New Deus Ex Won't Be "Dumbed Down" For Consoles

[Andy Chalk]

New Deus Ex Won't Be "Dumbed Down" For Consoles

Deus Ex 3 [http://www.deusex3.com/] lead designer Jean-Francois Dugas says "console-isation" isn't about dumbing things down, and that he intends to retain the series' complexity across all platforms on which it's released.

In Eidos Montreal [http://www.edge-online.com/news/deus-ex-was-%E2%80%9Ckinda-slow%E2%80%9D-says-deus-ex-3-dev] won't "dumb down" the franchise in order to accommodate console platforms, although he admitted that at this stage, "We don't know exactly which platforms we're going to be out on."

"The PC, we'll be there for sure," he continued. "But for us, console-isation isn't about dumbing down features. If we're to go console we will want to keep the complexity alive. We want the menu interface and controller to feel simple without risking any of their potential."

Of course, a great many Deus Ex: Invisible War [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_Ex] was already significantly dumbed down when compared to the original, but it's not clear which iteration of the series Dugas is speaking of. Something else he said, however, is quite clear, and will no doubt send a shudder down the spines of gamers looking forward to the second sequel.

"There weren't enough exciting, memorable moments. [The original Deus Ex] was aimed more towards a simulation rather than a game experience," he said, adding that it was "kind of slow." The original Deus Ex, of course, is one of the most universally-acclaimed videogames of all time, with a MobyGames [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/deusex?q=deus%20ex] ranking of 91 and over a dozen "Game of the Year" awards to its credit.

I will leave you to discuss this amongst yourselves.


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[Cousin_IT]

When he says exciting im guessing he means it in the Micheal Bay sense of the word: Explosions; fancy CGI & other superficial eyecandy to distract from their lack of talent.

 

[Elurindel]

Yeah, I'm not exactly jumping up and down in anticipation either, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, at least whilst I still have the receipt. I wonder what storyline they intend to chrun out of the four possible endings of Invisible War (excuse my language).

 

[rossatdi]

"There weren't enough exciting, memorable moments. [The original Deus Ex] was aimed more towards a simulation rather than a game experience," he said, adding that it was "kind of slow." The original Deus Ex, of course, is one of the most universally-acclaimed videogames of all time, with a MobyGames [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/deusex?q=deus%20ex] ranking of 91 and over a dozen "Game of the Year" awards to its credit.

I will leave you to discuss this amongst yourselves.

Clearly a misguided chump. Memorable moments don't necessarily mean a large explosion combined with someone shouting "look out". Moments like realising the reporter you had chatted to about the plague was actually a spy for (I can't remember the agencies name!) was brilliant, and unique.

 

[DamienHell]

I have Deus Ex (the original) for the PC and PS2 and the PS2 version is dumbed all the way down to retarded. I can't walk 10 feet without a load screen. Oh well I hope Deus Ex 3 is as good (or better) as the original. Plz Eidos, repair the mistake you made with Invisible War

 

[Elurindel]

I have Deus Ex (the original) for the PC and PS2 and the PS2 version is dumbed all the way down to retarded. I can't walk 10 feet without a load screen. Oh well I hope Deus Ex 3 is as good (or better) as the original. Plz Eidos, repair the mistake you made with Invisible War

I concur! I recently bought Invisible War off of Amazon for 43p...I wasted my money.

 

[rossatdi]

I concur! I recently bought Invisible War off of Amazon for 43p...I wasted my money.

Damn, you could have almost bought a can of coke with that money!

 

[admanb]

"There weren't enough exciting, memorable moments. [The original Deus Ex] was aimed more towards a simulation rather than a game experience," he said, adding that it was "kind of slow.

It's nice to meet a designer that goes for efficiency in inspiring hate. This is the first time I've heard of the guy and I already want to hit him with a bat!

On the plus side, I'm no longer afraid of it being dumbed down for consoles: now I'm just afraid of it being dumbed down for its lead designer.

Last thing: I love the barely concealed revulsion in the writing of the news post.

 

[Thirtysomething]

God is this going to be the next Fallout 3 type "controversy"? Let's make a website and call it No Cyborgs Allowed.

Don't get me wrong, I thought Deus Ex was an ok game, though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone to play in this day and age as it's just too dated. I think a modern-day remake/sequel or re-imagining would be great.

In all honesty, though, I got to the halfway point (of the original) and started getting bored, bored enough for my interest to wane and me to stop playing. Of course, I didn't realise at the time that I was playing the pinnacle of gaming, or maybe I'd have persevered a bit more through the dull bits.

