Syndicate Was a "Lost Battle From the Get-Go"

[JesterRaiin]

They were never ours to win; it was a lost battle from the get-go

Bullshit.
- Pickup decent, old game.
- Do a "remake" only vaguely tied to the original.
- Simplify the fight.
- Clutter the UI with stuff that serves no purpose whatsoever.
- ???
- No serious profit.
- Blame the gamers.

Riiiiiight.

Seriously, some developers forget one very important thing : either they create video game for themselves and then they shouldn't count on serious money, OR they create games for us - the gamers and then they shouldn't blame us if we don't like the product that doesn't meet our expectations.

It's as simple as that.

What next EA? sims 4: the fps?

Tetris : the MMORPG

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Yes, their would be a playerbase that would always hate it.

Yes, people would of hated it if it innovates or if it was just a copy.

Still, you don't understand why people liked the original game.

It wasn't because it had "Syndicate" on the box, they liked it because it was a deep an interesting RTS.

They didn't either want or need another FPS that literally nothing close to the original gameplay. If it was an FPS where you were taking control of agents on missions, commanding them and a secret agent squad, that would of been very interesting, been an FPS, and of been somewhat true to the original feel to the game.

As it stands, it is just a completely average and isn't note worthy in the slightest, expect for how unintentionally hilarious a game being critical about mega-corps was published by EA.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

So many words and he still doesn't get it.

Syndicate was - and IS - a strategic game of causing a bloody mess, best enjoyed in its original, sort-of isometric view. Modernizing it could involve current 3D magic, it could involve HD visuals and 7.1 surround sound overload to make use of the tech a whole lot of gamers have hooked their PS3s and 360s up to.

Making yet another 3D FPS is NOT THE PROPER WAY TO DO THINGS. I hope everyone will, eventually, realize that.

NO sympathies to Nermark, and Gibeau should go swallow his pants.

 

[gamegod25]

I think the makers of XCOM: Enemy Unknown might have a different opinion

Yes no matter what they did there were going to people who were unhappy, that's just how the world works. You can't please everyone regardless what you say or do. That being said turning a top down, squad based strategy game into a FPS with only the loosest connection to the original was pretty much doomed to fail.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

The Syndicate reboot was an idiot game that was obviously trying to cash in on the hype surrounding Human Revolution. I've got a feeling it probably started as a generic cyberpunk shooter before EA went "Guyz, Square-Enix is reviving dis ten year old cyberpunk franchise and getting tons of hype. Dey iz going to be rollin' in teh monies. We iz getting in on dat. Here's a brand we hasn't used for fifteen years. Make dis game look like Human Revolution, and put da Syndicate name on it!"

I read this in the Dawn of War Ork voice. XD

Part of the problem could lie in the fact that we've been glutted on twitch-fests for the last ten years. The industry as a whole needs to go back to its roots and realize that there's other things to gaming than leveling a crosshair at someone's head and pulling the trigger.

Oh, and Economics 101: aping something which is or was successful will not in any way guarantee financial success. One of these days, EA's precious strategy involving the endless iteration of the CoD franchise will crash and burn. Only then will they wake up.

 

[Azure Knight-Zeo]

Here's an idea, how about you drop the Syndicate name and call it something else. That way you won't have fans of the original calling you out, and besides most of the people who bought it have no idea the original Syndicate exists. Or where you hoping that the fans raging over it would make people curious about it and generate free publicity?

 

[BrotherRool]

Eh, Deus Ex:Human Revolution had a harder job and did much better.

Syndicate the original was already pretty much a tactical shooter, and clearly had mechanics that needed updating. The isometric perspective didn't do much and the 'click to shoot' thing was rubbish. It was an old game easily improved on and surprisingly suited for a shooter conversion, it was basically just an isometric version. They just had to make something more Rainbow New Vegas, than corridors: the game.

First point, agreed.

Second point - strongly disagree.
I think they could have made a stunning Syndicate which kept close to the original and it's mechanics. Games like Diabolo and Torchlight show you that the isometric view and being able to shoot in it, is quite possible and can be successful. I also thought the original showed that it worked well.
Personally I would add a moveable/rotating camera though.

Honestly? I bought the original Syndicate because everyone was talking about how awesome it was and it sounded very tactical which I highly approve of... and I was a little disappointed. The gameplay controls allowed you to shoot, kite, mindcontrol a little and that was it, it wasn't really designed for complex manouevres and you never really needed a team acting in cohesion to solve anything.

