Jimquisition: Perfect Pasta Sauce

[punipunipyo]

And right you are! Good episode!

I like my pasta with extra "stuff" I added after I pour the can in to the pot, like extra onion, mushrooms, garlic, meat chunks(sausages)...Etc; I missed the old days where I can buy a game and make maps/mod on my own, like the unreal tournament, War craft III, that comes with an editor, even IF I was lazy to design one, I can always get users' content by DLing them off net.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Jim I completely agree with the episode except you contradicted yourself trying to defend the previous episode. Prego succeeded by focus testing. You would have been better served by making the connection to prego clearly just saying that they merely learned that Variety was the spice of life, not that you MUST innovate. The innovation you're unhappy with shouldn't be called innovation. Call it "feature spamming.". That's a bit more on the nose.

It's not that focus testing should never be used, it's that it can't be the be-all, end-all. Malcolm Gladwell is where I learned a lot about both the pasta thing *and* the perils of focus testing. Basically, you can learn a lot from directly asking your audience things, but you can't hang on their every word because, ultimately, a lot of what they say won't translate into what they do.

Also, the difference between Prego and the coffee thing is the difference between gauging an actual preference versus a someone's perception of their own preferences. You can have someone taste different things and they can tell you what they like. You can simply ask someone what they like and they'll tell you what sounds good. Hence, people say they want "rich, dark roasted" coffee when, in reality, they prefer the taste of someone else.

Had Prego just asked people what they wanted, it's likely they'd not have discovered extra chunky, because nobody would have said it.

So, we shouldn't just ask what people want, but also try and see what they are enjoying?
Hmmmm....Do you think the Games industry could ask that guy for some help like Prego did?

Also well done on the new show. We could use some more poetry around here.

 

[Dak_N_Jaxter]

Your best episode yet.

 

[kajinking]

Sigh...

This just reminds me of how much I want a good new RTS that isn't totally indie or some f2p nonsense, I just want a fair priced RTS with a decent single player story and some skirmish modes for me to mess around in.

Sigh....wonder how much Red Alert 3 is on steam.

 

[GAunderrated]

I can think of a few game genre's that rarely get scratched by a good game.

-Horror
-Zombie survival (lots of crappy attempts but nothing has gotten it right yet)
-adventure games
-point and click
-fun puzzle games.
-Platformers (while thankfully growing in the indie scene can still do better)
-A new form of card games (something like Yugioh: war of the roses for the ps2/GC)
-Metroidvania style games (some have come out but have been kinda ham fisted)
-2D side scrollers (akin but not necessarily like megaman)
-fun exploration games (akin to terraria and starbound)

Now some of these categories are finally starting to bulk up the past 2 years but they arn't getting nearly as much love as trying to make the next big WoW or CoD killer.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

Still waiting to throw my money at a game that gives you a fully customizable (like Saints Row 2) loot-based (like Borderlands) urban open-world (like Crackdown) Action-RPG (again, like Borderlands) hybrid that I would buy twice over.

DEVELOPERS, THIS AUDIENCE OF ME IS WAITING IN THE WINGS!

 

[Azaraxzealot]

I can think of a few game genre's that rarely get scratched by a good game.


-Zombie survival (lots of crappy attempts but nothing has gotten it right yet)
-fun exploration games (akin to terraria and starbound)

I agree with you on these two. Minecraft and its MANY clones come as close as you get to combining those two into one brilliant game, but we have yet to see one that fully explores the potential of Zombie Survival (like a Bethesda RPG with zombies would be AWESOME, especially after fans mod a hardcore survival mode into it)

 

[Madman Muntz]

Yes thank God for Jim, ...and sod the flipping royals. While some people, including yourself, are worried that this weeks edition might contradict last weeks, I don't agree. I think both compliment each other quite well. My reasoning for thinking this is because aside from big companies being very narrow minded in what kind of games they make, as last weeks video showed, they are also pumping a ridiculous shitload of resources into very few titles. If these, frankly batshit, developers would work towards more realistic sales estimates and budgets, there would be arse loads of money left over to try some experimenting. Just like you've said in both videos these companies need to pull their heads out of their recharge sockets and stop trying to find the "one game to rule them all". And instead use that money to exponentially expand their customer base by creating a wider spectrum of game types that appeal to more than just the already hooked, and somewhat jaded disciples they have now.

