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[Piston Hyundai]

Do you think the focus testers told them that they didn't like the campaign coop, so they took it out?

 

[ArgyleReptile]

The Dinosaurs are actually a metaphor for the dangers of fossil fuel consumption.

No, no my friend, it's a metaphor for how humankind should pretend to be a omniscient being for recreation.

 

[Ubernube]

You don't play games for story because you play them for gameplay, but there are plenty of data to suggest that a strong emotional attachment aids with retention for certain segments of the market.

If you want expanded audience consumers, creating a strong relatable narrative hook/lore around your fantasy is sometimes a good way to onboard new combats (who get turned off being introduced to new games by mechanics, modes, or features). Helps with marketing and if done well in game, retention for single player games. Which has lots of ancillary benefits.

Again, I'm not saying this is the right tactical approach specifically for DR as much as I'm saying I'm for the overall strategy to keep a franchise on the fence going

Thing is, the Dead Rising series has traditionally been pretty good at having likable, entertaining characters that I felt did a pretty good job at making me want to see more and see more of these characters. Thing is, I see none of that here. There's a reason people are so pissed off about the new Frank. What they did is definitely not the right approach.

The plot they're talking about is nothing new for the series. Hell, the very first game in the series did this plot point involving consumerism. Ironically, it'll probably be better than this one.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

The irony of making a game the developers say is about consumerism and yet talking about a 5th, 6th, and 7th game of more of the same. Do they have no self-awareness?!

Big corporations selling rebellion is as old as Punk music. Watch Dogs 2 also shares the same narrative.

 

[BananasWithGuns]

God that comes off as so pretentious and stupid.

It's a bit disheartening because I really liked playing co-op on DR3 but this game is going to bomb hard.

 

[oti]

What a weird thing to say.

 

[iconoclast]

Everyone loves to shit on Inafune and then you remember he made all your favs. I keep telling people, he was the brains of this series.

Not really. If you're going to credit one person, it should be Yoshinori Kawano, who directed DR1 and was executive director of DR2. He wasn't involved with DR3, and I get the feeling that he had nothing to do with DR4, either.

 

[Undead Fantasy]

No thanks. Keep them.

 

[blakep267]

Do you think the focus testers told them that they didn't like the campaign coop, so they took it out?

They have a 4 player co-op left4dead type mode. I wouldn't be surprised if their data showed that type of mode was more desirable than campaign co-op

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

Not really. If you're going to credit one person, it should be Yoshinori Kawano, who directed DR1 and was executive director of DR2. He wasn't involved with DR3, and I get the feeling that he had nothing to do with DR4, either.

But I bet it was Inafune who greenlit most of what Dead Rising originally was.

 

[User 479360]

Zombie fiction as commentary on consumerism? How novel!

Yeah, it's not as if George A. Romero didn't do it back in the 70s. Something which the original Dead Rising borrowed.

 

[Deadbeat]

Its like they are doing preemptive damage control before this game comes out.

 

[Roboculus]

Dead Rising has felt like it's been on the chopping block for awhile. Feels like a series that just make it past what's needed sales wise compared to their budget.

Yeah and this is a real problem because if this game doesn't do well (which is seeming pretty likely right now), then I feel like DR might just be done. I mean, it sounds like they're under some sales pressure, possibly because as you say, maybe the previous games just didn't sell well enough to justify their budget so making another full priced game like that may not be an option for them.

I wonder if a smaller budget game or episodic release based on the first two games could work out for them. People seemed generally happy with RE Revelations 2's model. This is of course assuming that Capcom is interested in pursuing this and doesn't just can it all and tell Vancouver to move on to some other IP.

 

[hollomat]

Very excited for 4. I actually am excited for all the changes made and think they are all for the better.

 

[10k]

Anyone else bothered by the missing letter in Vancouver?

 

[SkyOdin]

I wonder if a smaller budget game or episodic release based on the first two games could work out for them. People seemed generally happy with RE Revelations 2's model. This is of course assuming that Capcom is interested in pursuing this and doesn't just can it all and tell Vancouver to move on to some other IP.

