next »

[falsion]

They're going to remake it as an FPS:
http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/219907/syndicate-to-be-reborn-as-an-fps/

Also anyone remember a game called X-Com?

They're going to remake it as an FPS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8otmMpaIdQ

Anyone remember (insert game here) ??

They're probably going to remake it as an FPS.

Okay, I think you see where I'm going with this.

But why? Why is this happening? Why is every game turning into Call of Duty with iron sights and regenerating health? I know games are all about the money, but are developers afraid to make other genres of games now?

Since when did developers become scared of making strategy games of all things?

Secondly, why take IPs that only people in their late 20's or 30's have heard about and give them the CoD treatment? I doubt the common CoD XBL gamer even knows what "Syndicate" is.

And the "XCOM" FPS doesn't even use any of the original enemies or setting from X-Com, it's basically Bioshock. Wouldn't it have been better just to call it "Bioshock: Invasion" or something?

[Christian Knudsen]

Secondly, why take IPs that only people in their late 20's or 30's have heard about and give them the CoD treatment?

It's probably exactly because only people in their late 20's or 30's have heard about Syndicate that they give it the CoD/FPS treatment. The name itself won't ensure enough sales. A game like Civilization is still a very recognizable IP, so they can afford to make it in a more niche genre. Same with StarCraft. Still kinda sucks, though. I'd love to see a new (official) X-COM or Syndicate third person strategy game.

[C.A. Sinner]

Using an old IP with a "cult following" probably gives you some free prerelease hype, even if it's a bunch of old fans raging about it.

[Cow]

Shadowrun

[C.A. Sinner]

Shadowrun is a franchise and the FPS is just a spinoff, that's different. The RPG books are still being made as far as I know.

[dEnamed]

I think it's a pretty clever trick actually.
Think about it like this:
What's the most cost efficient way to instantly generate a massive amount of hype about your game, without having to change anything about the game you actually want to sell? Easy! Use an old IP.
Of course you're not interested in a sequel, that IP spent the last decade in a locker for a reason, right? But chances are, there are still a bunch of diehard fans. No, you're not about to cater to THEM (YUCK, ancient nerds). But you're still going to use them.

And here's the magical how to:
Phase 1:
Just name your game Syndicate. Or X-Com. Or Fallout. Or Shadowrun. Of course your new game won't have anything to do with those old titles. Actually, the less similarities they share, the better. Reason: You want to harness nerdrage. The goal is to piss off the old players as much as you can. They will generate a massive delayed hype about the game just by ranting and raging about it.
Your only action: Use a certain name.

Phase 2:
As your game is nearing release, you still have absolutely nothing to do. People will have noticed the game by now and as usual, they'll get hyped about it. So they start searching the Internet and will soon stumble across all the puddles of nerdrage splattered all over community boards. And whenever something you're interested in gets attacked, you obviously defend it. BAM. Instant Fanboi Camp.
Those new poeple will become very vocal as the old players have been vocal for a few months. Discussions will heat up within a handful of posts until they turn into open flamewars.

Phase 3:
The flamewar is on. Perfect, you've created an advertising perpetuum mobile, just by changing the name of the game. Still, if you want to spark the flames some more, try to cater to one side or another. Never forget though, you want both sides to be as pissed off as possible.
Case in point:
After Fallout 3 started being called "Oblivion with Guns", the company released a screenshot with a robot pony on it. Full well knowing it would further light the fire.

TL;DR:
Marketing has found a way to farm nerdrage by using the names of old IPs in completely unrelated games.

[Chromanoid]

made my day

[Superb Joe]

remember project snowblind? no you dont and neither does anyone else. but if they had named it deus ex: snowblind then maybe it would have sold more than 12 copies.

[Cow]

I had it.

It wasn't very good.

[Paul Eres]

Using an old IP with a "cult following" probably gives you some free prerelease hype, even if it's a bunch of old fans raging about it.

i think it's more that the developers of these games want to make FPS games based on the good games they remember when they were younger so that they can at least pretend to be working on a good game and not another FPS

[Gimym TILBERT]

Using an old IP with a "cult following" probably gives you some free prerelease hype, even if it's a bunch of old fans raging about it.

I think it's more that the Publisher of these games want to make derivative FPS games based on the good games they own the IP so that they can at least pretend to be working on a good game and not some unmarketable new IP they need to explain

fixed

I'm not joking, this is how it work

Even nintendo pull this trick (starfox adventure, kirby epic yarn, mario 2 us)

[Destral]

Using an old IP with a "cult following" probably gives you some free prerelease hype, even if it's a bunch of old fans raging about it.

i think it's more that the developers of these games want to make FPS games based on the good games they remember when they were younger so that they can at least pretend to be working on a good game and not another FPS

This is so sad it almost sounds like cynicism.

But yeah, it probably has a lot to do with the fact that FPS is the genre of the day, what with COD selling 3 million copies or whatever. All these reimaginings of classic, beloved franchises as FPSes still piss me off.

[Chromanoid]

iirc only very few devs of fallout 3 are fans of/played the original sequel. i'm afraid this is really more a cash cow milking thing.

[falsion]

I don't mind so much if they make a game that has nothing to do with the original.

But why does everything have to be an FPS these days? And not just any FPS, but the gimmicky quickscoping regenerating health kind?

Don't we have enough of these games already?

They're throwing away ideas that were and still are amazing to this day and replacing them with generic FPS by the numbers crap. It's nice they want a name to use, but use a name that actually has something to do with first person shooting. Don't just take Monkey Island and try to make it the next CoD killer.

[Paul Eres]

there will only be 'enough' of them when they stop selling

vote with ur moneys