Why all games MUST be like Borderlands (because I'm a viral marketer for Borderlands)

[John Master Lee]

I posted this over on another site, but I thought it would be interesting to get into a raging debate about it over on the Gaf. I wanted to see if additional viewpoints come up, so I can develop the story further.

Here's a condensed version of the story, though you can read the whole uncut version here.

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Despite all the great games coming out, Borderlands has become my No.1 MUST BUY GAME for the holiday season. I would even go as far as saying that ALL games from now on need to look upon Borderlands as a shining example of what a great game should be like. That’s a bold statement when you realize that I haven’t even played the game.

From the get go, Borderlands has been touting key features which I believe all games from now on NEED to have. In other words, no more excuses for building a game that falls short.

4 Player Co-op
This feature has become so critical in my gaming choices that I would coordinate on a regular basis with friends of mine, and outline which games we would get next time so that we can play together.

Now, there is a RIGHT way to include 4 player co-op.
1. You MUST allow people to jump in and out of a game at anytime.
2. You MUST allow 4 players to play through the entire single player experience. Don’t trick me to believing that you got 4 player co-op and then limited it to 2-3 stages. I’m looking at you Turok: Dinosaur Hunter!
3. Don’t force me to play through the entire single player game to unlock multiplayer features!

I’m sorry Modern Warfare 2, but stripping out 4 player co-op was a big mistake. In summary:

Single player = Masturbation

4 player co-op = Orgy

RPG Elements
Borderlands stands out in the vast crowd of generic shooter games because it incorporates a heavy amount of RPG elements, thus making the experience much deeper, and personalized.

I predict that by next year, if you don’t include customized stats, game reviewers will start to ding you. We are at that turning point in gaming history where the old way of doing things just won’t fly anymore, like when we moved from 2D FPS to 3d FPS. Or when games allowed to you save any time, instead of forcing you to save at arbitrary points in the game.

Unique Character Choices
Borderlands offers up the opportunity to play as 4 different classes, each one with a unique play style. You have the Brick (Tank), The Lilith (Assassin), Mordecai (Hunter), and a Roland (Soldier.) What cool about each class is that you have a skill tree which you can deck out as well, which can result in very different play styles even if everyone on your team is the same class.

Even games like Left 4 Dead and Halo didn't live up to my expectations, because I find that when I play the games with friends, I feel like my character was nothing more than an assembly line created Model T Ford. There’s nothing about my character that stands out beyond some simple aesthetics. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy Left 4 Dead initially, but I eventually didn’t really care who I played. All the characters moved the same, used the same weapons, and had no back story that makes you want to play through the game several times to see how each person’s story unfolds.

Why don’t we see more of these features in every game?
Despite my keen interest in doing my part in encouraging every developer to add all of these elements into their game, I realize that there are some real challenges to do so. These particular features require significant additional development resources to pull off. A simple shooter is suddenly complicated by multiple branching paths to how the game could be played. Imagine trying to design, and test a game that introduces hundreds of ways a gamer could do something that could deviate from what you planned for initially. In addition, there is the additional challenge of trying to tell a tightly narrative story, similar to Modern Warfare 2. The developers admitted that the main reason why they removed 4 player co-op in the single player missions is because it breaks the storytelling.

But let’s separate the excuses from the reality. The reality is that you can STILL build in 4 player co-op play into a narrative driven game. And while the story may not unfold the same as a single player game, having the OPTION to play with others is what I seek. I can still enjoy the single player story, and get the added bonus of enjoy the multiplayer co-op.

So the reality is that developers are strategically making the choice to cut these feature, rather than include them, because they are determining that it won’t hurt sale enough if you didn’t 4 player co-op, or RPG elements in a game, or unique customizable characters.

[Green Mamba]

"All games should be more like the games I like. I will also ignore the fact that any of these features would take time out of a development process that may be better spent on other parts of development for certain games."

[ZealousD]

Should have been in the first post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmUJrKGN3C0

[Himuro]

Borderlands was on my "checking this out" list. I just crossed it off, due to this thread. Thanks, you saved me some money I could use buying toilet paper.

