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Cold_Brains
Village Dweller
Joined: 09 Jan 2002
Posts: 23
Location: Sydney, Australia |
I received this game in the mail (I live in Australia) about a week ago. It strikes me that the treatment of this game by the English-language'gaming press', at least as I have read on the net, is cause for some concern for all of us.
If Gothic's sales suffer as a result of press coverage, we are all going to pay the price. I am sick of great game developers (eg Looking Glass) dying because the intelligent, mature, quality product they make is not the kind of easy to play, easy to pigeon-hole drivel the gaming press chooses to promote.
What exactly is going on? Here's what I think:
1. Gaming review websites are predominantly staffed by young (under 25) males;
2. The boys of game reviewing don't know the fundamental basics of what constitutes a review - as opposed to a simple opinion;
3. The acned teenagers of reviewing lack patience. Easy FPS shooters are what they like to review, as it doesnt take them much time or effort. Hence all the attention lavished on drivel like 'Serious Sam';
4. The gaming press is to a shocking extent beholden to large publishers eager to flog cheap product. Max Payne for Chrissakes?
Let's take an objective look at Gothic. This game presents, for the first time, an enormous, complex, well scripted persistent world, a fabulous outdoor 3D engine, world class animation, etc, etc. It does everything Ultima 9 tried to do, but about ten times better, and in a far more compelling, adult way. Did this developer have Origin's resources? I very much doubt it. They should be getting a standing ovation, for god's sake. And what do they get? Lukewarm praise from an apathetic, FPS mad teenage gaming media. Complaints about the graphics simply because it doesnt use nice bright pastel shades, but has a mature look in keeping with its atmosphere. Complaints about the control scheme because it is different to games before. ETC ETC. I think it stinks.
We absolutely must not tolerate the crap reviewing standards of the moment. We need to question whose interests are being served by cheap, easily produced and easily franchised games receiving inordinate amounts of press attention.
Intelligent, discerning gamers are the ones suffering.
Let me just add that I am in no way affiliated with Gothic, its developers or publishers. I'm just a long time (I'm 28 but I started with a Commodore Pet at 7) gamer with some real concerns. |
Thu Jan 10, 2002 12:09 am |
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pakaraatzi
Counselor of the King
Joined: 27 Dec 2001
Posts: 359
Location: Ontario, Canada |
Amen to that!!!  |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 12:12 am |
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Alc0p0pz
Village Dweller
Joined: 02 Jan 2002
Posts: 10
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I don't agree.
You cited Looking Glass Studios.
I'm a huge fan of Thief and System Shock 2, yet I was fairly indifferent to Gothic. (Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Thought it was kinda average.)
I disagree about your comments r.e. the gaming press. For example, gamesdomain (the UK division) gave it a silver star, and they are pretty conservative in their awards. |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 12:56 am |
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Guest
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i agree w/your point about reviewers judging games harsly because they dont play them enough.
as far as the control scheme, face it, it blows.
dissing max payne is utter nonsense also. |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 1:33 am |
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Thief_3_Wannabe
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 04 Dec 2001
Posts: 35
Location: Tallahassee, Fl |
Yeah I liked LGS's games so much Ive been going by Thief_3_Wannabe for about 2 years now. Only a few people have made the connection of what my username means.... course they had played the Thief series. |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 2:13 am |
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Baalcipher
Humanoid Typhoon
Joined: 30 Dec 2001
Posts: 844
Location: Industrial Wasteland, USA |
I understand your point.
I was dissapointed when the movie "The Never Ending Story" ended.
Theres no reson to close up to other developers, or attack teenagers(i'm 20 + a college junior btw).
If you think about it long enough, you can presume the big-game developers unioned with popular game reviewers/endorsers indeed noticed Gothic and quickly began to assimilate its unique lifelike style into their own titles.
