nickbreckon
Bethesda Community Manager
Heh, I can assure you that he is intimately involved with the direction of Zwei.
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Game designers/industry people whose career path makes you weep
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Heh, I can assure you that he is intimately involved with the direction of Zwei.
R
Retro_
Unconfirmed Member
The treatment of Yu Suzuki and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I was surprised that neither guy got picked up by a big company after leaving their previous companies. Especially Suzuki who no one in the industry can touch in regards to the all the damn ip's he's created and all the variety.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
@bolded: This is largely true. His style has a very strong distinctive flavor (aimed at an empty niche in the marketplace by design).
I've also heard of nothing but good things from CS, provided one goes in the understanding it's heavily resticted by design.
Yeah, it's happened since time immemorial in the industry, but this last generation has been almost willfully systematic in culling the greats. It's as if they're master blacksmiths early in the age of the automobile where their revered mastery is not what lands you a job still doing that, but sheer luck.
Sir Ilpalazzo
Member
That makes me glad to hear.
Femmeworth
Banned
Since when?
Holy crap! I didn't know Hiroki Kikuta started his own production company. From like 2000-2010 I thought he was dead until I looked him up on VGMdb and discovered he composed for hentai games in the mid 2000's. I didn't know he worked on SCV. And btw, Secret of Mana: Genesis is effing awesome; don't give a shit what the haters say.
A Black Falcon
Member
He's the first one I'd mention, for sure. From several of the best games ever made (Civ II, AC), to Zynga? So sad, and so painful... those two are still two of the very best strategy games ever. And now... Zynga.
Yes, they were about the be shut down. The game that they were working on that got redesigned into Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning would never have come out if not for Schilling buying them. So yeah, it's good that he did buy them, it got us a version of their game... it just didn't sell well enough and the company went down.
The battles weren't his idea? But the battle system was one of the biggest things changed from Koudelka to Shadow Hearts, along with plenty of other things. I like Koudelka's grid battles more myself...
I agree, Epic Mickey's nowhere near being a game that deserves to be in this thread...
Cozy MFin Okada.
The man is a god of SMT. And now? Uh, mobile games.
<3
He was also the co-creators and creative Producer of the Monster Kingdom projects (Folklore, Jewel Summoner,Coded Soul) with SCEJ
no, thanks. I'd prefer Molyneux to do what he does now. At least his iOS games are experimental, not rehashed formulas of platformers, tower defence games and so on.
He chose that path though, MS would have kept him at lionhead and thrown money at him to keep churning out Fable as long as it kept selling. Problem was he wants to make weird experiment games and that's easier on iOS. Helps he is now a millionaire as well.
McBradders
NeoGAF: my new HOME
Nobody's posted Yuji Naka? Wow.
I'm fact, I'm just going to say Sega as a whole. A once beyond incredible company pioneering in almost every direction possible reduced to... Well, it hurts to say.
I'm fact, I'm just going to say Sega as a whole. A once beyond incredible company pioneering in almost every direction possible reduced to... Well, it hurts to say.
GillianSeed79
Member
Yu Suzuki. For most of my young life, even though I grew up in the middle of nowhere, you couldn't walk into an arcade without being blown away by a Suzuki/AM2 game. Fighting game, driving game, flight game, lightgun game - didn't matter. Master of all genres. From Afterburner to Outrun, Virtua Racing to Virtua Fighter. I don't think some people realize what it was like living in a small town and seeing Virtua Fighter in the arcade. Just trying to explain to my older brother that I played this game that was in 3-D was was crazy.
Bruce Shelley
Anybody else feel mildly depressed?