[dfyb]

no, variety > *

[Tain]

Borderlands stands out in the vast crowd of generic shooter games because it incorporates a heavy amount of RPG elements, thus making the experience much deeper, and personalized.

I really wish this mindset never took off. :|

[eznark]

Have you even played the game yet?

[Y2Kev]

Snorederlands™

[Kosma]

Borderlands was on my "checking this out" list. I just crossed it off, due to this thread. Thanks, you saved me some money I could use buying toilet paper.

wtf himumu!

[jman2050]

thread backfire imminent.

[eznark]

Snorederlands™

Shane, Borderlands is on PS3 you know. And it's way more interesting than Murumazzzzzzzza

[elrechazao]

borderlands indeed looks awesome but this thread is a bit

[Himuro]

The guy on Borderlands' cover wants to kill himself, the game he's featured in is so bad.

[markot]

Eat chocolate for breakfast lunch and dinner for a week and you will soon curse its name and flavour!

[duckroll]

I agree with the OP. If all games from now on MUST be like Borderlands, I would save a shitload of money every month. :)

[DevelopmentArrested]

Yeah I want my games to have game-breakingly terrible AI too.

I agree with the OP. If all games from now on MUST be like Borderlands, I would save a shitload of money every month. :)

Zing. Borderlands is gonna get reviewed pretty harshly. This thread fails.

[Gravijah]

All games should be loot whore games? I agree!

[Y2Kev]

The guy on Borderlands' cover wants to kill himself, the game he's featured in is so bad.

himu

[Vercingetorix]

With the sheer powah of caps lock behind it this thread can't fail.

I agree with the OP. If all games from now on MUST be like Borderlands, I would save a shitload of money every month. :)

I don't know why they advertise the setting of that game as a desolate place that noone wants to go to.....kind of begs a certain question.

[jman2050]

Despite all the great games coming out, Borderlands has become my No.1 MUST BUY GAME for the holiday season. I would even go as far as saying that ALL games from now on need to look upon Borderlands as a shining example of what a great game should be like. That’s a bold statement when you realize that I haven’t even played the game.

No one else has to even say anything, this statement alone is quite enough.

[Kloid]

I think I hate you, OP.

[TurtleSnatcher]

How can you even post this thread w/o playing it

Thread backfire COMMENCE!

[Maztorre]

Yes, let's demand more game design by the back of the box bulletpoint committee. Man, I can't wait to have more over the shoulder, cover-based shooters shovelled down my throat! The icing on the cake was when you derided any studio that does not include your preferences with the good old "lazy devs" chestnut.

[Aljosa]

No way. Not all games need 4-player co-op and such, plus the game isn't even out yet, this thread is pointless.

[Jocchan]

The fuck?

[Slavik81]

This reads like marketing straight out of 2003, when every game had to have RPG elements, regardless of whether they fit in or not. Just because WarCraft 3 did it, doesn't mean everything else should.

[Mike G.E.D.]

This is part of a larger movement; the-all-games-from-now-on-must-be-like-World-of-Warcraft.

[Sir Fragula]

To be fair to the OP, all three features he listed I'd like to see extended to more games. Lack of co-op is increasingly unforgivable, and stat progression however shallow is fun.

[Himuro]

"This game is shit. Someone kill me!"

[EviLore]

Viral or delusional?

[John Master Lee]

thread backfire imminent.

Not sure how it can backfire. Even if you disagree it brings up an interesting counterpoint, I wanted to evaluate.

The piece wasn't designed to hype up Borderlands. I wanted to highlight the game focused in one 3 key features which I feel have been only sporadically included in various games.

[Kloid]

I'm breathlessly looking forward to the next 4-player drop-in-drop-out co-op Silent Hill game.

[LabouredSubterfuge]

I can't believe what I just read.

You sir are what is wrong with this medium. You make casual gaming seem like mere chlamydia.

Fuck!

I wish I could unlive the last 10 minutes of my existence.

