Edit: Sorry for the confusion in the title. It has been updated and I have sacked the person in charge. At least you know what tomorrow's question will be...
For information on the "20 Days of..." contest, please see https://n4g.com/user/blogpo...
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Congratulations to Elwenil, our eleventh day winner!
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On the twelfth day, the question we have for you is "Who do you think is the most overrated game designer?"
I honestly think most game designers are overrated. Many here would lambaste me for bringing up that I think Kojima is one of them after yesterday's replies... But he's not the one that I think of as being the most overrated.
That honor goes to Jonathan Blow.
His Indie game was great, you proclaim! It was okay. It was a puzzle game that I'd seen versions of before in flash games. Was it a good version of the type, yes. But not award winning, IMHO. And, then, what does he do next? He wastes tons of money on a big world for a puzzle game that didn't need that much budget for that sort of game, let alone the various elements of it that most people who completed the game *raises hand* never saw because practically no one wants to do the same puzzles over all over again just to possibly find something they missed or scour the world for each hidden puzzle.
I don't get the fascination people have in praising his abilities. It's nothing new to me and it's a waste of money on something that should have gone towards something worth the expense.
Take it to the sea and start the fishing. Take a look at the best fishing games you can play on the PS2 today.
Former Activision studio Toys for Bob partners with Xbox to publish its first game as an indie. This is something of a homecoming, as Microsoft owns Activision.
I guess.
How come they didnt either let them go or sell Tango and others to another publisher? Not saying Ubisoft, EA would be any better. (Capcome would of treated them right )
At least it wouldn't be MS of all ppl destroying them.
MS really should let go Tango go like they did TFB here.
one was under Bethesda (Tango) the other under Activision (TFB). Clearly each one handled the separations of their subordinates differently.
"How come they didnt either let them go or sell Tango and others to another publisher? Not saying Ubisoft, EA would be any better. (Capcome would of treated them right )"
Perhaps because Zenimax and ABK handles such matters differently based on their own internal policies as "independent" publishers.
Whoever, chances are it´s simply because MS didn´t wanted Tango or Austin to be acquired by competitors and develop new bangers for them, giving MS a bad rep in a possible future. Which could also be the reason why they ensured an exclusive partnership with TFB and its new game, before anyone else.
Sad and disgusting. But it is what it is.
Manages to buy their freedom especially after all the shit Microsoft has been doing with its studios lately
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Goes right back to them as partners.
Okaaaaaay...
Id venture a guess that TFB working directly with MS was a better outcome than working through Activision to get to MS.
From the article...
"Toys for Bob spun out as an indie back in February after Microsoft instituted sweeping layoffs that impacted 86 employees, which was more than half of the staff"
I doubt those 86 employees enjoyed the Microsoft experience over Activisions.
MS shuts down studios because of lack of resources and then helps these guys by giving em resources. Also MS is what forced them to buy their freedom in the first place? What kind of logic 😂
Xbox’s gaming division seems to still function as 3 semi-autonomous sub-divisions, Xbox Studios, Bethesda and ABK. The three main sub-divisions can seemingly shut down or build studios and set up partnerships independently. This would explain why Bethesda can recently shutdown studios, while ABK spins off one studio, while building a new one. Plus, Toys for Bob could be spun off by ABK, only to immediately re-partner with Microsoft.
The Nerd Stash: "Developed by Treyarch Studios, Call of Duty: Black Ops games are some of the best in the series in terms of gameplay, story, and -- of course -- Zombies."
Todd Howard. Just don’t think he’s all that great. Maybe some years ago, but not anymore imo.
Kojima is lauded as a God in many circles, but I think that honor is best bestowed upon Keiji Inafune.
After PS2 era, I can't say I cared much for his work at all.
David Cage. He's the video game version of Tommy Wiseau. Awful writing. His games are don't have much to do with actual game design. Moving forward with button prompts is not game design. It's a more interactive UI or FMV. Not much else. Omikron was all gameplay and it was clunky as can be with some of the worst shooting segments in any game ever made. At times they are funny bad like The Room. Calling the lack of game design "Cinematic" doesn't actually fool me in its flaws as a game. No matter how many well-known actors he tries to cram in, it doesn't make it any more legit as a seriously good game any more than adding Michael Ironsides to the D&D Movie makes it a legit film. Look how many well-known actors got in Foodfight, still was a pile of doo-doo. I will give QD this. They are good looking games on a technical level and often have good music. As games and the stories that go with them. Just are not very good. Plenty of games can tell a great story and have good to great full-on gameplay. A Xenogears or a Red Dead Redemption or an Assasin's Creed II or Yakuza 0.
Cliff Bleszinski
Ed McMillen.
The Binding of Isaac, for all it's face value simplicity, is one of the deepest games this generation and can last you literally years of play.
It has also been supported well, over quite a few years. Definitely deserving of a mention at least.