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DArtagnan
Guest
No, you've switched to a different thing. Transformers may not be a sophisticated/intelligent/whatever-your-criteria action movie but Michael Bay and co certainly understand the summer blockbuster genre very well. You don't think their entire goal was to make a mainstream blockbuster that teens and their dates would go to over summer to make a shitload of money? I'm pretty sure they did that.
If this is what you're talking about, then let's say the Sacred developers understand the genre in terms of making a sale. I'll grant you that. There is no such thing as a summer blockbuster genre, so you're entirely wrong in terms of it having to do with understanding a specific genre. It's a period of time when movies get released, and though many movies are similar in nature during this time - the period of release is not their genre. Bay is a terrific business man in the Hollywood environment - and he's truly understood how to embrace the hollow nature of corporate movie making, and exploit young and moderately talented people in a way that truly represents the american dream.
I wouldn't equate that with the Sacred developers, but that's not really relevant.
Hellgate was a failure on every level - critically, commercially...I've yet to even see anyone else claim the design was good. Isn't it a bit arrogant to equate your taste with a developer understanding the genre?
I think the design was very good, and I'm not alone. However, those of us who did like it, are in the minority. I tend to believe the reason it failed has less to do with actual game design, and more to do with an abysmal launch, initial technical state, and horrible PR. Basically, in my opinion, the developers overreached and were terrible business men.
I don't think I've equated my taste with the developer understanding the genre, as that'd be a bit weird.
What I have is an opinion of what the genre should play like, and I disagree with the developers, obviously. I trust in my opinion enough to say that I don't believe they understand the genre, because their design is crap as I see it.
If that makes me arrogant, then so be it.
Seems to me you think of commercial success as some kind of indicator for quality game design. I'm sorry, but I don't agree. In my world, there is the business and there is the art. Though they're not entirely separate, it's pretty damn close. How good a game actually is, has little or nothing to do with sales in more cases than you'd think. How PRETTY and ACCESSIBLE it is, has more to do with sales, but even so - marketing and hype is factor numero uno.
But please understand that everything I've said is my opinion, and not a statement of fact. If you require me to say "in my opinion" everywhere - then I advise you to skip reading my posts entirely. I try my best to put it in, much more so than most people, but I can't manage it all the time.