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[samusx]

OK, all the time many game companies are making choices that many of us here think are 100% retarded. So many times people here see some stupid decision and right from the begining people predict doom and in many cases they are right.

Like how always in the past SEGA would make the most retarded choices in marketing.
Or X-Box 360 with the HDTV in Japan instead of the Japanese Hi-Vision.
Or the Phantom Machine that from the begining we all knew it was going nowhere.
Or the Nokia hand held, we knew it was trash.

So the question is, do you think that if these companies would actually listen to what people such as the GAF members thought, that they would really do better?

In many cases I know it would have saved a lot of companies a LOT of money, at the least.

 

[Akai]

I like how there are also a LOT of times where I'm glad certain developers DON'T listen to fans...

 

[BuG]

 

[fronn]

I wouldn't trust most people here to clothe themselves correctly every morning... I don't think GAF is ready to judge the future of products -- half of GAF would say it will bomb if it isn't a part of or for the DS, the other half thinks Sony is king, and almost everyone thinks xbox sucks.

There are certain things that are universally accepted as dumb ideas, but those are few and far between... listening to GAF on any given decision made is like a bad choice (of course this could be said about almost anywhere, so no offense to GAF).

 

[Link]

CNN Breaking News: Gaming forum on the internet causes industry crash

 

[samusx]

I agree, I also am very glad many timew when some devs don't listen to moronic fans.

But I am talking about the times when it just seems that everyone just says to themselves, "oh boy, who was the master mind behind this? It won't end well".

Those are the times the devs need to kick the 'yes men' at the meeding table, the hell out the door.

 

[Mr. Spinnington]

Oh my God if they did:

Aw man, they'll never do it

 

[SuperPac]

Then there's the other side of the coin:

- Oftentimes games that are forum darlings here and elsewhere are sales losers (Shenmue/Psychonauts/Ico).

-People beg and beg and beg for Japanese game X to be released in America because it's so awesome that it would "have to be a hit" and when it does come out here it ends up not selling. (Occasionally because forum members "already bought the Japanese version" and don't buy again or the game is "old news" to them, but then no one else buys either.)

- Games hated by the forum at large are sales winners (Matrix/50 cent).

- Hated decisions often end up doing OK, at least in the short run (Xbox 360 core system, price of Xbox 360 accessories, PS2 Online).

It's easy to sit behind a keyboard and pontificate about how you would do things in an ideal world. It's another to make smart business decisions based on market realities or costs.

 

[samusx]

Yes some very good points out there.

But I just can't help but think about the Nokia Hand held. I don't think there was anyone out there on this planet that after seeing it and finding out how it all worked really thought it would catch on.

But yea I know it is easy to say in hindsight. But still, there are many times where some things are just dumb ideas, no matter how you look at it, but for some reason they persist and fail.

 

[Shaheed79]

A lot times we look at some company decisions and they seem absolutely moronic to us as gamers but those same decisions are completely justified for reasons unkown to us behind the scenes. Even though we like to think so we don't know jack shit about the buisness that really goes on behind closed doors. All we get are PR personel giving us press releases which are usually 90% BS anyway.

The industry is cold and ugly and a lot of the times backdoor agreements are met between developers and publishers that really wouldn't be something you would want gamers to know. Why would Sega tell us the real reason why they canned Shenmue for Dreamcast or why they chose dissolve and merge Smilebite into AV? Sometimes to survive developers and console manufacturers have to make hard decisions to ensure the future of the company and yes sometimes those decisions look completely asinine to us. We don't know what is best for Sony, Microsoft and especially Nintendo but we love to pretend we do all the time.

 

[Suikoguy]

A lot times we look at some company decisions and they seem absolutely moronic to us as gamers but those same decisions are completely justified for reasons unkown to us behind the scenes. Even though we like to think so we don't know jack shit about the buisness that really goes on behind closed doors. All we get are PR personel giving us press releases which are usually 90% BS anyway.

Yeah, that does apply most of the time*

Spoiler

*Unless that company is Sega

 

[Oblivion]

Some times, listening would have been a good idea. For example, Cel shading Zelda after showing the Spaceworld demo wasn't exactly the most brilliant of ideas.

 

[SuperPac]

But I just can't help but think about the Nokia Hand held. I don't think there was anyone out there on this planet that after seeing it and finding out how it all worked really thought it would catch on.

You seem stuck on this point, but think about it from Nokia's perspective. They see the crappy games being played on their cell phones as an *extremely successful* business. They get a little cocky and think--what if we made a phone that was designed slightly more like a handheld game system. It would killzorz Nintendoz! Two problems 1) Nokia knows phones, not game systems; 2) They don't know how to make real, compelling games. But in their cocky, insulated cell-phone business haze, you could see how they might think it was a good idea. They were wrong. What works for them in cell phones didn't translate to gaming.

 

[SuperPac]

Some times, listening would have been a good idea. For example, Cel shading Zelda after showing the Spaceworld demo wasn't exactly the most brilliant of ideas.

It wasn't? Game sold a million-plus. I love it. Vive la differance! Haterz suck it.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Metroid Prime would have been canned halfway through development.

 

[DCharlie]

if they listened :

Sony would be selling $199 PS3 this week.

Nintendo would be a third party.... WOOL PRODUCER. Yes, after dropping out of the games sector, they decide to get into the farming industry with the Nintendo ZOOS system. Sony amazingly announces a similar Sony iZOO-2 system - which was in development for years and just a coincidence that it was a similar move to nintendos.

Sega release a massive back catalogue of IP, the gaming public simply don't remember or care what Alex Kidd was/is/does, and they become bankrupt. H-Kyo dances a merry dance, but meets an unfortunate end walking over a razor sharp cattle grid in an extremely heavy hat.

MS would simply leave the industry and apologies to every living gamer and then commit suicide in Japan infront of the Emperor

Every Friday would be fridayton.

etc etc...

 

[Oblivion]

if they listened :

Sony would be selling $199 PS3 this week.

Nintendo would be a third party.... WOOL PRODUCER. Yes, after dropping out of the games sector, they decide to get into the farming industry with the Nintendo ZOOS system. Sony amazingly announces a similar Sony iZOO-2 system - which was in development for years and just a coincidence that it was a similar move to nintendos.

Sega release a massive back catalogue of IP, the gaming public simply don't remember or care what Alex Kidd was/is/does, and they become bankrupt. H-Kyo dances a merry dance, but meets an unfortunate end walking over a razor sharp cattle grid in an extremely heavy hat.

MS would simply leave the industry and apologies to every living gamer and then commit suicide in Japan infront of the Emperor

Every Friday would be fridayton.

etc etc...

:lol :lol :lol

You are my new favorite poster.

 

[DIrtyWeasel]

N64 would use CDs.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

OK, all the time many game companies are making choices that many of us here think are 100% retarded. So many times people here see some stupid decision and right from the begining people predict doom and in many cases they are right.

Like how always in the past SEGA would make the most retarded choices in marketing.
Or X-Box 360 with the HDTV in Japan instead of the Japanese Hi-Vision.
Or the Phantom Machine that from the begining we all knew it was going nowhere.
Or the Nokia hand held, we knew it was trash.

So the question is, do you think that if these companies would actually listen to what people such as the GAF members thought, that they would really do better?

In many cases I know it would have saved a lot of companies a LOT of money, at the least.

Fine, I will admit it.
BLACK should have had multiplayer.

Happy Now?

 

[M3wThr33]

Fine, I will admit it.
BLACK should have had multiplayer.

Happy Now?

Not until Black 2K7: Black Edition has it.