backflip10019
Member
Aw, c'mon I like him. He has such a comforting British voice.
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Kotaku: "Destiny Review Scores May Cost Bungie $2.5 Million"
- Thread starter Hip Hop
- Start date
Aw, c'mon I like him. He has such a comforting British voice.
So it's near perfect besides for one of the most important things for a series that's gonna be around for a decade?
ThatDriftingPixel
Neo Member
I give them this - Bungie released a really smooth launch, something that seems distant as our AAA games get more expensive to produce.
Its worse that Activision would make such a big bonus on such a small percentile of overall reviews. An average of 9's is asking a whole lot.
In relevance to the variety of review scores: I think these scores judge the overall review of what Destiny was on paper which isn't fair - I think it is a fun game and you take away the BUNGIE after HALO game labeling then this game would easily get better scores from a few reviewers.
Runaway 'Hype' Train effect.
Its worse that Activision would make such a big bonus on such a small percentile of overall reviews. An average of 9's is asking a whole lot.
In relevance to the variety of review scores: I think these scores judge the overall review of what Destiny was on paper which isn't fair - I think it is a fun game and you take away the BUNGIE after HALO game labeling then this game would easily get better scores from a few reviewers.
Runaway 'Hype' Train effect.
Alx
Member
I would have thought that a 90 metacritic would be too high a score for them to really count on it, and only considering it as a "best case scenario", but seeing their history... yes maybe they expected to get that bonus.
FunkyPajamas
Member
I do think most of the below-average reviews are due to reviewers grading the game on what Bungie *said* it was going to be (or hoping it was going to be in any case) vs what the game actually is.
The Lamonster
Member
Exactly. It feels like I'm getting yelled at by a librarian.
Denton
Member
This still makes me pissed off.
The only reason it got 84% is due to bugs, and the bugs were in the game because Bethesda's QA sucked. So intentionally or not, Bethesda compromised NV and avoided paying bonus to Obsidian because of their own doing.
And Chris Avellone making that fact public might well mean that Bethesda will never work with Obsidian again. Which, due to the fact that Bethesda owns Fallout, really. Fucking. Sucks.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
Who cares about millions when your game is making...billions?
texhnolyze
Banned
Doesn't matter, isn't it? They've successfully reaped millions from gamers.
Tangentially related:
Robert Ashley Train Story
Also, I would assume most devs will have a 'Quality Bonus' in contracts from publishers regardless of the game budget (90% seems like a standard reference and is pretty high).
Robert Ashley Train Story
Also, I would assume most devs will have a 'Quality Bonus' in contracts from publishers regardless of the game budget (90% seems like a standard reference and is pretty high).
Destiny is inferior to Halo as a competitive FPS because the RPG contamination ruined the balance, but as a cooperative one, I found it way more enjoyable than any Halo campaign (gameplay, not the story).
Nocturno999
Member
Check some of the positive reviews quotes. They are basically parroting the same BS that the game will eventually get better and some even go as far as blaming you for your unrealistic expectations.
Sound like shit sites to me.
Graphics - 10, easily one of the best looking games out there.
Gameplay - 10, some of the best shooting mechanics in an FPS ever.
Presentation - 10, the Bungie polish really shows in the game presentation and usability.
Content - 9, A Little lacking in variety but the amount of content you can play, with more always being added constantly should keep you entertained for hours on end.
Story - 5, The story is virtually non-existent and I don't know what is going on half the time and it's definitely something that needs to be addressed in the future games.
However, with that being said just because the story is lacking doesn't to me justify scoring the game as low as some of these outlets are. The game is a fucking blast to play, and that should be what matters the most. For your 60 dollars, there are not a lot of other games out there that can offer you a better experience right now. That's just my opinion.
ShadowSoldier89
Member
does anyone think this concept of bonuses based on quality isn't the worst idea, but also seems impossible to actually handle properly.
Quality is subjective, but that doesn't stop there from being clear differences between games.
