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

Deadly Cyclone

Pride of Iowa State
You haven't shown that you can be competent in game development, have you? All you've shown is that you can bullshit about Call of Duty and try to sell some flawed game design philosophy. But hey, if you want to piss away money, go ahead.

This post reads like he is stealing your money or something.
 
Not sure why this guy has a following given he was only a community manager when COD4 came out. He moved up when most of the best talent left and presided over one of the most the most stale iterations of the franchise.
 

massoluk

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.

Translation: I actually want to make movies, but I'm stuck with video game.
 

Cat Party

Member
It's about approaching a concept from a platform agnostic point of view. It's about thinking what the player will experience from any device, and then defining the experience per device, and then crafting that gameplay mechanic for that device.

I have no problem with this approach. Sounds good to me.
 

kuYuri

Member
"When I made the decision to resign from my previous position at Activision, I only knew one thing for certain," he tells us. "I knew what I didn't want to do, but that eventually led to clarity on what I did want to do."

What he wanted to do, he says, was delve into new experiences and develop something different to that which he had worked on with the Call of Duty franchise.


"After each project, you sit back and you contemplate what you're passionate about and you have to make your next move based on that," he continues. "Regardless if the rest of the world is ready to move on or not, if there are unique stories and experiences you want to deliver, then you have to follow your passion to deliver those. Nothing else can be a deciding factor when it comes to creative decision making."

"So when I left, it was solely to follow that passion to create new opportunities and experiences -- not knowing yet what that would be until the decision to form Robotoki and rally support behind our first project was decided."

Rest can be read here: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/169104/Why_Robert_Bowling_left_Call_of_Duty_behind.php
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
You haven't shown that you can be competent in game development, have you? All you've shown is that you can bullshit about Call of Duty and try to sell some flawed game design philosophy. But hey, if you want to piss away money, go ahead.

You are seriously being a dick. But I guess that's internet anonymity's greatest blessing.
 
You haven't shown that you can be competent in game development, have you? All you've shown is that you can bullshit about Call of Duty and try to sell some flawed game design philosophy. But hey, if you want to piss away money, go ahead.
what the fuck is wrong with you and your attitude? by what right do you have to attack anyone like that? seriously...
 

zlatko

Banned
what the fuck is wrong with you and your attitude? by what right do you have to attack anyone like that? seriously...

Welcome to the internet.

neogaf.gif

Seriously though I wish him the best of luck. Yo Rob, do you need any bottom of the barrel testers? Give me a job bra! :D
 

Basch

Member
This site has turned into quite a headache. I can't believe people are insulting developers over a philosophy. One that has already been put into effect with many games that millions have already snatched up and proven that such a philosophy can be successful and often times preferable. Quite honestly, it's disgusting. A lot of you need to realize that developers may have opposing philosophies. I disagree with Todd Howard's philosophy on game design. Vehemently, in fact, but I don't insult the guy. I still enjoy his games. I read his interviews and try to see things from his perspective but there's just somethings people will disagree on, and you need to respect that... or not, after all this is the Internet.
 
The idea isn't the worst thing ever but as soon as you make a universe, you're then limiting what kind of games you can make within that universe.

It's also interesting that he's going this way because I don't think anyone really cares about the CoD universe. People are primarily playing those games for the mechanics and even those who play it for the story are that worried about where these events occur in the Codiverse.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
As a developer, our focus is on creating a universe first, experiences second, and game mechanics last, “

That's not... inspiring. Don't get me wrong, having a good universe is great and all. But what good is a good universe if you don't have good gameplay to back it up?
 

James Sawyer Ford

Gold Member
First thing that came to mind. That's some impressive bank.

Robert, do you really have that much from working on Call of Duty?

That's...insane.

Can't believe those Infinity Ward guys left. I mean, if you made 18 million working on CoD, I can't imagine what some of the leads were making.
 
You know, while that's an absolutely terrible way to word it, I've always gotten the impression that the mechanics should be designed with the delivery of a particular experience in mind. It all depends on what your definition of 'universe' and 'experience' are in that context, but it might not be totally crazy what he's saying.

Still horribly worded though.
 

James Sawyer Ford

Gold Member
You know, while that's an absolutely terrible way to word it, I've always gotten the impression that the mechanics should be designed with the delivery of a particular experience in mind. It all depends on what your definition of 'universe' and 'experience' are in that context, but it might not be totally crazy what he's saying.

Still horribly worded though.

Yeah, lol.

It was worded poorly. Made it seem like mechanics were an afterthought, or not as important...when really he just meant that the mechanics should be designed for the universe/theme.

And I can totally understand that. ThatGameCompany has a similar philosophy.
 

FStop7

Banned
Wow...just wow...

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



RobertBowling_titel0411.jpg

$18 mil and still the double hoverhands.
 

Pyronite

Member
Good ol' gaming community. So quick to take things out of context just to find an excuse to be hateful.

Lots of "why wasn't I consulted?!" from people who display a basic lack of reading comprehension.
 

Biff

Member
I'm sorry but that celebrity net worth site is one of the least reputable things I've seen in gaming, right up there next to chartzzzzzzz.

There is no way in hell this man is worth $18 million. Kotick made $3.2 million in 2009, all-in. You're telling me since COD4 was released in 2007, Bowling, a community manager for the most part, made more than Kotick did, on average, over those 5 years? Absolutely impossible.
 

HoodWinked

Member
robotoki would be robot rabbit in korean. the reason i think its korean is because the logo has pointed ears like a rabbit.
 
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