Guerrilla Games Talks About Respect for Microsoft and Competition, Explains that Graphics Matter

Guerrilla Games held an extensive AMA Spanning two days on Reddit, and touched on a theme that has been recurring in the industry lately, respect for the competition.

[Gazondaily]

I interviewed the guys from GG at launch and asked them what they thought about Halo. Their eyes lit up and were singing praises for that game.

They also seemed to hold Crytek in high esteem and were very impressed with what they achieved with Ryse, well visually anyway.

I'm not really a fan of the Killzone games but I really like the devs behind the series. Roy Postma was absolutely wasted though haha.

"No – I think the Xbox is doing some interesting things and they have some first party teams that do work we respect. "

What did he say no to by the way? I can't seem to find the question he responded to.

[Abriael]

Whether they laugh at Microsoft's conferences. Pretty idiotic question.

[Gazondaily]

Ah cheers mate. Yeah lol, I see what you mean about Reddit now.

[GarrusVakarian]

What a stupid thing to ask a developer. Do some people really expect developers to be as petty as internet fanboys? Like GG are just going to say "Oh yeah, they fail so hard ROFL!".

"they have some first party teams that do work we respect. We hope they share the same respect and we all try and do the best we can."

Respectful and humble, i like that. Props to GG. Can't wait to see what their new IP is all about.

[Abriael]

I can't say at times people don't make me facepalm with their fanboyish attitude.

At every industry event I go I see devs of competing companies chatting, having a beer together and all that. As a matter of fact, the competitor you work against now, may very well be the colleague you work with next year.

[sonypsnow]

1080p 60fps !

[rainslacker]

The gaming industry is very insular. Truth is, you can't go very far without finding someone who knows someone that works for someone else. The big studios talk to each other a lot. It's pretty rare to see a developer talk bad about a competitor. It's just not considered respectful, and more often than not, developers aren't like forum fan boys. Even the big execs. While they may take jabs at public appearances aimed at the fans, behind the scenes they are quite respectful and friendly towards each other.

[XiSasukeUchiha]

Thank you for respecting your competition, and properly explain that no matter what anyone says graphics truly matter!

[Bigpappy]

The defiantly do matter, but they are NOT the most important aspect of a game. If a developer makes that their focus and ignore gameplay and fun content, the game will fail. Many might run out and buy in the first week to show there family and friends how pretty it looks. But the following week, it would be flooding the shelves at Game Stop and the sales would dry up.

[tgunzz]

Yes, yes graphics matter, but not nearly as much as fresh and engaging content for me. From my standpoint, Dev are easily able to improve the gaming landscapes, but face a huge challenge when looking to creating a great new game (that's what I really look for). Games like minecraft, as well as indie games are a great example of how gameplay is still the master key... Hell, I still fire up my neogeo to play some killer shooters, and of course my samurai, and last blade series....

[rainslacker]

As to the technical merit and playability of a game, graphics aren't that important.

But people that say it's not important to selling a game are just deluding themselves. Many customers are very attracted to the prettiest thing out there. It's been like that since video games were first shown to the public.

[user5669510]

No matter how much I like crytek and GG games, its obvious these to is reading the same book.

[GodGinrai]

GG= Good Guys. Respect to Guerilla games. never been a KZ fan but Im lookin forward to their new IP. they know tech!

[Lawboy2]

I really loved killzone SF...and am wiaiting impatiently to see what there next project is....can't wait for the next installment of killzone is

[RevXM]

Me too, Im glad GG is expanding and being awesome like this.

They have multiple teams and soon a new IP to show us.

And Im eager to see what it is and ofcourse more killzone. Hopefully the next full kilzone game (hooray for SF COOP mode) will be awesome.

I hope for a more intimate way of storytelling and characters being more fleshed out.
Also I loved the way weapons feels in KZ2 more than in any other game it was gun porn and I could almost smell them. So a grittier game with guns that just doesnt look real but feel more immersive and impactful would be sweet combined with the setting and newly introduced mechanics of SF kind of blending both.

[HappyWithOneBubble]

I don't respect MS but I do respect your opinion Guerrilla. Can't wait to see ya'll new ip.

[e-p-ayeaH]

Great graphics dont mean a thing if you can deliver great games which that never happened.

Killzone 1 and 2 - very good games but not great
Killzone 3 and SF - just average good

Make another IP with fresh ideas and give more focus on gameplay mechanics.

