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Robert Bowling (ex-CoD strategist) opens Robotoki, first game for Next-Gen/PC/Mobile

S

salromano

Member
LFslN.gif


Game Informer said:
After abruptly leaving developer Infinity Ward in late March, former Call of Duty creative strategist Robert Bowling is opening a game development studio called Robotoki.

...

“Robotoki is focused on being a developer development studio that just happens to make games,” he said. “We are focused on our team first and everything else second, because I believe as an industry; we have a lot to learn on how to treat talent. While we continue to out stride film and music entertainment in other areas, we are falling severely behind in how to properly inspire and support our creative talent.

Bowling said Robotoki is completely self-funded and will only partner with those who support that model. “I wanted to create an environment where the creative vision holders held complete control over their work and could guide and maintain it from concept to execution. This is why I chose to completely self-fund Robotoki and have chosen to only work with partners who were supportive of that model.”

Robotoki’s first project, which will be revealed later this year, is slated for release on next-gen consoles, PC, and mobile devices (iOS, Tablet, Android). “As a developer, our focus is on creating a universe first, experiences second, and game mechanics last, “ Bowling said. “With focus being on universe, we aim to create experiences that transcend platforms and genres and allow our players to connect to our world, their characters, and gameplay via any medium (console, PC, or mobile).
Click to expand...

Full Story: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/04/23/robert-bowling-opens-game-studio.aspx

Official Site: http://www.robotoki.com/

Thanks, Kifimbo.
 
K

kuYuri

Member
Pretty important to mention I think:

“Robotoki is focused on being a developer development studio that just happens to make games,” he said. “We are focused on our team first and everything else second, because I believe as an industry; we have a lot to learn on how to treat talent. While we continue to out stride film and music entertainment in other areas, we are falling severely behind in how to properly inspire and support our creative talent.

Bowling said Robotoki is completely self-funded and will only partner with those who support that model. “I wanted to create an environment where the creative vision holders held complete control over their work and could guide and maintain it from concept to execution. This is why I chose to completely self-fund Robotoki and have chosen to only work with partners who were supportive of that model.”
Click to expand...
 
Tokubetsu

Tokubetsu

Member
PR Hype bullshit. We'll see how this turns out (probably poorly). Realistic expectations for them changing anything.
 
G

GrizzNKev

Banned
This will please me as long as it's not anything related to shooters. Hopefully leaving CoD behind means leaving the genre behind too.
 
M

mysticwhip

Banned
“As a developer, our focus is on creating a universe first, experiences second, and game mechanics last, “
what terrible design philosophy. Games live and die by how fun their mechanics are. I'm not gonna go back to a game because the universe is intriguing, I'm gonna go back because the gameplay was fun, nothing else.
 
R

Ravidrath

Member
“We are focused on our team first and everything else second, because I believe as an industry; we have a lot to learn on how to treat talent. While we continue to out stride film and music entertainment in other areas, we are falling severely behind in how to properly inspire and support our creative talent."
Click to expand...

Applying and demanding green M&Ms and a desk-side beer tap in my contract.


“As a developer, our focus is on creating a universe first, experiences second, and game mechanics last“
Click to expand...

Translation: "As a developer, our focus is on being coddled, making money for it, and never actually shipping a product."
 
K

Kyoufu

Member
Some CoD community manager opens his own studio while Ryan Payton is struggling to get funding for Republique.

This is one crazy world we live in.
 
T

tranciful

Member
mysticwhip said:
“As a developer, our focus is on creating a universe first, experiences second, and game mechanics last, “
what terrible design philosophy. Games live and die by how fun their mechanics are. I'm not gonna go back to a game because the universe is intriguing, I'm gonna go back because the gameplay was fun, nothing else.
Click to expand...

I think there's more than one way to skin a cat. I think it can be argued that Journey put 'experience' above 'game mechanics' and it turned out amazing.

My hope is that they get the support they need to see their vision through -- who knows, maybe we'll get to play something different as a result ;)
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
mysticwhip said:
“As a developer, our focus is on creating a universe first, experiences second, and game mechanics last, “
what terrible design philosophy. Games live and die by how fun their mechanics are. I'm not gonna go back to a game because the universe is intriguing, I'm gonna go back because the gameplay was fun, nothing else.
Click to expand...

I agree that I won't replay a game if the mechanics aren't fun but if their universe and experience isn't great then I probably won't finish the game to begin with.
 
R

Ravidrath

Member
tranciful said:
My hope is that they get the support they need to see their vision through -- who knows, maybe we'll get to play something different as a result ;)
Click to expand...

From the makers of the most successful, repetitive game series ever comes... SOMETHING DIFFERENT.


These guys are not auteurs like Jenova Chen is, so I really don't think this applies.

The whole "focusing on the universe" thing is ridiculous, too, because this is also a team that is not exactly known about making "universes," and is specifically only known for its good mechanics.

And all this "universe" talk makes me think it's an MMO or large-scale RPG, because, really... that's where those things matter.
 
M

mysticwhip

Banned
tranciful said:
I think there's more than one way to skin a cat. I think it can be argued that Journey put 'experience' above 'game mechanics' and it turned out amazing.

My hope is that they get the support they need to see their vision through -- who knows, maybe we'll get to play something different as a result ;)
Click to expand...

you could argue that the experience of Journey could be do to the simple and well executed game mechanics(though they were few). you can't say that flying through the air wasn't fun. I haven't played it but all my friends said that the sand surfing and gliding/floating/flying was fun.
 
Nizz

Nizz

Member
No better time to introduce a new IP like next-gen consoles. Curious to see what they come up with, though the quote about gameplay mechanics being last doesn't fill me with confidence.
 
