304: The Reset Button

[beema]

Good food for thought.

It's true, doing something familiar gives people a sense of comfort and joy, but there's also joy in completely new discovery. Unfortunately with games, a lot of times the completely new discovery is that the game is a pile of crap.
I think there are ways to provide familiar experiences with every iteration of a franchise that lets people feel this way, but also to make the game different and innovative enough that it's not a cardboard copy.

Still, I can think of some well-respected franchises where with every iteration, I almost hope that they don't change much, simply because I just want more of the old game, perhaps only with a new story/extension to the story. Games like Fallout, STALKER, and even the new Batman "Arkham" series. If Arkham City is drastically different from Arkham Asylum, I think I will be mad. I want more of Arkham Asylum because it was THAT f'ing good.

The extent that the COD franchises of the world are doing this repetition to is on the extreme, though. Their rapid release cycle makes it even more disconcerting.

 

[vxicepickxv]

Good food for thought.

It's true, doing something familiar gives people a sense of comfort and joy, but there's also joy in completely new discovery. Unfortunately with games, a lot of times the completely new discovery is that the game is a pile of crap.
I think there are ways to provide familiar experiences with every iteration of a franchise that lets people feel this way, but also to make the game different and innovative enough that it's not a cardboard copy.

Still, I can think of some well-respected franchises where with every iteration, I almost hope that they don't change much, simply because I just want more of the old game, perhaps only with a new story/extension to the story. Games like Fallout, STALKER, and even the new Batman "Arkham" series. If Arkham City is drastically different from Arkham Asylum, I think I will be mad. I want more of Arkham Asylum because it was THAT f'ing good.

The extent that the COD franchises of the world are doing this repetition to is on the extreme, though. Their rapid release cycle makes it even more disconcerting.

I don't think that disconcerting is the word you're looking for. I think you're looking for a few words. Those words would be "obvious cash grab".

I think the CoD series is set up based on the bean counters figuring out exactly when the most profit would come from releasing a new game every year(I think it's November 8th this year). Somebody actually figured out exactly when they could make a gigantic pile of money releasing these games. I'm not sure if it's sad, or if it's genius. I really don't get what the big deal about playing a game that just feels the same over and over.

 

[SteveZim1017]

This is the reason I never last in an mmo. I need to feel my character is growing in some quantifiable way and to make matters worse I'm impatient. when I get to the point around level 25-30 the themes of every MMO begin to repeat (kill this, fetch that) and the amount of time needed until my guy levels gets too far apart. so I move on to the next class and try them out. then on to the next MMO.

is that bad gaming? I dunno, maybe. but its more fun for me, and its my money so in the end thats all that matters

 

[beema]

I don't think that disconcerting is the word you're looking for. I think you're looking for a few words. Those words would be "obvious cash grab".

I think the CoD series is set up based on the bean counters figuring out exactly when the most profit would come from releasing a new game every year(I think it's November 8th this year). Somebody actually figured out exactly when they could make a gigantic pile of money releasing these games. I'm not sure if it's sad, or if it's genius. I really don't get what the big deal about playing a game that just feels the same over and over.

How 'bout this: It's genius for the analyst who figured it out. It's sad for the higher up that approved/requisitioned its use.

 

[zerobudgetgamer]

I noticed you "conveniently" left out RPGs as an example. For the most part, RPGs are not exempt from the points you made. In every RPG, for every element that changes, there is another that stays the same. The early Final Fantasies and Dragon Quest games are good examples of this, keeping the core combat system, including copying over most, if not all, of the Magics, Skills, and Summons from earlier games, but changing the story, setting, world, and characters so much that it hardly seems like a sequel at all, and more like it's own game.

And of course, the concept of the Reset Button is all too apparent. Every RPG in a series is working on that exact principle, that you're back to being a grunt/peasant/nobody and have to work your way back to being the savior of the world. But despite how alike all RPGs are, it's the nuances, the subtle variances of each game's story that make them each unique and enjoyable.

