That was mostly Schafer, as any time he talked about it, that's all he talked about. And EA is the only reason that game even came out. Without them, it never gets released.Mr.Mattress said:
American McGee Blasts EA Marketing
- Thread starter Marshall Honorof
- Start date
I have the game, and it's okay, but I do agree that it probably would have been better on the PC, and maybe if it didn't have the Hack-n-slash parts. All I'm saying is that EA certainly marketed it as a Hack-n-slasher and not an RTS.rhizhim said:
True, but for all we know that could have been what EA told him to do (Talk about the Hack-n-slashing and leave out the RTS aspects). And while I thank EA for releasing the game, that doesn't excuse them for not advertising the game correctly.Frostbite3789 said:
Hang on, hang on. American McGee makes it sound like EA made a horrible horrible trailer that had nothing to do with the game. Now, the tone might have been inconsistent with much of the game, but EA basically just used a cutscene that is in the game.
It's difficult to see how using an in-game cutscene as a trailer can be seen to be EA creating a disconnect? Maybe the cutscene itself was the problem?
It's difficult to see how using an in-game cutscene as a trailer can be seen to be EA creating a disconnect? Maybe the cutscene itself was the problem?
EA being its usual self. What a shock.
Seriously, the marketing heads need to get their heads screwed back on. I'm well aware the most developed market of the moment tends to mostly revolve around horror or CoD, but come on. Those ads for Dante's Inferno, Dead Space being presented as a "game your Mom will hate"?
Please, EA. We're not all petulant thirteeen year-olds just itching for a chance at mild teenage rebellion. We're not all horror buffs or part of the shooter crowd. There's a bigger market out there than just the kid who likes edgy stuff for its purported edginess.
Seriously, the marketing heads need to get their heads screwed back on. I'm well aware the most developed market of the moment tends to mostly revolve around horror or CoD, but come on. Those ads for Dante's Inferno, Dead Space being presented as a "game your Mom will hate"?
Please, EA. We're not all petulant thirteeen year-olds just itching for a chance at mild teenage rebellion. We're not all horror buffs or part of the shooter crowd. There's a bigger market out there than just the kid who likes edgy stuff for its purported edginess.
Why does this sound familiar....OH RIGHT.
Trailer is great, Manson is great, representation of the actual game? Not new shit, utter shit.
Trailer is great, Manson is great, representation of the actual game? Not new shit, utter shit.
As much as I don't care for EA, it sounds to me like American Mcgee is trying to cast blame on other sources for his own failure. Going after the marketing department seems like something being done when they can't blame other more likely things like not being given money, or creative direction (notice he doesn't say he didn't make the game he wanted to). Probably this is a last ditch effort before his newest game under his new Chinese publisher given that his reputation does seem to have suffered more than a bit compared to one-time super stardom.
I find it kind of hilarious to hear someone accusing a company of trying to cater to hardcore horror fans, since that basically doesn't happen. It's very rare when we see things like "Dead Island" and the kind of production and marketing it's been doing. In general you tend to see most "horror" titles casualized, and toned down so as not to offend or disturb anyone, with them being turned almost entirely into "Bro-fest" action games. The typical complaints being that games like "Resident Evil" and "Silent Hill" just aren't horror games anymore.
To be honest, I'll say that while "Madness Returns" got some decent review scores, most reviews I read of the game talked about it being repetitive, with you doing the same thing again and again, with a lot of useless weapons tacked on since once you got the pepper-shaker cannon there was little reason to use much else apparently, and apparently a very bad combat system where it was nearly impossible to tell how much damage you were doing to targets, and things like that. My personal observation seemed to be that people were reluctant to slam it too badly because of the "American Mcgee" name, but ultimatly there weren't many people even in "positive" reviews that seemed to be saying how great it was. I'm not saying there weren't any, just not many I ran into.
To be brutally honest, I think if someone DID do a hardcore horror title out of this kind of stuff it would probably sell pretty well, but your not likely to see it specifically because publishers tend not to have the guts. For example if someone was to take the characters and mythology (as far as it went) from Mcfarlane's old "Twisted Land Of Oz" figures with all the sexuality and ultraviolence (Dorothy in bondage gear, etc...) and turn that into a game I could imagine it doing pretty well.
I'll also say that I think the "it's all in her head" thing kind of hurt Alice. See, even in hardcore horror the people watching/reading/playing it typically want the protaganist to survive and be okay.. well if the game is designed correctly and people like their character(s). This adds more impact when things happens to them, and so on. The problem with Alice to an extent is that while it's not hardcore horror, it's ultimatly an exercise in futility, I mean even if you get Alice to lapse back to sanity it's not like we're dealing with a story that is likely to have a happy ending in any way, shape, or form. I think the whole "why bother?" question affected the game, as I hardly to be the only one with these thoughts. Not to mention that places like Oz, Wonderland, etc... tend to be more exciting if they are portrayed as real as opposed to just delusions.... or in short, while not "hardcore" horror, I think as a premise Alice was lacking in any degree of hope. People play video games, even really dark ones, for escapism, while games that are explorations in despair, isolation, and futility, might score high among the arthouse crowd, it's not something that I think can be directed at a mainstream product.