Do I think that many major developers are going to do that? Sadly I give a big "fuck no". These are the same dingbats that are continuing in their mad vision to segregate their customer base across several game platforms which has the net effect of actually lowering their sales count as most people, at least the ones that I know, only buy one version of a game, in a time when they are throwing so much money into their games already that it is nearly impossible to make a realistic return.

 

[A_Parked_Car]

This describes my feelings pretty much exactly. I'm a hardcore RTS, 4X and Grand Strategy gamer. At the moment my preferred genres seem to be doing fairly well. Though the games within those genres seem to be constantly converging into a very small handful of publishers. I quietly celebrated that SEGA picked up Relic, since they have proven that they are both willing and able to handle RTSes, such as the Total War series, with a degree of respect.

Addressing the pasta sauce example, there is no single 'perfect' genre for me. Heck, I even sub-divide within genres. For example, I do play competitive mulit-player shooters from time to time. I have what I call the 'holy trinity' of Battlefield 3, Team Fortress 2 and Red Orchestra 2 for all my competitive multi-player shooting needs.

I will play them based on whatever mood I'm in. If I want some silly, colourful fun, then I will head on over to TF2. If I want to play something a bit more serious, then I will play BF3. Finally, if I want to play something far slower, harder, grittier and more deliberate, then I will head into RO2. Put another way, in TF2 I get the excitement from clearing out the enemy base in 2Fort and walking out with the intelligence as a Heavy in an overall atmosphere of silliness. In BF3, I get the excitement from getting lots of kills and capping objectives in what feels like a semi-grounded action movie. In RO2, I get the excitement from the anticipation of a firefight, or running from one side of the street to the other without getting killed.

I can't say that one of those shooters is better than the other. I just 'feel' like different game-play styles on different days. For example, some days I would not have the patience for RO2's slow and methodical game-play, while other days I just want to take things a bit more seriously than TF2.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

I totally agree with you Jim. I think AAA publishers are afraid of trying something new and are sticking to their guns and milking their franchises to oblivion.

This is why indie games and the whole kickstarter has become a thing, because the publishers won't throw money at such games if it doesn't bring them millions of copies sold. There is a market for everything out there, but someone needs to take the first step so that others may follow.

I'm interested in the new Thief reboot for example, but will be disappointed by the fact that they will try to casualise/mainstream it. I want to play old school RPG's with prettier graphics because I couldn't back in the day for the reason of not being born. This is why I've funded all of those awesome projects that will get me what I want.

 

[Darken12]

Thank you, Jim, now I can link this video to people who keep decrying that LGBTQ+ inclusion is doomed and useless because it's not the majority demographic, and apparently if something cannot make CoD money, it's not worth doing at all.

There's a demographic eager to be served LGBTQ+ inclusion, and that includes some straight/cis people too.

Female and racial inclusion benefit from this exact kind of argument too.

 

[Slash2x]

Jim I completely agree with the episode except you contradicted yourself trying to defend the previous episode. Prego succeeded by focus testing. You would have been better served by making the connection to prego clearly just saying that they merely learned that Variety was the spice of life, not that you MUST innovate. The innovation you're unhappy with shouldn't be called innovation. Call it "feature spamming.". That's a bit more on the nose.

It's not that focus testing should never be used, it's that it can't be the be-all, end-all. Malcolm Gladwell is where I learned a lot about both the pasta thing *and* the perils of focus testing. Basically, you can learn a lot from directly asking your audience things, but you can't hang on their every word because, ultimately, a lot of what they say won't translate into what they do.

Also, the difference between Prego and the coffee thing is the difference between gauging an actual preference versus a someone's perception of their own preferences. You can have someone taste different things and they can tell you what they like. You can simply ask someone what they like and they'll tell you what sounds good. Hence, people say they want "rich, dark roasted" coffee when, in reality, they prefer the taste of someone else.

Had Prego just asked people what they wanted, it's likely they'd not have discovered extra chunky, because nobody would have said it.

So, we shouldn't just ask what people want, but also try and see what they are enjoying?
Hmmmm....Do you think the Games industry could ask that guy for some help like Prego did?

Also well done on the new show. We could use some more poetry around here.