- The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom (2010), Ubisoft Entertainment SA
- Halo Wars (2009), Microsoft Game Studios
- Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties (2007), Microsoft Game Studios
- Helldorado (2007), dtp entertainment AG
- Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs (2006), Microsoft Game Studios
- Age of Empires III (2005), Microsoft Game Studios
- Age of Mythology: The Titans (2003), Microsoft Game Studios
- Age of Mythology (2002), Microsoft Game Studios
- Railroad Tycoon II (Platinum) (2001), Gathering of Developers, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
- Age of Empires II: The Conquerors (2000), Microsoft Corporation
- Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999), Microsoft Corporation
- Civilization II (Multiplayer Gold Edition) (1999), MacSoft
- Railroad Tycoon II (Gold Edition) (1999), Gathering
- Railroad Tycoon II: The Second Century (1999), Gathering
- Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome (1998), Microsoft Corporation
- Railroad Tycoon II (1998), Gathering
- Age of Empires (1997), Microsoft Corporation
- Sid Meier's Civilization II (1996), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Sid Meier's CivNet (1995), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Sid Meier's Colonization (1994), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Peter Pan: A Story Painting Adventure (1993), Electronic Arts, Inc.
- Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon Deluxe (1993), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Sid Meier Triple Game Pack (1992), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter 2.0 (1991), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Sid Meier's Civilization (1991), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Sid Meier's Covert Action (1990), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon (1990), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Silent Service II (1990), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- F-15 Strike Eagle II (1989), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- F-19 Stealth Fighter (1988), MicroProse Software, Inc.
- Super Bowl Sunday (1984), The Avalon Hill Game Company
- FrontierVille (2010), Zynga
Anybody else feel mildly depressed?
Secret Fawful
Member
Warren Spector shouldn't be named in this topic. The Epic Mickey games are brilliant for people who love the roots of Disney.
Saving a bullet for it, perhaps...
Fess
Member
He could have small experimental games within bigger games though, Shenmue style. I just want his think out of the box ideas in bigger games, I used to play on iOS devices but I'm over that now so for me he barely exist anymore.
Sentenza
Member
Crap?
his new "game" is a curious (pun not intended) social experiment. But yeah, it's crap if you think in traditional genres. What I like about Molyneux is that he doesn't give a shit about traditional genres.
Brian Reynolds.
Soren Johnson.
Richard Garriott.
Reading about Reynolds defending Zynga and trying to justify the obvious ripoffs of the company made me genuinely sad.
Here, suffer with me.
A sad demise for a genius designer.
Soren Johnson.
Richard Garriott.
Reading about Reynolds defending Zynga and trying to justify the obvious ripoffs of the company made me genuinely sad.
Here, suffer with me.
Brian Reynolds said:
A sad demise for a genius designer.
Synth_floyd
Banned
Richard Garriott. Created and directed most of the seminal Ultima games, then gets bought by EA, game quality and sales dive, leaves EA and becomes an astronaut. Now he's working on a social RPG but his game creation ability likely peaked 20 years ago.
Jon Van Caneghem. Created and directed all of the Might & Magic and Heroes of Might & Magic games. Another tale of a once great dev being bought by a mega publisher and having all the quality squeezed out of it. New World Computing was bought by 3DO in the mid 90s and suffered the same fate as Origin under EA. 3DO forces them to churn out sequel after sequel, sales and quality suffer, JVC leaves and the studio is shut down.
Jon Van Caneghem. Created and directed all of the Might & Magic and Heroes of Might & Magic games. Another tale of a once great dev being bought by a mega publisher and having all the quality squeezed out of it. New World Computing was bought by 3DO in the mid 90s and suffered the same fate as Origin under EA. 3DO forces them to churn out sequel after sequel, sales and quality suffer, JVC leaves and the studio is shut down.
JimmyRustler
Member
Mikami makes me most sad.
Vanquish was alright but that's only one good game in over 5 years.... He should have never got into the dispute with Capcom and should continued to work on Resident Evil. For his and the series sake.
I mean, what the bloody hell happened?
Zwei (Creative Director)
Shadows of the Damned (2011; Creative Producer)
Vanquish (2010)
God Hand (2006; director)
Killer 7 (2005; Handlung, executive producer)
Resident Evil 4 (2005; director)
Dino Crisis 3 (2003; executive producer)
Viewtiful Joe (2003; executive producer)
P.N.03 (2003; director)
Resident Evil Zero (2002; executive advisor)
Resident Evil (2002; director)
Devil May Cry (2001; executive producer)
Resident Evil Gaiden (2001; advisor)
Onimusha: Warlords (2001; advisor)
Dino Crisis 2 (2000; executive producer)
Resident Evil Code: Veronica (2000; producer)
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999; producer)
Dino Crisis (1999; producer, director)
Resident Evil 2 (1998; game producer)
Resident Evil (1996; director)
Involved in 17 projects from 1996-2006 and since then it's like.... 2 (with Zwei 3)? What the hell?