Maybe. Case Zero was one of the best things about Dead Rising 2. The smaller scale and more focused events worked pretty well.

 

[NinjaCoachZ]

"The message behind the game is around consumerism and Black Friday, and we're asking: who is the monster? The zombies running around or is it what caused everyone to fight each other and demand these products and services? I often say this is not the thinking man's game, but there are some messages in there that might make you think a little bit more than usual."

Three years ago, the TV series South Park told a similar story, where a zombie-like crowd of shoppers rip each other apart to get their hands on the new Xbox One and PS4 over Black Friday. Having made their statement on the evils of consumerism, the South Park writers wryly end the story by promoting their upcoming consumer product, the video game South Park: The Stick of Truth. I had to ask if Capcom Vancouver is embracing that same deliberate, comical hypocrisy, on one hand condemning how Christmas has become about buying things, whilst simultaneously making a game for people to buy that comes out just before Christmas.

Nickolls hesitates: "Well, the game is based on that message but... you're the first reporter to ask me that. From a business sense, this is a good time to release a game. It just happened to coincide with the fact that the game is ready. It just so happens to also be a game about consumerism and Black Friday. We didn't set out to do that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MYAGyZlBY0

 

[Salty Rice]

Scrap all these shitty games and give us one good DMC 5 instead.

 

[leroidys]

As I've gotten older, I've begun to prefer that series progress and change than stay stagnant. I only have so much time to game, and it ends up seeming much less worthwhile to spend it on something that's so similar to previous games, even if it's a flawless formula.

That said, DR4 isn't doing a whole lot for me, but I hope people will judge it on its own merits, and not only the previous games in the series.

 

[Christof]

Damn I dont think I appreciated how lucky it was to get dead rising 3 until right now

 

[SneakersSO]

As I've gotten older, I've begun to prefer that series progress and change than stay stagnant. I only have so much time to game, and it ends up seeming much less worthwhile to spend it on something that's so similar to previous games, even if it's a flawless formula.

That said, DR4 isn't doing a whole lot for me, but I hope people will judge it on its own merits, and not only the previous games in the series.

I mean, if they wanted to make a game that were all these fresh takes on an established formula, they could've very well called it a new IP, and explored even more things. They choose to use the Dead Rising name, so they should be judged by the frame of reference of the series past.

 

[- J - D -]

Hilarious. What they're saying is practically self-parody and they don't even recognize it.

 

[Comfort Jones]

What is with all of these B teams trying to take silly and goofy stuff and turning it into something it's not?

 

[nded]

As I've gotten older, I've begun to prefer that series progress and change than stay stagnant. I only have so much time to game, and it ends up seeming much less worthwhile to spend it on something that's so similar to previous games, even if it's a flawless formula.

That said, DR4 isn't doing a whole lot for me, but I hope people will judge it on its own merits, and not only the previous games in the series.

Try different games to satiate your desire for novelty instead of expecting established franchises to do it for you. What you call stagnation others might consider consistency.

 

[Pathfinder]

"The only way to truly tell if we made the right choices is to play the game."

I'll wait for a sale. Then, maybe.

 

[Zubz]

Who's willing to bet DR4 sells great, but is a flop due to how overbudgeted it is due to its cinematic approach and "riveting" story?

Real Talk.
With the current Capcom Vancouver management. I would rather Dino Crisis stays dead than go to them.

Jaw not wanting to take a route to a new Dino Crisis? Do my eyes deceive me?

 

[Mesoian]

This rheodoric feels very very similar to what was being said before Lost Planet 3 came out...

 

[Gaogaogao]

lets start by changing the name, then

 

[VanCityGamer]

What's a "Vancouve"?

 

[Maleko Saint]

Yeah, I think I'm good with where I stopped in the series.

 

[Vaughngief]

For the love of god please give this franchise back to Japan. I don't even care if it's a rookie team that makes the next one. We've got hipsters making Dead Rising now.

