Bodycount Creative Director: "F*ck Realism"

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Bodycount Creative Director: "F*ck Realism"


Bodycount [http://www.codemasters.com/games/?gameid=3204] Creative Director Stuart Black has a refreshing approach toward realism videogames that can be perfectly summed up in two simple words: "Fuck realism."

Truth be told, Black's attitude isn't all that unusual. After all, no matter how "realistic" videogames become, certain concessions have to be made for the fact that you're sitting on your couch. And hardcore simulators aside, videogames are meant to be fun and not actual terror-filled brushes with death. Still, there aren't many industry figures who are quite so up-front about their feelings regarding realism than Black, an industry veteran who spent time at studios including Bullfrog and Criterion before coming to Codemasters [http://www.codemasters.com].

"If realism doesn't help the game, fuck it, throw it away," he said in an interview with The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/apr/26/bodycount-stuart-black-interview].

Black said Codemasters, where Bodycount is being developed, is a good fit for him because of its attitude that fun should trump everything else. "I've known Codemasters all my gaming life, but I'd never thought about working for them," he continued. "But it came to me through an agency, and I thought, what the hell. And when I went up there - I was just really impressed by the attitude towards development. It felt like, here's a place I can get some creative freedom, some creative control and really develop something I want to develop."

Bodycount is built on a "general sense of escapism," according to Black. "I don't want Bodycount to reflect the reality that I'm in, I've got enough of that around me," he said. "I want to go somewhere else - I want to be lifted up, to forget about my troubles, and escape."

Bodycount is currently in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and is expected to launch in early 2011.


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The DSM

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Apr 18, 2009
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A game designer after my own heart.

Realism has made lots of FPSs boring, I want a cyber-trans-bollocks cannon...

Ill look into this closer to its release date.
 

Icecoldcynic

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Oct 5, 2009
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Having heard nothing about this game up until now, this has put it on my radar. I'll have to look into it nearer release.
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Onyx Oblivion said:
I like this guy, and game, already!
Same, lol. He has the right idea. If it dosnt work, move on and make something epic!
 

MellowFellow

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Feb 14, 2010
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I like his thinking, because I think we have too many games trying to be too realistic, sometimes I want to be able to jump 10ft in the air or be able to slow down time or something.
 

The Rockerfly

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Dec 31, 2008
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Finally, I honestly can't wait for Bodycount, Black was so much fun and if this is even half as good it will be better than 90% of fps's
 

Ironic Pirate

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May 21, 2009
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I'm getting serious, Molyneux-esque vibes off this guy. Maybe his game is amazing, but I get more suspicous each time he says something bold like that.

Otherwise, though, this game looks great.
 

Denamic

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Aug 19, 2009
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But being shot once in the leg and having 70% reduced movement speed for the rest of the game would be an awesome feature!
Also, saving is unrealistic and should be removed from all games.
 

rockingnic

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May 6, 2009
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And I say f*ck everything else if the only thing that matters is that the game is fun. Realism can be really fun to an extent. I don't care if the game is the best looking game or the most innovating, only fun matters.
 

notyouraveragejoe

Dehakchakala!
Nov 8, 2008
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SnipErlite said:
Wooo! Black was an awesome sexy gunfest and this should be cool too.

Fuck realism :)
This to the extreme. I'm sure it'll be a load of fun and I can't wait.

Fuck Realism indeed.
 

TraderJimmy

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Apr 17, 2010
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Interesting that this was in the Guardian - it often seems to have a lot of coverage of computer games for a mainstream newspaper, and it did after all give Charlie Brooker a fairly prominent and hilarious column to vent in.

Makes me think that they have a soft spot for vidya games, which further makes me wonder how they're going to react to Tory plans to help British developers.

My guess is baffled confusion and anguished yelps.
 

Dok Zombie

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Apr 24, 2008
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Videogames are like movies in this respect, they have a cyclical nature. Right now we're in the "over the top, silly-yet-fun, sci-fi, comicbook, superhero" phase of movies after the "gritty realism" of the 90's, and it's the opposite with games at the minute, we're in grim, hyper-realistic, GTA IV, Modern Warfare, Heavy Rain territory at the moment, so mebbe a return to Serious Sam style daftness is the next big thing.