If a game is very well made but sells poorly, thats the publishers fault not the developer, fortunately the developer can still receive some kind've bonus due to making a quality product, however if the game is awful, thats more the developers fault not the publisher.
Now of course publishers do fuck up quality when they get their hands dirty, or fuck over developers that wouldve gotten their bonus if they woulda had another month to work out bugs.
I think the concept is fine, but the execution needs work. In destiny's case, it worked perfectly.
Quality is subjective, but that doesn't stop there from being clear differences between games.
If a game is very well made but sells poorly, thats the publishers fault not the developer, fortunately the developer can still receive some kind've bonus due to making a quality product, however if the game is awful, thats more the developers fault not the publisher.
Now of course publishers do fuck up quality when they get their hands dirty, or fuck over developers that wouldve gotten their bonus if they woulda had another month to work out bugs.
I think the concept is fine, but the execution needs work. In destiny's case, it worked perfectly.
This feels like a good excuse to link to my deep dive into the toxicity of review score culture: http://kotaku.com/metacritic-matters-how-review-scores-hurt-video-games-472462218
"Heavy ammo is now available."
-tetsuo-
Unlimited Capacity
This is why we can't have nice things
IMO it's more like
Graphics - 9: One of the prettiest Next Gen games yet, but I still feel like it's still not a big enough leap from PS3's best games.
Gameplay - 9, You win some and lose some. It's really great at the core of it's mechanics but the AI is a little sloppier than Halo. Still very fun to play.
Presentation - 10, No cons here. It's one of the most intuitive and well-created interfaces ever. Everything feels slick and smooth
Content - 6: This is where the game fell apart for me. After 9 hours I had seen every single PvE mission it offered and played every type of Crucible match available so far and while on paper it's really just as big as a Halo game, it doesn't feel like it because of how every mission has so much of the same within each of the respective planet areas. Too much repitition and too much lazy game design here. I feel like there should've been twice as much content. Maybe in a year Destiny will look more appealing in this regard.
Story - 3: It's abysmal. Barely any time to set it up properly and not nearly enough cutscenes to build a proper story-arc, yet the writing pretentiously seemed to be going for it anyway. It would've really helped if Bungie had told more of the lore and story through optional lore entries and maybe conversations or audio logs scattered throughout. It would also give us a reason to come back to explore the different areas. The writing itself also sounds incredibly awkward and lots of basic concepts are just skimmed over too unabashedly. What is the light? Is it magic? Is it a chemical substance? What is the Darkness actually? I thought we were to assume it's the Hive, but apparently they had nothing to do with the plot in the end, and instead we got the Vex which were abruptly the big baddies, again, with little to no buildup and no proper set up for a proper conclusion.
I have no hopes that the story will get better with DLC or Season Passes. Just reading through lore entries I have 0 faith in what they did here. It seems like whoever came up with these things didn't get it past the conceptual stages. On top of this, in regards to the style of this new IP everything just screams Generic. It did from the very moment Bungie initially showed it off, and it's no wonder why so many were skeptical even before the Beta.
The only good thing I can say about the story is that at least it seems somewhat interesting at first because it's a new beginning for a new IP and the presentation with good graphics and music draw you into Bungie's new universe, and the cinematography is very well done on top of this. I really wanted to like the story, but it was clear to me from the moment it began that something about the storytelling seemed off, and now I've beaten it there's not even a shadow of doubt that it's just bad writing.
Graphics - 9: One of the prettiest Next Gen games yet, but I still feel like it's still not a big enough leap from PS3's best games.
Gameplay - 9, You win some and lose some. It's really great at the core of it's mechanics but the AI is a little sloppier than Halo. Still very fun to play.
Presentation - 10, No cons here. It's one of the most intuitive and well-created interfaces ever. Everything feels slick and smooth
Content - 6: This is where the game fell apart for me. After 9 hours I had seen every single PvE mission it offered and played every type of Crucible match available so far and while on paper it's really just as big as a Halo game, it doesn't feel like it because of how every mission has so much of the same within each of the respective planet areas. Too much repitition and too much lazy game design here. I feel like there should've been twice as much content. Maybe in a year Destiny will look more appealing in this regard.
