryson Whiteman Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:44:18 +0000 http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/#comment-7039 I get the feeling that the growth of the independent game industry is exactly the "game noir" movement that's the topic of this discussion. Counter-Strike and Portal are prime examples of independent projects that experimented with new ideas and were backed by publishers that believed in the ideas. Coincidentally Valve picked up both titles and made a killing with them. Someone in the Gamasutra article commented that publishers need to be more willing to fund these upstarts and independent projects, I agree. My guess is that there must be difficulty is in recouping development costs or red-tape involving working out the development with an external team. The numbers don't necessarily reflect profits, but the <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=15117" rel="nofollow">top-selling Xbox Live Arcade games</a> are ports or remakes of classic games for the most part. I wonder how well a new mid-budget original title from the likes of Capcom or Konami would sell. Namco could take more risks like Katamari through online distribution. But no, it seems that everyone is caught up on producing mediocre $60 games (ie Assasin's Creed). I don't know about ya'll but I'm sick of $60 games. I get the feeling that the growth of the independent game industry is exactly the “game noir” movement that’s the topic of this discussion. Counter-Strike and Portal are prime examples of independent projects that experimented with new ideas and were backed by publishers that believed in the ideas. Coincidentally Valve picked up both titles and made a killing with them.

Someone in the Gamasutra article commented that publishers need to be more willing to fund these upstarts and independent projects, I agree. My guess is that there must be difficulty is in recouping development costs or red-tape involving working out the development with an external team.

The numbers don’t necessarily reflect profits, but the top-selling Xbox Live Arcade games are ports or remakes of classic games for the most part. I wonder how well a new mid-budget original title from the likes of Capcom or Konami would sell. Namco could take more risks like Katamari through online distribution. But no, it seems that everyone is caught up on producing mediocre $60 games (ie Assasin’s Creed).

I don’t know about ya’ll but I’m sick of $60 games.

]]> By: Michaël Samyn http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/comment-page-1/#comment-6751 Michaël Samyn Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:10:28 +0000 http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/#comment-6751 I wasn't criticising you, Christopher. Just noticing an amusing coincidence. And the 3 acts in The Path are actually not at all the same as in the classical 3 act structure. I posted a little response to the Gamasutra article <a HREF="http://tale-of-tales.com/blog/2007/12/31/noir-games/" rel="nofollow">here</A> and linked to this blog in the comments. I wasn’t criticising you, Christopher. Just noticing an amusing coincidence. And the 3 acts in The Path are actually not at all the same as in the classical 3 act structure.

I posted a little response to the Gamasutra article here and linked to this blog in the comments.

]]> By: Christopher J. Rock http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/comment-page-1/#comment-6735 Christopher J. Rock Fri, 04 Jan 2008 01:54:20 +0000 http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/#comment-6735 "And you can have a great game with boobs, muscles and guns in it, but that’s where the extra effort, the difficult path, lies." I mean, making that flat setup great instead of shallow is what's difficult. I just made a clarification for a comment meant to clarify the post. . . . “And you can have a great game with boobs, muscles and guns in it, but that’s where the extra effort, the difficult path, lies.”

I mean, making that flat setup great instead of shallow is what’s difficult.

I just made a clarification for a comment meant to clarify the post. . . .

]]> By: Christopher J. Rock http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/comment-page-1/#comment-6734 Christopher J. Rock Fri, 04 Jan 2008 01:48:25 +0000 http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/#comment-6734 To Michaël Samyn: Yeah, I realized that too, but honestly the conventional formats for story structure and so on don't need to be rejected (if you're into that, by all means, but it's not "necessary" at all). The "easiest path" that I'm referring to is the one lacking individual expression, the product designed to satisfy a market as much as possible with as little as possible. That is the path to boobs, muscles and guns. And you can have a great game with boobs, muscles and guns in it, but that's where the extra effort, the difficult path, lies. Also, I think the market will reward games that aim for a higher standard (it has so far), but economics will not naturally give birth to a higher standard because in a market environment the goal is always to achieve the greatest profits with the least investment. The "least investment" part of that destroys our potential. To Ryan FitzGerald: Thanks man, glad to hear from a like-minded reader out there! To Michaël Samyn:
Yeah, I realized that too, but honestly the conventional formats for story structure and so on don’t need to be rejected (if you’re into that, by all means, but it’s not “necessary” at all). The “easiest path” that I’m referring to is the one lacking individual expression, the product designed to satisfy a market as much as possible with as little as possible. That is the path to boobs, muscles and guns. And you can have a great game with boobs, muscles and guns in it, but that’s where the extra effort, the difficult path, lies.

Also, I think the market will reward games that aim for a higher standard (it has so far), but economics will not naturally give birth to a higher standard because in a market environment the goal is always to achieve the greatest profits with the least investment. The “least investment” part of that destroys our potential.

To Ryan FitzGerald:
Thanks man, glad to hear from a like-minded reader out there!

]]> By: Ryan FitzGerald http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/comment-page-1/#comment-6727 Ryan FitzGerald Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:24:10 +0000 http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/#comment-6727 There I was, all hot 'n' bothered and ready to rebutt the Gamasutra article when I read your rebuttal. Well said. Nothing more for me to add. There I was, all hot ‘n’ bothered and ready to rebutt the Gamasutra article when I read your rebuttal.

Well said. Nothing more for me to add.

]]> By: Michaël Samyn http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/comment-page-1/#comment-6574 Michaël Samyn Mon, 31 Dec 2007 10:49:06 +0000 http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/#comment-6574 Funny that you would mention "a coming of age story told in 3 acts" and then refer to not taking "the easiest path or the traditional one". I think we're making the kind of game that you are talking about, and it's about coming of age, it has 3 acts and has a path as its theme and title. Have a look: http://Tale-of-Tales.com/ThePath . Funny that you would mention “a coming of age story told in 3 acts” and then refer to not taking “the easiest path or the traditional one”. I think we’re making the kind of game that you are talking about, and it’s about coming of age, it has 3 acts and has a path as its theme and title. Have a look: http://Tale-of-Tales.com/ThePath .

]]> By: Tony D'Ambra http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/comment-page-1/#comment-6496 Tony D'Ambra Sat, 29 Dec 2007 08:46:33 +0000 http://blog.sokay.net/2007/12/28/fwd-game-noir/#comment-6496 Film Noir is an aesthetic not a recipe. Film Noir is an aesthetic not a recipe.

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