Vanquish was alright but that's only one good game in over 5 years.... He should have never got into the dispute with Capcom and should continued to work on Resident Evil. For his and the series sake.
I mean, what the bloody hell happened?
Zwei (Creative Director)
Shadows of the Damned (2011; Creative Producer)
Vanquish (2010)
God Hand (2006; director)
Killer 7 (2005; Handlung, executive producer)
Resident Evil 4 (2005; director)
Dino Crisis 3 (2003; executive producer)
Viewtiful Joe (2003; executive producer)
P.N.03 (2003; director)
Resident Evil Zero (2002; executive advisor)
Resident Evil (2002; director)
Devil May Cry (2001; executive producer)
Resident Evil Gaiden (2001; advisor)
Onimusha: Warlords (2001; advisor)
Dino Crisis 2 (2000; executive producer)
Resident Evil Code: Veronica (2000; producer)
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999; producer)
Dino Crisis (1999; producer, director)
Resident Evil 2 (1998; game producer)
Resident Evil (1996; director)
Involved in 17 projects from 1996-2006 and since then it's like.... 2 (with Zwei 3)? What the hell?
HD towns and all that stuff. But 2 (3 potentially) great projects is better than working at Zynga or making some F2P tower defence game for iOS.
From fantastic games to fantastic games. I see consistency here.
I've been playing Thief in preparation to Dishonored and decided to read a bit about Looking Glass Studios. I learned about Paul Neurath who was a co-founder and credited in following games:
Today Paul Neurath is a creative director of Zynga Boston.
From Looking Glass Studios to Zynga...
let's remember all great people in the industry who just don't give a damn anymore.
I came in this thread to post Neurath. I did not expect that Neurath would be the catalyst for the thread.
Pretty much any of the Looking Glass guys could be listed now. Doug Church is stuck working for Valve--and I really don't see them designing a game that respects players, since their whole thing is about psychological manipulation. :\
Warren Spector's making 3D platformers, which is a pretty big step down from games like System Shock and Deus Ex. Are they great platformers? Sure, but the immersive sim is everything that video games, as a medium, can achieve. 3D Platformers are just... not.
Then you've got Ken Levine, who went from Thief and System Shock 2 to Bioshock. :\
I don't even think Austin Grossman does games anymore.
Why, Looking Glass? Why?
Sentenza
Member
It's something dangerously close to a legalized scam. And regardless of that it's just a shitty game design.
If everyone else but Molyneux would ever came up with a similar concept, he would be laughed out of the door, but he's Molyneux so people feel the urge to praise his stupid idea.
By the way you clearly don't know what are you talking about if you're so quick to dismiss Populous as "a reashed platformer or tower defense" (?).
This is what irritates me about game credits, there's so little consistency. Executive Director, especially when there is a Game Director, implies a less hands on role. If he's on it daily, and creatively heading the project, while Ikumi Nakamura is some sort of lead advocate for the design, a typical crediting would be Creative Director and Game Director right?
Executive implies a more cooperate association.
Populous is a strategy game. Don't know why you mention it because Molyneux isn't making a sequel for iOS as far as I know. Also Populous was one of the first games in the genre. It helped to establish it. Strategy games weren't traditional back then.
This thread has it covered.
Gunpei Yokoi, first of all. Yu Suzuki, second. Shinya Nishigaki, third.
Takashi Tezuka, fourth, because he should still be directing games (especially Zelda). Leave the producing to Miyamoto.
And Yuji Naka & Shinji Mikami, because they have no business being so quiet.
Gunpei Yokoi, first of all. Yu Suzuki, second. Shinya Nishigaki, third.
Takashi Tezuka, fourth, because he should still be directing games (especially Zelda). Leave the producing to Miyamoto.
And Yuji Naka & Shinji Mikami, because they have no business being so quiet.
