Cliff Blezinski "You cannot have game and marketing budgets this high.."

[MerrickG]

Cliff Blezinski made the following comments on twitter:

"You cannot have game and marketing budgets this high while also having used and rental games existing. The numbers do NOT work people."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...used-game-drm/


My thoughts:

Why is it OUR fault that these games get such ridiculously high budgets? Try NOT spending $50 - $60 million developing a game!!

[Icemage]

Originally Posted by MerrickG

Why is it OUR fault that these games get such ridiculously high budgets? Try NOT spending $50 - $60 million developing a game!!

Yup. Not every game needs to be a high budget affair. The game industry is chasing the Hollywood ideal of Titanic or Lord of the Rings, without realizing that there is always the risk of spending all that money and ending up with John Carter.

Game development and marketing budgets are simply out of control, and I think most of the major publishers have begin to realize this.

I don't mind the occasional blockbuster action sci-fi extravaganza, but I'm just as happy playing simple indie games in between.

To use a baseball analogy, the game industry is swinging for the fences with 3 men on base while the game is tied. It's not necessary, and it's foolish.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by MerrickG

Cliff Blezinski made the following comments on twitter:

"You cannot have game and marketing budgets this high while also having used and rental games existing. The numbers do NOT work people."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...used-game-drm/


My thoughts:

Why is it OUR fault that these games get such ridiculously high budgets? Try NOT spending $50 - $60 million developing a game!!

lol, the guy is an arrogant troll

here's a response

http://www.destructoid.com/used-game...--256227.phtml

[ReverendSlim]

Originally Posted by Icemage

Yup. Not every game needs to be a high budget affair. The game industry is chasing the Hollywood ideal of Titanic or Lord of the Rings, without realizing that there is always the risk of spending all that money and ending up with John Carter.

Game development and marketing budgets are simply out of control, and I think most of the major publishers have begin to realize this.

I don't mind the occasional blockbuster action sci-fi extravaganza, but I'm just as happy playing simple indie games in between.

To use a baseball analogy, the game industry is swinging for the fences with 3 men on base while the game is tied. It's not necessary, and it's foolish.

That's a good point. I read an article recently where Spielberg and Lucas were talking about that exact phenomenon in movies, and that there would eventually be an implosion in the industry because of it. A lot of that has to do with how cheap it is now for indie film developers to put out movies that end up being just as profitable as major motion pictures if you adjust for the lower marketing costs.

I think it was this one: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...on-film-567604

I'm sure at some point, we'll see that same thing happen in gaming. That said, as much of a douche as he may be, I'd take Cliffy B's word on gaming budgets and how they work over an internet blogger so famous for his snark. (And don't get me wrong... I love me some Dtoid.)

[Blu-Generation]

Originally Posted by ReverendSlim

That's a good point. I read an article recently where Spielberg and Lucas were talking about that exact phenomenon in movies, and that there would eventually be an implosion in the industry because of it. A lot of that has to do with how cheap it is now for indie film developers to put out movies that end up being just as profitable as major motion pictures if you adjust for the lower marketing costs.

I think it was this one: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...on-film-567604

I'm sure at some point, we'll see that same thing happen in gaming. That said, as much of a douche as he may be, I'd take Cliffy B's word on gaming budgets and how they work over an internet blogger so famous for his snark. (And don't get me wrong... I love me some Dtoid.)

Yeah, and they also talked about this, apparently,

Lucas and Spielberg also spoke of vast differences between filmmaking and video games because the latter hasn't been able to tell stories and make consumers care about the characters.

He's making a Halo TV series, yet downplay the quality of drama in games? This man is confuse...

[Icemage]

Originally Posted by Blu-Generation

He's making a Halo TV series, yet downplay the quality of drama in games? This man is confuse...

Someone needs to put that man in front of a PS3 and fire up the opening scene of The Last of Us.

[Blu-Generation]

Originally Posted by Icemage

Someone needs to put that man in front of a PS3 and fire up the opening scene of The Last of Us.

That opening scene...just wow.

[ReverendSlim]

Originally Posted by Blu-Generation

He's making a Halo TV series, yet downplay the quality of drama in games? This man is confuse...

I think that's more that games are a different beast. It is rare that games are successful at tugging heartstrings as often as movies are, but they're also a way younger medium. We do see it happen as this medium progresses though. I thought some of the stuff with Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite was absolutely brilliant, as was the Big Daddy/Little Sister relationship in Bioshock. I was also surprised at how much The Walking Dead made me care about Clementine, and how hard some of those life or death choices were for me to make. And I think as game developers have more tools to provide us with experiences like that, those lines will blur even more. This is a great time to be a gamer.

And man, the more I hear about The Last Of Us, the more I want to go to a friend's house and check it out. Sounds like that game is doing a lot right.

[Blu-Generation]

Originally Posted by ReverendSlim

I think that's more that games are a different beast. It is rare that games are successful at tugging heartstrings as often as movies are, but they're also a way younger medium. We do see it happen as this medium progresses though. I thought some of the stuff with Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite was absolutely brilliant, as was the Big Daddy/Little Sister relationship in Bioshock. I was also surprised at how much The Walking Dead made me care about Clementine, and how hard some of those life or death choices were for me to make. And I think as game developers have more tools to provide us with experiences like that, those lines will blur even more. This is a great time to be a gamer.

And man, the more I hear about The Last Of Us, the more I want to go to a friend's house and check it out. Sounds like that game is doing a lot right.

