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Insomniac: Overstrike focus groups thought the old art style was for kids
- Thread starter Tagg9
- Start date
dragonelite
Member
Im not even sure if i want to support them even if they change back to the old style unless they release a stellar demo that sells the game but now it will most likely fly under my radar.
How bad would it be IG if this doesn't do well? I mean their last two games sold poorly (R3 and A4O) and the new Ratchet probably won't be a sales success either. That would make it 4 games that didn't do well and that's certainly not the position you want to be in when negotiating new publishing deals.
Also how many games do IG have to make for EA again? I thought it was 2, but I wonder if that includes the facebook game or not.
Also how many games do IG have to make for EA again? I thought it was 2, but I wonder if that includes the facebook game or not.
Captain_Spanky
Member
Stick with your vision. Focus groups are bullshit and a death knell for creativity.
keltickennedy
Member
So pretty much what insomniac is saying is that a focus group said, "hey, this game doesn't look like those other games." Therefore insomniac was like, "fuck, lets make it look like that other stuff." Congrats!
And the game gets ignored because it looks like a thousand other games. And their precious 12 year old focus testers will get the new Call of Duty game for christmas.
Always-honest
Banned
Focus groups kill everything. You know better than focus groups Insomniac. We want CREATIVE people to make games. Not focus groups. All they do is make everything mediocre and safe.
But... I liked the idea of Overstrike. It looked like some spoof on all things related to spies and stuff.
At times I absolutely loathe this industry. And the people who are involved in these focus groups; yeah, why should a game be different from your average CoD of BF-like release? Who cares about variety, about being something else? I know, shallow, mass market yada yada... but this obsession of pleasing this little group of boys and young males is getting out of hand.
At times I absolutely loathe this industry. And the people who are involved in these focus groups; yeah, why should a game be different from your average CoD of BF-like release? Who cares about variety, about being something else? I know, shallow, mass market yada yada... but this obsession of pleasing this little group of boys and young males is getting out of hand.
ScreenSplitter
Member
I'm just imagining Toon Link and the TF2 Heavy laughing their asses of at this article. For that matter, someone out of Borderlands too.
Rated-Rsuperstar
Member
Insomniac is wasting their time with focus groups when they could be using Neogaf to tell them everything is wrong with their game. Cause we all know the internet is never wrong.
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
Really, really sad what Isomniac (or EA forced) did with the game.
This is the same thing ive heard from most group testings. People (talking in general here) dont really know what they like until they really try it. If we lived in a parallel universe were cartoony games were the norm instead of realistic, people will like see strange the realistic and "mature" style.
Even worse than the general public are the kids and teens, if you forced them something good by taking away all the mediocre things, this people will change radically of mentality. Its what the society dictates at the time what makes most of the people like what they like. Most of the companies have seen that producing something mediocre with less money makes the same cash as trying to do something good or different, so what do you think they will choose?
Ive seen this general public talk on theme park group testing... lets say its not really pretty and the general public are mostly idiots.
This is the same thing ive heard from most group testings. People (talking in general here) dont really know what they like until they really try it. If we lived in a parallel universe were cartoony games were the norm instead of realistic, people will like see strange the realistic and "mature" style.
Even worse than the general public are the kids and teens, if you forced them something good by taking away all the mediocre things, this people will change radically of mentality. Its what the society dictates at the time what makes most of the people like what they like. Most of the companies have seen that producing something mediocre with less money makes the same cash as trying to do something good or different, so what do you think they will choose?
Ive seen this general public talk on theme park group testing... lets say its not really pretty and the general public are mostly idiots.
R_thanatos
Member
Just saw this thread ... now everything make sense..
I also liked the original style better
I also liked the original style better
Acquiescence
Member
I think if you let a focus group dictate what stylistic direction a video game should head towards then, by default, you've drained and sapped it of the personality it would've had otherwise.
Being right and selling more copies are sadly most likely two different things.
Still really looking forward to playing it.
Jawmuncher
Member
I have a feeling this game is going to be left to die by EA like Syndicate and Shadows of the Damned before it.
Angelcurio
Gold Member
God, After searching for the lyrics version on youtube, i can say that the removal of the lyrics was definitely for the better. And based on FF XIII-2 i must say that focus groups sometimes works, since i really enjoyed that game compared to the original FF XIII.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
Everyone should focus test like Valve.
Jawmuncher
Member
Im going to come out here and be on the other end of that.
I personally feel focus testing XIII-2 kind of ruined it. FAR to much of a focus on sidequests because oh 13 didnt have enough sidequests.
Think they would've been better off taking some of it in, but not trying to use it all.
Well if its the best game it can be there is a good chance itll be mainstream as well as creative/critically well-like. Dont always have to compensate for wide audience
PartTimeWarrior
Banned
The same type of people in the focus groups are the ones who will ignore this game when it releases.
Better luck next time, Insomniac
Better luck next time, Insomniac
TelemachusD
Member
I'm gonna open a restaurant and use kids to focus test the entire menu.
Hmm, it looks we'll be serving cheese pizza, chicken nuggets, and Kraft mac and cheese.
Hmm, it looks we'll be serving cheese pizza, chicken nuggets, and Kraft mac and cheese.
whalleywhat
Member
It says they were 12, but otherwise it doesn't say. So maybe.
ScreenSplitter
Member
I think this is more the equivalent of having a really fancy pizza. You know, ones you're encouraged to eat with a knife and fork. Then some adults come in and say that pizza is for kids, even though this pizza has caviar on for god's sake. And you just know it's the fault of the big resteraunt chain that's bought out this nice little family pizzeria.