[Ardorx]

If all games were like borderlands we could save a lot of time with official threads by using this incredibly accurate image.



Just, you know, replace Borderlands with the actual games name.

[Jocchan]

The piece wasn't designed to hype up Borderlands. I wanted to highlight the game focused in one 3 key features which I feel have been only sporadically included in various games.

The fuck?

[bengraven]

Castlevania third-person RPG set in a giant, free-roaming castle with four player co-op.

Fuck yes, I support the OP.

ZOMG, a Mario free-roaming platforming/loot-whoring RPG!

YES.

[Tain]

god damn do i hate jamming rpg elements into good action games.

god damn it.

I mean I can stand it every once in a while and there are exceptions but

god damn it.

[ZealousD]

Okay, I agree with you guys that every game shouldn't be like Borderlands and the OP is being stupid.

But the haters for the game itself need to stuff it.

[jman2050]

Not sure how it can backfire. Even if you disagree it brings up an interesting counterpoint, I wanted to evaluate. The piece wasn't designed to hype up Borderlands. I wanted to highlight the game focused in one 3 key features which I feel have been only sporadically included in various games.

The entire premise of this thread is faulty.

[Tobor]

Even if Borderlands was the greatest game ever made, I still wouldn't all games to be just like it.

Mix in a little variety, OP.

[duckroll]

Not sure how it can backfire. Even if you disagree it brings up an interesting counterpoint, I wanted to evaluate. The piece wasn't designed to hype up Borderlands. I wanted to highlight the game focused in one 3 key features which I feel have been only sporadically included in various games.

The only thing you have successfully brought up is that you are the sort of gamer who gets excited about a game over marketing bullet points and features from the back of a box. :)

[bounchfx]

must is a strong word


MUST is even stronger.

I disagree with your statements.

[John Master Lee]

This reads like marketing straight out of 2003, when every game had to have RPG elements, regardless of whether they fit in or not. Just because WarCraft 3 did it, doesn't mean everything else should.

Well, if it really was marketing 2003, then why aren't there more games that feature RPG elements still?

Your argue is something like "Just because XXX game has smart AI, doesn't mean every game should." Or "Just cause this game has great music, doesn't mean every game should."

[Y2Kev]

If all ga Just, you know, replace Borderlands with the actual games name.

LEWT FIXES ALL PROBLEMS

LEWT LEWT LEWT LEWT

btw amazing post

[jman2050]

The only thing you have successfully brought up is that you are the sort of gamer who gets excited about a game over marketing bullet points and features from the back of a box. :)

I guess he's precisely the audience this design-by-committee drek is designed for.

[ZealousD]

If all games were like borderlands we could save a lot of time with official threads by using this incredibly accurate image. http://i33.tinypic.com/11vnv5j.jpg Just, you know, replace Borderlands with the actual games name.

Uh, you could use that image for just about any shooter, just erase the "+1's" and the word "lewt"

[Vercingetorix]

Not sure how it can backfire. Even if you disagree it brings up an interesting counterpoint, I wanted to evaluate. The piece wasn't designed to hype up Borderlands. I wanted to highlight the game focused in one 3 key features which I feel have been only sporadically included in various games.

I disagree that it brings up any interesting points. And I doubt I'm alone in that.

And these features have been included in a ridiculous number of games.

Uh, you could use that image for just about any shooter, just erase the "+1's" and the word "lewt"

Difference is that those shooters are enjoyed by their fans without needing a loot mechanic to prop everything up. Borderlands seems to be entirely dependent on it thus far.

[Tain]

Well, if it really was marketing 2003, then why aren't there more games that feature RPG elements still? Your argue is something like "Just because XXX game has smart AI, doesn't mean every game should." Or "Just cause this game has great music, doesn't mean every game should."

You just equated RPG elements with quality.


auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh

[Ardorx]

btw, good job op for giving trolls a thread to hate on Borderlands aka GOTY 2009 and 2010.

[ViolentP]

Viral or delusional?

Virusional, obviously.