 

[Silent Eagle]

The Reset Button? Thats funny. The same game every year? No. I never cared about the stupid "rank" system that attracts so many people (kids 17 and under) to buy the same shit every year.

Bet thats why activision booted those two guys at IW off, So they could continue the money siphoning scheme every year more efficiently under the guise of "Fun Rank System Game" lol

Why does anyone care about the ranking again? You do it every year are you not bored yet? The very first CoD game i play was 4. played WaW and... "Same thing what the hell?" "rifles are fun" Played MW 2... "Okay my bullshit alarm is going off and my wallet is bleeding cash"
Played BOs... "facepalm" "I feel like ive been robbed" "Im glad i bought BF earlier this year!" "That game doesnt seem to ever get old"

Im not paying 60 dollars every year for the exact same thing.

 

[Trippeh]

this is why return to castle wolfenstein is still the greatest MP game of all time.

 

[Sabinfrost]

Very good article, I agree, some very valid points. As someone that plays CoD MLG and has played other competitive games before the gameplay is solid with more depth then most people experience outside of competition, like street fighter. So, the games are essentially the same, they have subtle flavours, different chicken dishes, they feel different and not just because of some new skins/sounds/guns/maps, tactics and what is competitive alter the feel of the experience. The MW2 competitive scene is different to the World at War one. The games are being refined like a sport and sure they could get patched to buggery but the devs need to fund developing the game. A single CoD title could work if it was released on a subscription like WoW, which has changed massively over it's six year life while keeping much of the same outward appearance.

 

[Telperion]

Yeah, I noticed the same thing that Russel did, and just stopped buying CoDs. I settled on Battlefield 1943, because it has everything I could possibly want in an online shooter. Sure, there are only three maps, but they are superbly designed and provide me with endless fun. As long as I have the good sense to take a break from the game every now and then.

This year I'm tickled by the option of buying Battlefield 3, but...I don't know. I'll probably skip that unless the game offers something mind blowing, which I seriously doubt it will. Besides this has already been a good year of sequels for me: Shogun 2 Total War and Portal 2. Add the possibility of Diablo 3 coming out later this year, and I'm a very happy gamer. Then again I don't have the time to game so much these, so I'm happy even if I don't buy another game for the rest of the year.

Civilization V is still getting updated regularly, and I'm loving that game more and more. Seeing Augustus blindsiding me with a full-on assault with legionnaires and ballistae really made me smile, even if he proceeded to beat the crap out of my relatively undefended fledgling kingdom.

 

[talkstogod]

Good article, but this has been going on longer than the leveling... having started with Street Fighter (the first one), I must have played a dozen different iterations in the arcades and own another dozen for various game systems.

Yeah, there are lots of differences between SF2 and MvC3, but in the end it's basically the same game. Yet fans like me keep trying out the newest versions, seeing what they tweaked, added or removed, searching for old and new favorite characters... sometimes it's just nice to play something familiar without it being exactly the same.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Wow, that article was like reading an episode of Extra Credits. I was enamored with it. It explained so much. And made me want to replay through Guitar Hero, and work my way up to a Rock God again, after years of atrophied guitar fingers.

Conversely, it's why I don't play most shooters. I did the level grind once, doing the same thing over and over, but it became repetitive. Even AC: Brohood had an amazingly intriguing multiplayer, but after a few levels it became the same. Stabbed a dude a hundred times, been stabbed a hundred more. Shot a dude and leveled, shot fifty and leveled again. It just doesn't appeal to achieve the same reward each time. At least in most RPGs, you can vary how your level up progression affects the gameplay.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Wow, that article was like reading an episode of Extra Credits.

My voice isn't that high pitched you know. My feelings are hurt now.