BrokenSymmetry
Member
Raph Koster: From designer of incredibly well-loved sandbox MMO games (Ultima, Star Wars Galaxies) to some vague "social" projects.
Jordan Mechner: From designer of great adventure/action games with even better stories and characters (Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was the best game of last generation), to what? screenplay writer?
Jordan Mechner: From designer of great adventure/action games with even better stories and characters (Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was the best game of last generation), to what? screenplay writer?
FlutterPuffs
Member
Vanquish is the best tps this genereration imo (as RE4 was last gen) so no I think he has delivered.. at least if Zwei turns out good
A better answer is Peter Molyneux. His game were amazing back in the amiga/early pc days.
From Popolous and Dungeon Keeper to.. the insultingly easy and undercooked Fable series and not some sort of social experiment?
You are kind of saturating his real works with some minor involvements there. Advisor and executive producer?
Zwei (Creative Director)
Shadows of the Damned (2011; Creative Producer)
Vanquish (2010)
God Hand (2006; director)
Resident Evil 4 (2005; director)
P.N.03 (2003; director)
Resident Evil (2002; director)
Resident Evil Code: Veronica (2000; producer)
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999; producer)
Dino Crisis (1999; producer, director)
Resident Evil 2 (1998; game producer)
Resident Evil (1996; director)
That list is more indicative of his work. It is a pretty solid portfolio. Directing games takes a lot of time and effort.
Tezuka was a hands on designer for a long time. From like 83-95. He was then more of a producer, and now he serves as a general producer. He is more of a manager and should be because of his age. If you think he should give that up and direct zeldas again, Tezuka himself admits he was never able to grasp 3D games from a player or designer stand put.
And how is Mikami quiet? He released a game in 2010 and is now working on another game with his new company. The short bit of silence is understandable.
Doctor Decimate
Member
so Warren Spector is fantastic at adding the Disney coat of paint to games. and? gameplay wise it's still a downward spiral, unless somehow the mechanics improve with the power of believing in Mickey
The Bookerman
Member
He's doing a remake of Karateka for XBLA I think?
For me it's koji Igarashi:
It makes me sad he's doing horrible Kinect games.
Also whoever likes those Lords of Shadow castlevania Games, Dave cox(Producer of the Lords of shadow series): The Man went on a twitter rampage that he doesn't care about fans of those IGA-Castlevania games, that his castlevania games won't cater to those fans because they didn't sell. That's a narrowed view of things, especially from a producer. Guess what, I won't buy your games, and If I was Konami, I'd have a chat with you.
on PC, I mean. And yes, they weren't that common in 1989.
I'd say that I don't agree with you on Doug Church, Levine and Spector. But I don't think that I should bother with explaining as it would take too long to post. All of them were trying to push the medium all these years and they still try to do it now. Spector isn't in a position to do so though... Disney won't let him.
And Harvey Smith just did a good game. He wasn't involved with Looking Glass that much apart from System Shock afaik but he worked there anyway. And Randy Smith makes GOOD iOS games which is a feat in itself.
Even Shadows of the Damned he had very little practical involvement with, similar to Killer7. Really the only blemish there is PN03. It's a stylish game, but crap, unlike anything else he's headed.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Got it!
Warren Spector.
Dude made Deus Ex...
now he makes Epic Mickey
Warren Spector.
Dude made Deus Ex...
now he makes Epic Mickey
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
RollerCoasterTycoon 3 was his last big game. They created the most ambitous and packed theme park creator that has ever existed, even if the haters have only played the vanilla version. Yeah, possibly RCT1 and RCT2 where better campaign games, and it played better because the peeps were single minded cells (in 3 it was the more ambitious family and group peeps that gave economy problems), but RCT3 with its patches and two amazing expansions its a better "build your dream, or recreate, themepark", when you add the modder scene to the mix the game has turned gigantic.
Then he did the shitty thrillville games, that were RCT lite for kids, and kinect disneylad, that is a perfect recreation, and even a good idea, but falls apart becuase of the fucking kinect, that shit doesnt work well.
You just reminded me that I should re-install RCT3, thanks.