That's funny, because I can list just as many games that gets to me as movies.

Games that dates back to the 90's...Clearly Mr. director here knows VERY little about video games. And yes, The Last of Us speaks for itself.

[ReverendSlim]

Originally Posted by Blu-Generation

That's funny, because I can list just as many games that gets to me as movies.

Games that dates back to the 90's...Clearly Mr. director here knows VERY little about video games. And yes, The Last of Us speaks for itself.

Oh, I don't doubt that his knowledge of video games is mostly casual, and probably most of that from having kids who played them.

And I agree that there are a lot of games that do a lot right (and it annoys me when people ask, "Where is gaming's Citizen Kane?"). A friend and I were actually just talking about horror games that work well, and the first thing that popped into my head was Clive Barker's Undying on PC. Not the greatest game overall and I don't know that it sold that well, but it had this mechanic where you could use a runestone to look into the past in certain places that provided some of the best scares I had seen up to that point. They also had this really creepy whispering that happened when you were near one of the places you could use the stone, which was one of the things that got me into the audio side of gaming.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by ReverendSlim

I'm sure at some point, we'll see that same thing happen in gaming. That said, as much of a douche as he may be, I'd take Cliffy B's word on gaming budgets and how they work over an internet blogger so famous for his snark. (And don't get me wrong... I love me some Dtoid.)

I don't doubt that Cliffs is correct with the numbers but I have a problem with him saying that its OUR fault. We aren't the ones that force publishers to give games these massive budgets. The publishers fail to control the cost and they want to pass that cost on to us and that is bull crap.

[psicon]

Originally Posted by ReverendSlim

Oh, I don't doubt that his knowledge of video games is mostly casual, and probably most of that from having kids who played them.

And I agree that there are a lot of games that do a lot right (and it annoys me when people ask, "Where is gaming's Citizen Kane?"). A friend and I were actually just talking about horror games that work well, and the first thing that popped into my head was Clive Barker's Undying on PC. Not the greatest game overall and I don't know that it sold that well, but it had this mechanic where you could use a runestone to look into the past in certain places that provided some of the best scares I had seen up to that point. They also had this really creepy whispering that happened when you were near one of the places you could use the stone, which was one of the things that got me into the audio side of gaming.

Playing Undying in the dark with headphones on was probably the most creepy gaming experience I ever had.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by wormraper

lol, the guy is an arrogant troll

here's a response

http://www.destructoid.com/used-game...--256227.phtml

Great article.

[PA_Kid]

You know, one thing missed here is that gaming has a structure that allows indies to more easily reach consumers and mass market success than in the TV and Movie models.

You can develop an indie game and get it out (say on a phone, PSN or Steam) for a fraction of the effort it takes an indie filmmaker to get his film out. And it is possible to see more financial success.

I agree that AAA software development is becoming a problem, but I don't think you will see the colapse of the industry like you might in film or TV as much as you might see the colapse of the industry giants.

Ironically, indies are sitting in the model that the big publishers want (primarily digital) but are charging a fraction of the price. If these bigger publishers continue to be a victim of their own bloat, I think you will see indies grow to be middle tier publishers that can undercut the big publishers on price but with equal quality. It won't happen immediately, but I think there is a 3rd path other than spiraling AAA costs or a complete crash of the industry.

I think the days of growing fat by virtue of being a software publisher are going away. MS can try and fight it with requiring indies to have a publisher, but they are swimming up stream. Existing as a distributor may continue for a while, but like in many other areas (like phones) digital is going to take a substantial chunk out of the traditional publisher/distributor model as time goes by - it just doesn't make as much sense as it does in a physical good enviornment.

[partridge]

Time for this moron to eat his word and apologise - MS have just pulled a massive u-turn and removed the DRM and requirement to install games to HDD. Basically everything is as it is on 360. In other words they are running scared of Sony and are copying them.

MS, what joke of a company they are.

[Blu-Generation]

Originally Posted by partridge

MS, what joke of a company they are.

Don and Major Nelson: "DRM is the future. We are leading everyone to that future. We stand by our policy. Come with us or go home."

And now, "We love you guys..."

[snakemaster7]

Originally Posted by partridge

Time for this moron to eat his word and apologise - MS have just pulled a massive u-turn and removed the DRM and requirement to install games to HDD. Basically everything is as it is on 360. In other words they are running scared of Sony and are copying them.

MS, what joke of a company they are.

Lame as can be. I was gone all day, and come home to see this...

[NARMAK]

Cliff B is sounding like a real douchebag. Apparently meant to be the cool 'Gears of War' guy.

There's a reason you DON'T make such big budget games constantly AND i guarantee you thos B$ budgets are inflated to space with bloat cost. There's coming a point when today indie devs can stay small, produce AAA titles & profits WITHOUT complaining.

These morons have no idea how to run businesses imo & have become wall street style bankers living in bubbles of excess. They need to be brought down to earth & given ZERO BUDGETING lessons & then make games.

[Terjyn]

Originally Posted by partridge

Time for this moron to eat his word and apologise

On the contrary, he's tweeting today that this decision just killed the console industry, and that everything will go PC/Tablet, or will go to microtransactions and pointless DLC.

He's sticking to his guns, I'll give him that.

[snakemaster7]

Originally Posted by Terjyn

On the contrary, he's tweeting today that this decision just killed the console industry, and that everything will go PC/Tablet, or will go to microtransactions and pointless DLC.

He's sticking to his guns, I'll give him that.

Bloated water guns