Demos. We need demos that are just concepts. Nothing crazy or expensive, just a small one or two levels and see what everyone flips out for. Developers could change the way games are made if this took off.

 

[Aircross]

I had a dream about Jim last night.

I knelt down into a praying stance in front of him and said, "Thank god for Jim!"

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I'm not sure who got the biggest burn, the British Royal Family or the AAA Game Industry.

 

[flaviok79]

Jim, this is your best show so far. Keep it up!

 

[franksands]

I think this is the best episode I've ever watched. I would say it is a perfect episode.

 

[synobal]

That was beautiful, Jim. Just beautiful. I've always thought of Jim as more capable as a consumer advocate than as a gaming intellectual, but I'm about ready to re-think that now. This episode is both ingenious and brilliantly executed. I can't believe game markets still can't notice that *gasp* different people might like different things. Or, to put it another way: if you release a new IP that takes a few risks, it might work, it might bomb. If you just keep churning the same crap that other people have done before and better, then there is a 100% probability that you will fail eventually.

I use to not like Jim as well but it seems like lately he's really been kicking ass. He's got a good view on the game market and if only publishers and developers would heed him.

 

[Sordin]

"And made. Wait for it.......money!" That had perfect comedic timing I must say and I agree wholeheartedly with what this episode has to say and I find it vaguely irritating games companies can't see this. Praise the sun for you Jim.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I'm not sure who got the biggest burn, the British Royal Family or the AAA Game Industry.

I'd say the game industry. I think the royal family expects the inbreeding jokes at this point.

I think it would've also helped if "Prego" wasn't also a slur for a pregnant woman.

I answered a forum post about my favorite games from this generation and realized that most of them are shooters. Even the strategy games (Valkyria Chronicles) or the puzzle games (like Portal) have shooter elements. They're still amazing games but my favorite games from last generation include driving (like Burnout Revenge) sports games (like Ribbit King) and...whatever the hell Katamari is... also driving? The closest thing to a shooter I really liked from last gen was probably GTA SA.
Still, I would hate to discourage them from making the next Borderlands or Just Cause; even though they're shooters they exemplify variety. For the oversaturation of shooter's at least we did get some really good shooters.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Spoiler: For space.

Jim I completely agree with the episode except you contradicted yourself trying to defend the previous episode. Prego succeeded by focus testing. You would have been better served by making the connection to prego clearly just saying that they merely learned that Variety was the spice of life, not that you MUST innovate. The innovation you're unhappy with shouldn't be called innovation. Call it "feature spamming.". That's a bit more on the nose.

It's not that focus testing should never be used, it's that it can't be the be-all, end-all. Malcolm Gladwell is where I learned a lot about both the pasta thing *and* the perils of focus testing. Basically, you can learn a lot from directly asking your audience things, but you can't hang on their every word because, ultimately, a lot of what they say won't translate into what they do.

Also, the difference between Prego and the coffee thing is the difference between gauging an actual preference versus a someone's perception of their own preferences. You can have someone taste different things and they can tell you what they like. You can simply ask someone what they like and they'll tell you what sounds good. Hence, people say they want "rich, dark roasted" coffee when, in reality, they prefer the taste of someone else.

Had Prego just asked people what they wanted, it's likely they'd not have discovered extra chunky, because nobody would have said it.

So, we shouldn't just ask what people want, but also try and see what they are enjoying?
Hmmmm....Do you think the Games industry could ask that guy for some help like Prego did?

Also well done on the new show. We could use some more poetry around here.

Demos. We need demos that are just concepts. Nothing crazy or expensive, just a small one or two levels and see what everyone flips out for. Developers could change the way games are made if this took off.

Eh, as dumb as it sounds Demos really don't help games to sell as well as one would think.

That said, it would be great if they started selling games a la carte, like MovieBob was talking about a while ago. You would pay some money to get some of the game, and then buy the rest later if you like it. Or you could even pay less to just get the parts you want. Like buying say the new Tome Raider for less because you didn't get the multi-player.

I think that would be better. It would let people take more risks, because they would still make some money, and if the customers aren't sure about the game they can just buy some of it first, and see if they want the rest later.

But like Bob said, downloading games will have to get a lot more common first, and that's a whole other mess to deal with.