So you have a steak, incredibly well done. Because it's manly, and because that's what everyone else is eating.
jediyoshi
Member
The Overstrike/Fuse negative reaction is about as unique to GAF as the Mass Effect 3 ending reaction.
Samurai_Heart
Member
Where do they find these focus groups?!?
Ugh seriously...listening to a 12 year old...and they're aiming for what? The COD crowd again?
Ugh seriously...listening to a 12 year old...and they're aiming for what? The COD crowd again?
I knew it was focus groups and the "me too" mentality that caused all these changes, not EA. What blaming EA does is set up this notion that developers aren't capable of making their own dumb decisions (hi Bioware) when the Partners program is bad for its own reasons.
1. Bulletstorm and Brutal Legend were left to die with little to no marketing or publicity that didn't correctly represent them.
2. APB cost over £100m to make with no publisher intervening and asking "What the fuck are you doing?"
I wonder which fate will meet Fuse, being ignored or not having the input? GJ, Insomniac.
Also too many people are confusing focus testing and play testing.
1. Bulletstorm and Brutal Legend were left to die with little to no marketing or publicity that didn't correctly represent them.
2. APB cost over £100m to make with no publisher intervening and asking "What the fuck are you doing?"
I wonder which fate will meet Fuse, being ignored or not having the input? GJ, Insomniac.
Also too many people are confusing focus testing and play testing.
efyu_lemonardo
May I have a cookie?
what is this I don't even...
Wasn't the whole point of the deal with EA to offer non PS3 gamers the chance to experience games made by Insomniac?
i.e. the same kinds of games they have been drooling over and listening to their friends go on about?
I always thought that was what made the whole proposition so attractive to EA in the first place... Bringing IG's renowned pedigree and unique style of gaming to the masses.
I fear even if the game is awesome it will fail to live up to this proposition in the eyes of consumers, based on initial impressions. ("Doesn't look like an Insomniac game, no buy!")
Wasn't the whole point of the deal with EA to offer non PS3 gamers the chance to experience games made by Insomniac?
i.e. the same kinds of games they have been drooling over and listening to their friends go on about?
I always thought that was what made the whole proposition so attractive to EA in the first place... Bringing IG's renowned pedigree and unique style of gaming to the masses.
I fear even if the game is awesome it will fail to live up to this proposition in the eyes of consumers, based on initial impressions. ("Doesn't look like an Insomniac game, no buy!")
I was joking.
The "kiddy" reason is just atrocious. Can't believe Insomniac listened to that.
CrunchyFrog
Member
This reads like an onion article. Shit is unreal.
It's a chance for EA to cheaply profit from and attach their logo to games with minimal risk and input. It is not a good fit for a lot of developers.
Exactly. The gritty shooter field is massively oversaturated, if your game doesn't have a visual hook that makes it immediately stand out, might as well get started digging your grave.
Singularity, Inversion, Frontlines: Fuel of War, Damnation, Legendary: The Box, Fracture, Syndicate, Bulletstorm, Section 8, Operation Flashpoint, Turning Point, Prey, Rage, etc etc etc.... Some of those games were great, but because they blended in with everything else in the market on first glance, they crashed and burned. How many bodies do you need to step over before you stop assuring yourself that charging onto this battlefield is probably going to work out well for you, that "Things'll be different THIS time!"
Thats not true. no one outside of gaf knows what overstrike is
CecilRousso
Member
So what they´re saying is that they don´t think they can make a game that will appeal to an adult audience without making it look every other generic game? That´s really not good PR for Insomniac.
I only own one suit and it's too big for me.
Angelcurio
Gold Member
But that's the point of side quests, they are missions that you don't necessarily need to complete to actually finish the game, but gives you enough extra content to keep completionist entertained for more hours after finishing the game.
MoonsaultSlayer
Member
More like people played the game, stopped caring about his ugly appearance and accepted it as part of an amazing package. 2 gets revealed with a character that completely shatters the continuity, people got upset. That focus group should have been used before part 1, not between the two games.
My personal opinion was nu Cole would NEVER have delivered Infamous 1's closing monologue with that new style and personality. Completely conflicting personas.
Jawmuncher
Member
True but I felt personally it went overboard and affected the story they tried to present.
But since we need to keep on topic, Overstrike has bigger problems so far.
They really need to put out a demo or something to restore peoples faith.
AdventureRacing
Member
The thing with focus groups is they will generally be against things that are different. I'd say if you just listened to focus groups like this borderlands wouldn't have been so colourful and something like minecraft would never be made. People don't know what they want until you show them. A lot of the time i think you're better off just following your own vision.
Well the only other source i can think to use is the reaction to the youtube clips (as i mentioned before). You rarely see that many dislikes on youtube clips.
The reaction probably is unique to people on the internet because most people probably won't even know about the change. Doesn't mean it won't hurt the games sales.
We'll have to wait and see but right now i don't think this games future looks all that bright.
Well the only other source i can think to use is the reaction to the youtube clips (as i mentioned before). You rarely see that many dislikes on youtube clips.
The reaction probably is unique to people on the internet because most people probably won't even know about the change. Doesn't mean it won't hurt the games sales.
We'll have to wait and see but right now i don't think this games future looks all that bright.
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
Totally false, the ME3 reaction was worldwide, even from people who dont go into forums, it was not "a gaf thing". I have a lots of friends fans of the saga claiming heads that havent put a foot on an online communtiy ever.
It was horribly written, so bad the majority of people hate it. We know how that horrible writting happened and theres no excuse for it.
Of course that doesnt mean shit to what we are talking here (focus groups ruining things) so I dont know why do you bring it to the table.