 

[UnclGhost]

Interesting perspective. For some franchises, people just want more of the same with new maps, while for others, there's more of a demand for gameplay tweaks.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Left 4 Dead 2, which changed very little from the first game, rather than being DLC like Valve's other multiplayer games.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Very good article, I agree, some very valid points. As someone that plays CoD MLG and has played other competitive games before the gameplay is solid with more depth then most people experience outside of competition, like street fighter. So, the games are essentially the same, they have subtle flavours, different chicken dishes, they feel different and not just because of some new skins/sounds/guns/maps, tactics and what is competitive alter the feel of the experience. The MW2 competitive scene is different to the World at War one. The games are being refined like a sport and sure they could get patched to buggery but the devs need to fund developing the game. A single CoD title could work if it was released on a subscription like WoW, which has changed massively over it's six year life while keeping much of the same outward appearance.

So what you are saying is that, instead of viewing them as sequels, it's a better way to view them like, I don't know, three people with three different Yu-Gi-Oh starter decks? (Sorry, my analogy is shit but I can't come up with something better). They're at heart the same, but details still make them different games with different focus.

If that is what you mean, your comment makes a lot of sense, and I must say I agree with it. I've been watching a lot of Call of Duty commentaries recently (I don't really have the money for the games themselves), and many of them do talk about how some of the games have different perks or balances than the others.

 

[soldierguy678]

Ben you make some good points. In fact you remind me of my hard drive failure that caused me to start all over in COD4 and how much I actualy enjoyed it...!! If you're at the top and winning a lot--for me--it gets kinda boring. I like competition and in fact I like being the underdog. And of course the "elite" system in the COD series is pretty much similar to starting over again--reset. I foget how many levels of elite in Black Ops? 15 levels or so? I think I'm only like on the third or fourth level of BO elite--I'm just a beginner haha. When I first started playing shooters-like COD1-I didn't play multi. I got a similar experience from the single player game by moving up in the difficulty level--usually there were four levels from Easy to Advanced etc. And after that I would try to "beat" the Advanced level by running quick enough the "wrong way" and seeing how often I could beat the AI. By that I mean at certain levels one learns the game forces you to go around a house in a certain direction or? similar. Well I would try hard to succeed and not do what they wanted. It was just my creative way to "reset" the game. I think you're pretty much right on. Nice article.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

A very nice read. Congrats on the article, Mr Carlander.

I find with Call Of Duty, there is this futile hope the each upcoming game will fix the issues and imbalances of the last one, that the formula will be perfected.

After Black ops I've kind of given up on that and begun to see COD as the fun but not-to be taken too seriously game it really is (although try telling me that when I'm raging at it and punching my wall)

 

[i7omahawki]

I don't play the rock band games for the careers, which are often just a progression from easy to hard songs. The part about setlists is true, but having so much DLC works great for that franchise.

The 'journey' you go on in RB is mastery, mastering the instruments, and having bought the drums and keyboards I'm still having fun trying to accomplish tricky parts.

That and the fact that you can bring your roster ahead a game with you kinda negates the 'reset button' for that particular game. I guess having new instruments and new challenges in the game is kind of a reset, but it also makes it a noticably different game.

Other than that, a well written article, certainly made me think about my progression from Halo to Halo 2 and then 3...though the leaps made between those were very noticable.

 

[Lorechaser]

Halo isn't a levelling game, though. This article really annoyed me until I realized all my shooters are non-levelling. Halo. TF2. Monday Night Combat. They're all games about playing, not levelling. Also, I love my Rock Bands. Each one is an improvement but really, each one is a way to get new songs. I stooped buying Guitar Hero games because they were all the same.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Wow, that article was like reading an episode of Extra Credits.

My voice isn't that high pitched you know. My feelings are hurt now.

Neither is his, it's all technology. But I meant content-wise, not with the postmodernist drawings (which I like) or the technosquawk of how he speaks.

But, I still have to make up for hurting your feelings. Ummm...hmm...I...apologize?