Story - 3: It's abysmal. Barely any time to set it up properly and not nearly enough cutscenes to build a proper story-arc, yet the writing pretentiously seemed to be going for it anyway. It would've really helped if Bungie had told more of the lore and story through optional lore entries and maybe conversations or audio logs scattered throughout. It would also give us a reason to come back to explore the different areas. The writing itself also sounds incredibly awkward and lots of basic concepts are just skimmed over too unabashedly. What is the light? Is it magic? Is it a chemical substance? What is the Darkness actually? I thought we were to assume it's the Hive, but apparently they had nothing to do with the plot in the end, and instead we got the Vex which were abruptly the big baddies, again, with little to no buildup and no proper set up for a proper conclusion.
I have no hopes that the story will get better with DLC or Season Passes. Just reading through lore entries I have 0 faith in what they did here. It seems like whoever came up with these things didn't get it past the conceptual stages. On top of this, in regards to the style of this new IP everything just screams Generic. It did from the very moment Bungie initially showed it off, and it's no wonder why so many were skeptical even before the Beta.
The only good thing I can say about the story is that at least it seems somewhat interesting at first because it's a new beginning for a new IP and the presentation with good graphics and music draw you into Bungie's new universe, and the cinematography is very well done on top of this. I really wanted to like the story, but it was clear to me from the moment it began that something about the storytelling seemed off, and now I've beaten it there's not even a shadow of doubt that it's just bad writing.
Halo 3 being higher than ODST is a fucking travesty. 3 was bar none the worst game of the series.
NerdEyeBlind
Member
I'm at Level 8 and my biggest gripe so far is that I need to go bungie.net to read the backstory-riddled cards I unlock during gameplay
Bomber Bob
Banned
Bungie should have sex'd up those reviewer dudes
Not everyone believes that a great story is a necessary component of a great game. I personally find story to be a nice perk and I can get really engrossed in a few story-centric experiences, but it's generally not something I prioritize.
Source? That's a bit out of the ordinary.
BibiMaghoo
Member
I thought Activision did this for all their titles? It is an incentive to produce well received work, not a punishment for failing to meet a score. A bonus for a good job.
It was in the Bungie-Activision contract published in the LA Times. Admittedly, some of the details in that contract are no longer applicable, but owning the IP seems like a pretty major sticking point that's unlikely to have changed.
Canis lupus
Member
That 500M was for the entire franchise, not the first game itself right? I have seen very little of that 500M in game design and marketing wise. GTA V had a budget of $265 million and that game was EVERYWHERE.
ThatDriftingPixel
Neo Member
Makes sense but not when your goal HAS to get many individuals to give you a great rating based on their opinion.
Nor the fact that your publication has spent millions on millions to drive this game through everyone's eyes. So it has to meet hype demands as well.
RavenSan
Off-Site Inflammatory Member
THANK YOU. I am getting really tired of the hate for this game. It is EXACTLY what I expected. This is the game I wanted, and it's the game Bungie delivered. Talking about the story; it's not exactly like the original Halo had the best story ever. I'm disappointed, sure, and I would have liked a better story, but that's kind of negligible to me considering the gameplay is fantastic.
I'd agree with a 9/10.
I don't think the story is the main reason it's scoring like it is, but I respect your opinion, even though I disagree about the gameplay being a ten and the story not being a huge factor, and I agree that if it's fun, that's what should matter the most.
Messofanego
Banned
Some people had higher expectations than you, no use in trying to speak for others.
IIRC Bungie's explanation for the $500M figure was that Activision set aside at least that much money that they were willing to spend on the franchise. The development + advertising budget for the first game is supposedly nowhere near that much.
RavenSan
Off-Site Inflammatory Member
Everyone is absolutely entitled to their own opinion, I just get exhausted reading every other post calling Bungie "arrogant" or "this is the worst game ever" or "they lied about ____"
It's like damn, I get that you don't like the game, but it's not like they killed your dog.