[GameDev1]

Hence their next possible Open world RPG IP

and before Killzone, they actually made Shell shock nam 67

[JasonKCK]

IMO the best KZ are 3, 2 then 1. I haven't played SF.

[RevXM]

Killzone never delivered on gameplay and mechanics?

SIT DOWN SON!

- weighty guns.
- Sci-fi guns and a usable flamethrower.
- Awesome cover mechanic.
- sixaxis implementation that helped the game (scoped aiming).
- contextual melee mechanic.
- Proper AI and physics.
- utility drone with zip line.

I could probably go on with a few things, and while nothing is the new wheel it is a fun and mostly mechanically sound series that offers a lot and doesnt hold your hand and assumes you are an idiot throughout like a lot of games do and I see KZ getting a lot of shit for being tough and different for not always being a hand holding, twitch shooting gallery on rails.

If Id complain about anything it would be how they do not always properly flesh out characters and their story/personality through them.

[Dirtnapstor]

I love the KZ universe and look forward to more!

Seemingly most of time dissenters of KZ are big Halo or COD fans. It hasn't been commercialized nor is it a twitch shooter. KZ's play/feel is completely different. KZSF (vs 2 & 3) has a more mainstream feel unfortunately...I prefered the weighty guns for example.
I don't mind the differences, it just a distinguishing characteristic(s).

[gamer7804]

These are not really compliments at all, other than for Destiny. Their quotes show a feeling of superiority and lack of respect.

Breaking it down:

I think the Xbox is doing SOME INTERESTING things and they have SOME first party teams that do work we respect. We HOPE they share the same respect and we all try and do the best we can.

I've put the qualifiers in caps. So only SOME studios do SOME "INTERESTING"... thats saying not all and interesting could be bad or good, hardly a compliment.

Then they go on to say i HOPE they share the same respect... That is basically saying they don't know if they have respect for them, but at least Guerrilla Games has it.

Sometimes semantics IS actually everything, it's a way of perceiving to give a compliment without actually giving one at all.

here is how they should have written it to actually complment another team:

REVISED: "I think the Xbox is doing some good things and they have first party teams that do work we respect. When studios respect each other it helps us all try do the best we can."

[threefootwang]

Oh wow - talk about over thinking an article lol.

You expect GG to bow down and claim MS are the greatest things since fried chicken?

They said a few comments, they maintained it, weren't rude, keep calm and carry on chap.

[Budobear]

Please tell me how I didn't show respect? I wasn't rude didn't call you names, just expressed my feelings on what you wrote, nothing in that was disrespectful.

[threefootwang]

@ Budo

I think you commented on the wrong post friend. Going to assume that was meant for gamer in the post below?

[Budobear]

Blimey I think you've read far to much into that, it sounds like someone being honest rather than reading from a PR sheet.
There might only be a few things the Xbox does that INTERESTS the guy and the same goes for SOME of their first party studios. Just because he isn't interested in all aspects of the xbox or like all of the studios isn't really a negative.
And when he says he HOPES, I would guess its because he doesn't know, not for any sinister reason. When we don't know how someone feels about us all we can do is HOPE they feel the same.

I respect your opinion and HOPE you respect mine (Which may be different that yours at times) and in my opinion you have read way too much into what the guy said.

[gamer7804]

It's clear i did read more into it, as the article was about graphics mainly. I respect Guerrilla Games, they have some cool graphics technology, but if you are really showing respect, you need to actually do it.

[GameDev1]

I give up hope for fanboys like you

You should note the GG devs have only seen the games from some of MS studios, not all

And these developers do have huge respect for each other and play each other's games to get new ideas

As someone like me who constantly make games, I get ideas from my mates games by playing them

[gamer7804]

I am a fanboy, of video games, i have a xbox one, and ps4 and vita for this next generation. Each of these systems do amazing things, just different things than the other. I'm just tired of gamers and publishers not respecting each other.

[JasonKCK]

Good god that was pathetic, and I don't even believe in god.

[SG1_dapunisherX]

I respect gg, & 343 can't wait for the new rpg and halo 5

[Master-H]

gg GG, gg indeed.

[mo241]

Sony got a lot of great 1st party studies, but GG is not one of them. No offense to them, but in my opinion they are not even aloud to talk bad about ms first party studios. This coming from a dutch guy and ps 4 owner.

[ISNeko]

Props for GG. I always really enjoy the work they do and they all seem like great people.

Now if only they could get a decent writer for the KZ series....