I find it kind of hilarious to hear someone accusing a company of trying to cater to hardcore horror fans, since that basically doesn't happen. It's very rare when we see things like "Dead Island" and the kind of production and marketing it's been doing. In general you tend to see most "horror" titles casualized, and toned down so as not to offend or disturb anyone, with them being turned almost entirely into "Bro-fest" action games. The typical complaints being that games like "Resident Evil" and "Silent Hill" just aren't horror games anymore.
To be honest, I'll say that while "Madness Returns" got some decent review scores, most reviews I read of the game talked about it being repetitive, with you doing the same thing again and again, with a lot of useless weapons tacked on since once you got the pepper-shaker cannon there was little reason to use much else apparently, and apparently a very bad combat system where it was nearly impossible to tell how much damage you were doing to targets, and things like that. My personal observation seemed to be that people were reluctant to slam it too badly because of the "American Mcgee" name, but ultimatly there weren't many people even in "positive" reviews that seemed to be saying how great it was. I'm not saying there weren't any, just not many I ran into.
To be brutally honest, I think if someone DID do a hardcore horror title out of this kind of stuff it would probably sell pretty well, but your not likely to see it specifically because publishers tend not to have the guts. For example if someone was to take the characters and mythology (as far as it went) from Mcfarlane's old "Twisted Land Of Oz" figures with all the sexuality and ultraviolence (Dorothy in bondage gear, etc...) and turn that into a game I could imagine it doing pretty well.
I'll also say that I think the "it's all in her head" thing kind of hurt Alice. See, even in hardcore horror the people watching/reading/playing it typically want the protaganist to survive and be okay.. well if the game is designed correctly and people like their character(s). This adds more impact when things happens to them, and so on. The problem with Alice to an extent is that while it's not hardcore horror, it's ultimatly an exercise in futility, I mean even if you get Alice to lapse back to sanity it's not like we're dealing with a story that is likely to have a happy ending in any way, shape, or form. I think the whole "why bother?" question affected the game, as I hardly to be the only one with these thoughts. Not to mention that places like Oz, Wonderland, etc... tend to be more exciting if they are portrayed as real as opposed to just delusions.... or in short, while not "hardcore" horror, I think as a premise Alice was lacking in any degree of hope. People play video games, even really dark ones, for escapism, while games that are explorations in despair, isolation, and futility, might score high among the arthouse crowd, it's not something that I think can be directed at a mainstream product.
I'm not the only one slightly PO'd at that bit am I? "Oh no! We might upset the females if we're too violent!" The implication that female gamers are by default the casuals and that they're only interested in light-hearted games or games with female protagonists.... Urgh. This is why we can't have nice things.
um ... no ...Sgt. Sykes said:
i should know, i have it, got it through steam, no origin required
I don't think EA was at all misleading. The game was indeed fairly bloody and dark, and was at least trying to emulate aspects of the horror genre. In fact, the trailer that McGee was criticizing was the first cutscene of the entire game, so it wasn't even like it was a game that would be building up to the violence, it just starts there.
Besides which, I find his assertion that women didn't pick up the game because it seemed to dark rather strange. I'm not sure of any statistics, but I would like to assume that if any adult, male or female, chooses to not play games with darker tones then it is based off of their preference and not their gender.
If that game lost any sales, it was probably because it was a fairly mediocre game. Interesting concept, but substandard gameplay and constantly loading screens do not make for an enjoyable experience. This just sounds like McGee trying to save face just in time for Akinaro, so that if anyone asks about the lack of success with his previous outing then he can put to someone else as the problem.
Besides which, I find his assertion that women didn't pick up the game because it seemed to dark rather strange. I'm not sure of any statistics, but I would like to assume that if any adult, male or female, chooses to not play games with darker tones then it is based off of their preference and not their gender.
If that game lost any sales, it was probably because it was a fairly mediocre game. Interesting concept, but substandard gameplay and constantly loading screens do not make for an enjoyable experience. This just sounds like McGee trying to save face just in time for Akinaro, so that if anyone asks about the lack of success with his previous outing then he can put to someone else as the problem.
Make that -day. Have to agree with you there. I just don't get what's so wrong that marketing departments, not just EA, have to make those long CGI trailers that say fuck all about the game. Why can't marketing departments just present what's there instead of trying to trick people and then suffer the backlash of hate and anger?NameIsRobertPaulson said:
well he is right on my count i was seriously considering buying the game but in the end after seeing the trailers i decided against it and i dont think having to watch a lets play to get a more truthful look at a game is some thing i should have to do
Here's an interview to American, while introducing his new webpage game "Akaneiro: Demon Hunters". He goes at length with the EA issue regarding Madness Returns and some. I think what he says is preetty telling.
http://www.gamespot.com/features/american-mcgee-the-man-the-brand-6402620/?tag=Topslot%3bAmericanMcgee%3bAmericanMcgeeTheMan
http://www.gamespot.com/features/american-mcgee-the-man-the-brand-6402620/?tag=Topslot%3bAmericanMcgee%3bAmericanMcgeeTheMan
I don't know about now, but I preordered A:MA and on launch it was completely optional to pair off the game with Origin/Steam. It could have been installed as a regular-ass game standalone on your desktop (which I guess is actually kinda rare these days, huh.) You still needed to login with an EA account, but that's been standard for most EA games since the Mass Effect 2 era.Sgt. Sykes said:
Origin proactively added A:MA to its games list if you chose to install Origin.