 

[Terrell]

God that comes off as so pretentious and stupid.

I work down the street from Capcom Vancouver and occasionally have lunch in the same place as their staff. After overhearing their conversations in line for my food, it seems like a fair summation.

Also, I like how Nickolls "hesitated" after the interviewer asked him about the potential hypocrisy of telling a story that condemns holiday consumerism while selling their product in that same holiday. I mean.... did you not think someone would call you out for that ever, dude?

 

[Toki767]

Was...anyone really wondering why Frank West would wear outfits and all that?

 

[Rymuth]

I'd say the original Dead Rising had a tinge of anti-Americanism...or at least critical of the US' foreign policy.

Not surprised the western studio shied away from that and went for the easiest, most easily digested message in zombie media "we are da monsterzz"

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

For the love of god please give this franchise back to Japan. I don't even care if it's a rookie team that makes the next one. We've got hipsters making Dead Rising now.

They're not hipsters. I've seen hipsters write better stuff.

 

[Darknight]

Isnt Dead Rising 4 on one system only? Like if you want it to do well, you have to have it be multi at least.

 

[Warablo]

I probably won't buy it until they tone it down a little and make the gameplay better.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

Isnt Dead Rising 4 on one system only? Like if you want it to do well, you have to have it be multi at least.

MS is funding most of it.

 

[Sad Affleck]

Hilarious. What they're saying is practically self-parody and they don't even recognize it.

Yeah. Personally I would appreciate a bit of honesty. "The games are not selling well enough to justify the investment, we need to make them more mainstream-friendly."

 

[Alienous]

Yeah, they've killed this franchise.

 

[RPGam3r]

Its like they are doing preemptive damage control before this game comes out.

There's nothing preemptive about it, there are some with their pants down ready to shit on this game in a moments notice.

 

[ArtHands]

I applaud Capcom for making changes and taking risks. This is basically like Resident Evil 4, a series that brought huge (and much needed) changes to a series that was facing sales decline back then, and it paid off for Capcom when it turned into a enormous success, depite series fans hating on it pre-release.

Of cause there is a risk that it might not work out well. As long as there doesn't implement any anti-consumer practices, I will look forward to it and hope they will succeed here like they did with Resident Evil 4.

 

[Bl@de]

Can't they just give it back to Capcom Japan?

 

[Persona7]

Good luck with that.

Do you think the focus testers told them that they didn't like the campaign coop, so they took it out?

I am guessing the budget didn't allow it.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

The franchise will live if MS says so.

 

[blakep267]

Isnt Dead Rising 4 on one system only? Like if you want it to do well, you have to have it be multi at least.

Its on Xbox and windows 10 first then steam in a few months. Also they likely needed additional funding front MS to get the game even up and out. So it would have to have some kind of exclusivity

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

I don't care that you want to make a lucrative franchise. Make a decent game first.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

Can't they just give it back to Capcom Japan?

They're busy doing other stuff.

 

[matrixman92]

sorry, but no co op campaign was the final straw for me.

 

[TheSeks]

No thanks, I'm good with one.

FTFY.

I applaud Capcom for making changes and taking risks. This is basically like Resident Evil 4, a series that brought huge (and much needed) changes to a series that was facing sales decline back then, and it paid off for Capcom when it turned into a enormous success, depite series fans hating on it pre-release.

What? Nobody was hating Biohazard 4 given there was no gameplay trailers shown until like E3. The "fog" version was CGI at the time, not actual gameplay. The hookman was never shown until years later. Nobody had a clue what Bio4 was doing until E3. And then fans were worried about how the transition would happen. It helps that Bio4 was a solid game, but for a lot of older fans (like me) it's not a Biohazard game. (Especially given how later entries in the series took elements from it and didn't understand why 4 was a good game)

DR4 is a completely different beast. They took elements of what fans liked out in the third outing (only to include them after fan outcry) and none of the original staff (unlike Mikami/series creator of Biohazard worked on 4) are working on it. It's not hard to understand why fans are backlashing hard on it.