Whats the best way to steal an idea? Pretend and make others believe the true origin of it never existed! |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 2:32 am |
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Cold_Brains
Village Dweller
Joined: 09 Jan 2002
Posts: 23
Location: Sydney, Australia |
I am flabbergasted by the lack of interest the gaming press has generally shown towards Gothic. I am even more flabbergasted when I read most of the few sites who have actually bothered to review the game giving it mediocre scores. Even Games Domain focused too much on the controls, which, face it, ARENT THAT BAD.
I simply think that there is something very wrong when a game like Gothic gets lower scores and less interest than 'Serious Sam'. I just feel the Gothic developers deserve so much more recognition for the sheer amount of hard work on display in this game.
If these guys get jaded at poor sales and give up developing this kind of game, what then? |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 3:41 am |
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Baalcipher
Humanoid Typhoon
Joined: 30 Dec 2001
Posts: 844
Location: Industrial Wasteland, USA |
an online gaming friend of mine has a site called the backburner (http://www.thebackburner.com/).
It gave Gothic(the english demo at the time) the positive attention it deserved.
Thats how I discovered this great game.
However, its a small-time site. At least the poeple there have good gaming hearts.
_________________
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 3:58 am |
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mersil
Noble Knight
Joined: 23 Nov 2001
Posts: 214
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ALL i can say , I seen it before,
Its up to all of us, to make sure that WE secure our Own future for these Game Companies,
Run Out In The Street And tell eveyone You Know How Deep and Exciting this Game Is.
Go BUY IT (and to give it a Chance)
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 6:12 am |
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Guest
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The problem is that most of the teeny world wants to play Counter-Strike and nothing else.
Why?
Because its easy to play (boring real quick)
and easy to hack (stupid people think it's ok to cheat)
I think us old skoolers are outnumbered by generation Y losers.
Counter-Strike is the worst thing that ever happened to gaming. |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 8:24 am |
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Guest
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quote:
On 2002-01-09 21:41, Cold_Brains wrote:
If these guys get jaded at poor sales and give up developing this kind of game, what then?
The financial situation does not look so bad.
See my post from 2002-01-09 10:04 in "What the heck", last two paragraphs.
http://www.rpgdot.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=1289&forum=2&12
I agree with you in some aspects.
For many reviewers it is much easier to fabulate about upcoming and hyped games (neverwinter nights) than to invest 50 hours in playing an unknown game.
But do not overestimate the influence of reviews, because there are many games which had positive reviews that would have deserved better sales (Outcast,Drakan). |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 9:13 am |
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Guest
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Once you get used to them the controls in Gothic aren't bad at all. I don't know why everyone keeps bitching about the controls! My only complaint is that you can't remap the hot keys. |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 11:14 am |
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propellerhead
Head Merchant
Joined: 08 Dec 2001
Posts: 71
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I am sure you all have heard of the game "battlezone" it is a true combat game that puts you in a tank first perspective and you can use resources to create a base and an army that you can use to wipe out your oponent....after that game, nothing else came near it....battlezone 2 came out due to the fact that the first one had a loyal following..unfortunatly, the game was buggy and its first counterpart did not make it to major status....so it died...after 4 years...the following is still strong
NOW! for this game....the only true rpg I have ever came accross.......I am a final fantasy fan but this game...Gothic.....it blows anything out of the water...i was thinking of purchasing a wizardry 8 game but after trying the demo....i find this game top notch.
Good luck and hope to see a second one....not with the same story but rather i would like to see another part of the gothic universe. |
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 12:21 pm |
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JemyM
Vault Dweller
Joined: 28 Nov 2001
Posts: 753
Location: Sweden |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The problem is that most of the teeny world wants to play Counter-Strike and nothing else.
Why?
Because its easy to play (boring real quick)
and easy to hack (stupid people think it's ok to cheat)
I think us old skoolers are outnumbered by generation Y losers.
Counter-Strike is the worst thing that ever happened to gaming.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wich is the exact reason Sierra dropped Space Quest, Kings Quest, Larry, Police Quest etc... and fired the entire group of people that produced thoose games for 20 years...
Becouse of their games like Half-Life had a larger market.
Best Regards
JemyM
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 12:43 pm |
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