If story mattered that much, every game would be a 5/10 with the exception of games like The Last of Us. Most if not all games have a weak story that is just serviceable enough to get you through to the end.
Bungie tried a different approach with this game and it just didn't work all that well to tell a great story. But other than that the game is stellar. So yeah not sure where people can come off saying this game is terrible, it makes no sense.
These same outlets review Call of Duty every year and give it 9's and 10's and you are going to try and tell me any of the recent Call of Duty games had a stellar story? Come on now.
I don't get it.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
That whole sue storm brought forth a whole lot more EEEEEN-teresting tidbits like that, it's great.
Well the deal may have been changed. The document says that there were supposed to be 4 games, not 3 and was supposed to have an exclusivity deal with MS for at least the first game. So it looks like things have changed. Regardless, I don't think this is an Obsidian situation, they were way off from reaching a 90 rating and they own the Destiny IP so they will probably get their money since Destiny has sold over $500 million and they still have the expansions to come out. I'm sure Bungie will be fine.
Katana_Strikes
Member
Download the app, you can view them in there. Of course they would be nice to view in game too.
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
I pointed this out days ago.
It is odd that the exclusivity with MS fell through. I doubt the $2.5 million for good reviews changed, though. I think that metacritic based bonuses are pretty standard.
Of course Bungie will be fine. But, obviously it was deemed by Activision to be a big enough number to entice Bungie to do good work. I assume (and could easily be wrong) that that bonus would have gone to employees whereas the money coming from Destiny sales won't be (outside of their normal salaries).
It is odd that the exclusivity with MS fell through. I doubt the $2.5 million for good reviews changed, though. I think that metacritic based bonuses are pretty standard.
Of course Bungie will be fine. But, obviously it was deemed by Activision to be a big enough number to entice Bungie to do good work. I assume (and could easily be wrong) that that bonus would have gone to employees whereas the money coming from Destiny sales won't be (outside of their normal salaries).
jim2point0
Banned
I didn't follow this game too closely (console game and all), but why couldn't they review it beforehand? This game isn't an MMO so surely you don't need to have EVERYONE playing it at once?
I'm not sure what you're implying here. Care to elaborate?
BibiMaghoo
Member
But it's a reward. They could simply not offer this at all, and pay them what they already did for the work they have done. On that basis, it can't possibly be seen as a bad thing, and yet it generally is.
If my boss offers me a bonus - a considerable one - for doing exceptionally well, and I fail to meet that, I can't rightly call my boss a cunt for making it hard to achieve.
Yeah, blame the parties who signed this contract and especially Bungie for delivering a hollow experience. The critics just did their job (for once).
And I'm sure Bungie will survive without those $2.5 million. Especially the already more-than-well-paid higher-ups who undoubtedly would've received the biggest chunk of this bonus.
And I'm sure Bungie will survive without those $2.5 million. Especially the already more-than-well-paid higher-ups who undoubtedly would've received the biggest chunk of this bonus.
TheBanditKing
Member
Reminds me of FFXIII having to read that massive book to understand anything a proper introduction would have explained.
As for Destiny I just started it last night got the Lv 7 my initial impressions are that I like the way it plays, if you have a good group the missions are a lot of fun. The only thing I don't know though is if I will be playing 2 3 months from now, I'm not a fan of MMO's
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
Tying bonuses into metascores is a terrible practice.
Neuromancer
Member
Bonuses based on Metacritic make no sense to me and never have. I feel bad for the men and women who worked on this great game (yes I think it's a great game) having to deal with all the negative reviews and general discontent on the internet surrounding it, and now missing out on their bonuses.
Sometimes I wonder if reviewers would have rated the game higher had they been allowed to play it prior to release and issue their reviews earlier. I get the distinct feeling many of them are pissed about being treated more like regular players and less like celebrities.
Sometimes I wonder if reviewers would have rated the game higher had they been allowed to play it prior to release and issue their reviews earlier. I get the distinct feeling many of them are pissed about being treated more like regular players and less like celebrities.