T

tranciful

Member
mysticwhip said:
you could argue that the experience of Journey could be do to the simple and well executed game mechanics(though they were few). you can't say that flying through the air wasn't fun. I haven't played it but all my friends said that the sand surfing and gliding/floating/flying was fun.
Click to expand...
Yeah, those things were fun, but you're missing the point. It was obvious that they decided to capture the experience of flying through the air or surfing down sand, and found the specific gameplay mechanics to best fit that experience. Not the other way around.

Jenova talking about Journey development: "Right. Our goal is to achieve a particular emotional experience. The feeling is the most important thing, but we don’t necessarily know what gameplay mechanics will enhance that feeling.." http://media.next-gen.biz/features/jenova-chen-interview

Experience first. Mechanics chosen to best fit the experience they're after. It's possible to make amazing games this way. I'm all for more people giving it a shot. We need more variety in games and it annoys me when gamers piss on it. Don't limit what video games can be/do.
 
T

tranciful

Member
Ravidrath said:
From the makers of the most successful, repetitive game series ever comes... SOMETHING DIFFERENT.


These guys are not auteurs like Jenova Chen is, so I really don't think this applies.

The whole "focusing on the universe" thing is ridiculous, too, because this is also a team that is not exactly known about making "universes," and is specifically only known for its good mechanics.

And all this "universe" talk makes me think it's an MMO or large-scale RPG, because, really... that's where those things matter.
Click to expand...

He worked on CoD so he must only be good at making CoD and never have aspirations to make anything but CoD..? Please. Apart from him, have any other people even been confirmed? For all you know, some of the people that left ThatGameCompany are on board for this. Not saying it's likely, but for crying out loud right now we just have one guy with a vision. Way too early to be pigeonholing him.
 
K

kuYuri

Member
tranciful said:
He worked on CoD so he must only be good at making CoD and never have aspirations to make anything but CoD..? Please. Apart from him, have any other people even been confirmed? For all you know, some of the people that left ThatGameCompany are on board for this. Not saying it's likely, but for crying out loud right now we just have one guy with a vision. Way too early to be pigeonholing him.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. It's ridiculous.

Robert Bowling didn't even program for IW, and any design decisions he had is probably minimal at best. He was a glorified community manager.

I bet the last thing on his mind is being involved in another first person shooter right now.
 
James Sawyer Ford

James Sawyer Ford

Member
Nirolak said:
He got promoted to Creative Strategist pretty quickly, so I'm be surprised if he doesn't have 8 if not 9 figures in his bank account.
Click to expand...

I though he was promoted to 'Creative Strategist' for Modern Warfare 3 (that is, pretty recently) after the break-up of Infinity Ward. I'm not even sure if 'Creative Strategist' is supposed to be a big deal on a franchise like CoD. He was probably one of the few left that was part of the original crew.

Nine figures for a community manager that had brief seniority for one game...if you're right, just lol @ my life.
 
James Sawyer Ford

James Sawyer Ford

Member
Wow...just wow...

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/designers/robert-bowling-net-worth/

What is Robert Bowling’s net worth? Robert Bowling’s net worth is $18 million dollars. Robert Bowling is a Los Angeles-based game developer and writer. He is part of the key team at Infinity Ward, the company that developed the popular game series “Call of Duty”, and its subsequent sequels. He is currently serving as Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist, even as many members of the original team have left the company due to a dispute with Activision, their parent company. He hosts “GamerGeekDad” with Len Peralta, a weekly show that features the two men, both fathers, playing and reviewing video games. He has also published a children’s book called, “Look! The Book”. He is the co-founder of SubStream Music Press, and was the former CEO of FourzerotwoMedia. He has expressed that he is “happy” about recent sales of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3”, but has declined to give any actual numbers when pressed for details
Click to expand...

RobertBowling_titel0411.jpg
 
S

Skilotonn

xbot xbot xbot xbot xbot
Being self-funded is an interesting move, meaning that they do whatever they want, however they want. Also gives me the idea that he wasn't liking the higher-ups at Activision either.

Good luck to him.
 
D

Daigoro

Member
Gez said:
LOL!

Do the same thing Bobby but in the reverse order.
Click to expand...

holy crap. no shit.

that is exactly the kind of game i do not want to play.

tranciful said:
Experience first. Mechanics chosen to best fit the experience they're after. It's possible to make amazing games this way. I'm all for more people giving it a shot. We need more variety in games and it annoys me when gamers piss on it. Don't limit what video games can be/do.
Click to expand...

we interact with games. if the interface is less than pleasing the whole experience goes right out the window.

game mechanics first. always.
 
T

tranciful

Member
Daigoro said:
we interact with games. if the interface is less than pleasing the whole experience goes right out the window.

game mechanics first. always.
Click to expand...
Tell that to ThatGameCompany. Actually, don't bother. They're already doing fine creating amazing games that expand what video games can be. :)
 
J

JasonUresti

Member
tranciful said:
Tell that to ThatGameCompany. Actually, don't bother. They're already doing fine creating amazing games that expand what video games can be. :)
Click to expand...

Are you serious? Shiiieeeeet! Love to hear how they've expanded on what games can be. Do I need to take several hits off a bong first, to "get it"? Or, have they expanded games simply because the developers told you they did?
 
P

Pyronite

Member
Pretty sure Mass Effect (particularly the first title) was created "universe first, experience second, game mechanics last". Plenty of RPGs also fall into that category. I doubt he means it as word for word as detractors assume, but people gonna hate.
 
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