Maybe, just maybe (GASP SHOCK HORROR) this guy actually has a point. I will reserve any judgement until the game is out, and wait to see what he's going to do with it, but it's refreshing for me to see someone echoing what my thoughts were of the game, and I am intrigued.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I think the point is that if you want something more EXCITING and MEMORABLE, like some kind of Half-Life 2: Episode Deus Ex, then maybe you should be playing something else. There are plenty of choices available to you. Deus Ex succeeded precisely because it wasn't some idiotic run-and-gunner, but rather a true FPS/RPG hybrid that told a real story, had great characters (albeit with some brutal voice acting) and went far, far beyond the conventional first-person experience we'd grown used to. Make no mistake, I love idiotic run-and-gunners, but denigrating DX because it didn't happen to fit well enough into that category is a huge mistake.

This isn't nostalgia talking, either. I got the itch to play it again earlier this year (a very rare thing for me, I don't often replay games), worked my way through it from start to finish, and it was bloody fantastic. Graphically dated, yes, and the combat was primitive compared to modern shooters - and so what? It was still one of the best games I've played since the first time I played it.

Dugas' statement is going to inspire a lot of fanboy rage, and as I'm something of a fanboy myself I think that's as it should be. But from a more objective point of view I find it concerning because it's indicative of a knee-jerk trend toward, as Cousin_IT put it, Michael Bayifying everything in sight. Not every game, not even a game like Deus Ex which was ostensibly an action title, needs that sort of treatment, and the apparent belief that it does betrays a shocking ignorance about what exactly made the game great in the first place.

 

[Snacksboy]

I for one would be very surprised if they said something along the lines of "we intend to make as much of this as possible no matter what parts of the game we have to sacrifice" I mean comon, lets say they are going to dumb it down, they still wouldn't tell us! Also I doubt they can reach the success of the first game, partly because it is a prequel, and as such some things are set in stone, so you cant have say world changing decisions like the first game did.

 

[Jursa]

While invisible war was indeed dumbed down it was still something original in comparison to most games. The thing I liked most about it was the fact that you aren't given 2 choices to go as Hitler or Pope John Paul the 2nd. You picked between factions and none of them were that bad in the end(well exception goes to the Omar who turned the place into a wasteland). But I guess this is coming from a fan so it doesn't count.

 

[Thirtysomething]

Deus Ex succeeded precisely because it wasn't some idiotic run-and-gunner, but rather a true FPS/RPG hybrid that told a real story, had great characters (albeit with some brutal voice acting) and went far, far beyond the conventional first-person experience we'd grown used to.

I can appreciate what you're saying because I like these kind of games as well. I think it's fair to say that a modern-day example of a game that fits the description you made in the quote above would be Mass Effect (apart from the third person view and the decent voice-acting). That is a game I played, loving every minute, even the quiet bits in between the big setpieces, until the credits rolled.

Now we can agree to disagree in our opinions on the original Deus Ex, you love it, I only liked it to a point and then got bored - whatever. All I'm saying is that if this guy, Jean-Francois Dugas, means that he is wanting to make it more like a modern-day Action/RPG hybrid, such as Mass Effect, I think that could be a very good thing. Jumping to the conclusion that he wants to "michael-bayise" it and nerd-raging all over the internet is a little premature at this stage.

Lets just wait and see until we get more details on what his exact vision is.

 

[Midnight Voyager]

Guh, what? Not exciting and memorable? Really? um.

I could... probably tell you the whole plot, all through the plot twists, right now. I played as a sneaky, non-lethal-when-possible, chatty hacker/sniper. That's possibly the "slowest" way you could play. And I LOVED it.

Come on, the *spoiler*

mission where you could either leave LIKE THE NPC TOLD YOU TO, or stay behind and risk your life to save your brother? Not many games give you that choice! Not many games let you play however you like anymore either! That was-

Oh screw it. sigh. Gimme more details, then we'll talk.

 

[mintsauce]

Dear Lord, who put this guy in charge of the project?

Not enough exciting, memorable moments? I can remember every minute of Deus Ex, and every minute is exciting. If anyone wants me, I'll be in the angry dome.

 

[curlycrouton]

I am going to slap the developer of this game round the face, for trying to recreate such a brilliant game.

 

[Thirtysomething]

"But for us, console-isation isn't about dumbing down features. If we're to go console we will want to keep the complexity alive. We want the menu interface and controller to feel simple without risking any of their potential."

sigh.

Jesus christ guys, he's literally said he doesn't want to dumb it down, he wants to keep the complexity of the original game and make it more exciting. How is this a bad thing? Of course you can respond to that with "Well he is lying and he wants to dumb it down," in which case nothing anyone says will appease you.

There is nothing here to suggest JUST YET that he's going to fuck it up, unless there is more info out there I've not yet come across in which case please enlighten me so I can stand corrected. It's almost like you want him to ruin the franchise just so you can foam at the mouth about it. Otherwise, why so pessimistic?

When did the Escapist boards become NMA?

 

[Rankao]

Its like Herman Melville saying his next book much more excising and energising without dumbing it down. God I hate that book, but it was still very good.