304: The Reset Button

[Ben Carlander]

The Reset Button

Games like Call of Duty and Rock Band encourage you to buy sequels so that you can hit the reset button on your multiplayer experience.

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[UltraXan]

This one poked at my brain a bit, but I still think that all those COD "MLG" dickwads are fucking retarded. In the words of Yahtzee: "fucking robots."

 

[Lord_Gremlin]

Explains why I never buy such games. I usually buy all games for SP primarily, and if I really love SP I try MP as well.

 

[ffian1]

This goes quite far for me. I totally agree with the reasoning behind this.

Personally, the journey is as important as the mechanics. I enjoyed the transition from FFIX to FFX - new story, new journey, familiar mechanics. But I didn't enjoy FFX to FFXII - new story (if that's what you call it), new journey and new mechanics.

The lack of familiarity in that context upset me as a player - it wasn't what I wanted from the series.

That said, it would be interesting to play a game with the same journey but different mechanics e.g. Zelda on DS. Or even a new story in the same setting e.g. like playing C&C as Soviets or Allies.

S'all good

 

[Brandon237]

Explains why I never buy such games. I usually buy all games for SP primarily, and if I really love SP I try MP as well.

This, there are only two games whose MP I have tried, after blowing my head off on Single Player.

 

[randomsix]

I can't really agree with the last paragraph. I see these games, especially the COD ones as described, as creating a Skinner box type of engagement, and this kind of journey isn't a good one.

 

[MajorDolphin]

Thank god I'm not the only one who sees it like this. The developers and publishers really want to herd the gamers from title to title, or what I like to call milking stations. Entire populations of games die out within a year of release only to end up playing the same game with slightly different looking guns and different maps. The popularity of COD is only going to embolden more developers to try the same thing.

The current generation of gaming consoles, with all their bells and whistles, has actually made video gaming worse.

 

[Look-a-Hill]

With this, I still will call those who buy a sport title every year with an updated roster as people who I will never understand.

I hate this attitude so much. I'm convinced the people who spout this have never actually spent any time playing one of these games. You spend months playing Fifa 11 and then play Fifa 10. They're very different playing experiences. I could rant, but I shan't . I'm already being off-topic.
Just gets on my tits when people just say it's a roster/squad update. It's not. Strikes me as snobbery from people who just don't enjoy these games.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

This was a great article and was fun to read. I definitely see what you're saying about replaying the same experience now that you've put it in my face. Kind of makes me feel embarrassed that I fell for it :/

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

That's an interesting angle I hadn't thought of as to why CoD keeps selling as well as it does. Or Madden for that matter. But to be fair to Rock Band, the current title in the franchise tends to act as the current "version" of the RB platform as a whole. Okay, the jump from RB1 to RB2 was basically about polishing the song selection interface (it really was about a hojillion times better), but the jump from RB2 to RB3 really is a different experience with all the additions. I think GH suffered much more from the "reset button" than RB did, especially since RB let you carry your old songs forward basically all the time. It took GH years to get on the export bandwagon, and it's still a huge mess. It is still kind of a reset button, but I think it's much less of one than CoD.

 

[Cherry Cola]

This was a great article and was fun to read. I definitely see what you're saying about replaying the same experience now that you've put it in my face. Kind of makes me feel embarrassed that I fell for it :/

Ey man, don't be embarrassed. I'm a huge Rockband whore, but I don't let people bring me down because of it since I'm still doing something I love.

 

[Look-a-Hill]

Slander. Don't spout when you have no clue which games I have played.

I have played Fifa since '06. I haven't spend a single dime [ We used to have LAN tournaments in our friend circle. ] As well as PES, which was then better than FIFA. FIFA 10/11 made finally some great leaps but the majority are just rehashed same old stuff which basically is an update of the situations the players and the ranking of their respective teams.

I wasn't, chill out. Read my post carefully and was trying not to aim it at you specifically 'I'm convinced people...', 'It strikes me snobbery from people...'. I was well aware you may have played them.
Maybe the majority are (and thinking about it, PES hasn't changed for years) but PES and Fifa are the only ones I play. And in the UK most of the criticism is in regards to Fifa, which in my opinion is trying to be unique each year. And okay, so you play them, but as I said, I'm convinced a lot haven't.

 

[reg42]

A nice article, Hubblebubble. It's all too true too. It's like that with a lot of games really - it's pretty much exactly what I wanted with Dragon Age, which is why I really like DA: Awakening and I really want to really like DA2.

 

[Inglip]

I nearly bought Guitar Hero: Van Halen the other day. I like one Van Halen song.

Yeah, you hit the nail on this one. Good stuff.

 

[Irridium]

This was a great article and was fun to read. I definitely see what you're saying about replaying the same experience now that you've put it in my face. Kind of makes me feel embarrassed that I fell for it :/

Ey man, don't be embarrassed. I'm a huge Rockband whore, but I don't let people bring me down because of it since I'm still doing something I love.

Same thing with me and Halo. I've learned to ignore the haters and just enjoy myself a long time ago.

 

[Meggiepants]

I think this same line of logic is why Achievements and Trophies work on so many levels. I honestly believe those little bonuses have driven the game sales more than some people like to admit. It's the added benefit of leveling up in two places, in the game you are playing, and among your friends on the XBL or PSN leader boards. Each time you reset your COD game, you can promise people that not only will they get to level up with all their friends again, they will also get another 1000 XBL gamer points, or another Platinum trophy.

I personally think all of this stuff detracts from the gaming experience as a whole. It turns the simple fun of playing a game into more of a job, one where you have to work to get better at the same thing over and over again in order to get that elusive rank or achievement.

It seems to me that the game companies realize they've created an addictive and competitive environment. Innovation isn't as important as designing the perfect drug, if you will.

Nice article.