Stuff like balance, well fair enough, this was back before we expected games to have that sort of polish and the same with the interface. I can see why people loved the game, because at least it was a big open map, lots of upgrade choices and you had one or two ways of doing everything but the game I'd had in my head was a lot different.

If Fallout made the transition to first-person shooter, and Fallout was a genuine isometric, tactical RPG, Syndicate was a lot closer to shooter roots to start with. I think you would have attracted the original fans and the indie gamers with an isometric interface and a severe gameplay overhaul, but it clearly had the spirit that allowed promotion into shooter.

It's just a clearly different kind of shooter, it would have to be multi-pathed open levels, with objectives but no guidance or pathing to complete those objectives, not even the forward motion that DX:HR had, with lots of tactical options, stealth options, mind control etc. Follow that up with the decentralised mission system and a really robust upgrade system and that would be what Syndicate would be if Bullfrog were around today. I guess it wouldn't fit in with the retro vibe, but more than most franchises, Syndicate felt like it was doing nothing interesting with the isometric, it was just the only real way possible to use it at the time. Apart from anything else, limiting the field of vision would increase that feeling of exploring that Syndicate had

 

[IamLEAM1983]

The Syndicate reboot was an idiot game that was obviously trying to cash in on the hype surrounding Human Revolution. I've got a feeling it probably started as a generic cyberpunk shooter before EA went "Guyz, Square-Enix is reviving dis ten year old cyberpunk franchise and getting tons of hype. Dey iz going to be rollin' in teh monies. We iz getting in on dat. Here's a brand we hasn't used for fifteen years. Make dis game look like Human Revolution, and put da Syndicate name on it!"

I read this in the Dawn of War Ork voice. XD

Well, I fink it made da most sense for EA to talk like dat. Da lads still seem to fink dat bangin' gamerz over da head wiv Kall of Duty klones is da best eco-nomik policy when it comes to making da money. And they iz really bangin' dose heads. Dat's quite an orky way of doin' fings. Though if they were gettin real orky, they'd know dat you've got to paint yer game red! Red tanks drive faster. Red trucks drive faster. Red games sell faster. Basic orky logic, dat. Syndikate should 'ave been painted red if dey wanted it to flog quicker.

Dat, and MORE DAKKA !!!!

Well, the game's title is red, and the font is all jagged and glitchy, because that's hip and Hacker Chic and all.

There *is* one flaw to your logic, however, Ork Jeffers:

It's pretty red alright, and it failed in epic proportions. That and, well, I do think its Dakka wasn't properly handled.

 

[Formica Archonis]

These are the comments of a man who sees an IP and doesn't think "A specific universe with specific mechanics or style." These are the comments of a man who sees an IP and thinks "IP of customer loyalty, +100% sales while equipped, +10% critical hit/blockbuster chance".

I wonder if he thinks MadWorld would've been a million-seller if Nintendo put a green hat on the player character and called it "Legend of Zelda: MadWorld".

 

[Aikayai]

If EA say they'll fund you to make a game based off of an existing franchise, its a trap.

Get a new IP, get it published, then go elsewhere with your new credit. That's a smaller risk than trying to make it work.

Though saying that, where did Bungie go after leaving Microsoft Game Studios?

 

[Nadia Castle]

I don't think anyone didn't see this coming from a mile away. Every prat who rushed in with the 'Oh but Fallout became an FPS and that was good' completely missed the mark. Pick up Fallout, put it next to Fallout 3 and you can see at heart their the same world. Pick up Syndicates 'Blade Runner' vibe and put up against the 'Future-is-an-ipod' blandness of the remake and you wouldn't know they had anything to do with each other. I still adore the old Syndicate games and even play Syndicate Wars on my PSP on the train, i'd have picked up a real remake in a heartbeat.

I still can't work out why the remake put the headquarters of a company called EUROcorp in New York....

 

[Imbechile]

Starbreeze are going the bioware style of not wanting to accept the truth.

Hopefully a similar fate does befall 2K's oft-delayed XCom reboot. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117388-XCom-Shooter-Delayed-Again]

Fix'ed ;-)

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Ah, but John Romero ain't no ork. He don't clobber enuff skullz to be an ork, not like EA. Just coz sumfing's red, dat don't mean it's orky. Blood Angelz is bright red, we still clobber 'em all da same! Dose pointy ears 'ave got tellyportin' nobs 'oo are painted bright red. We still rip da arms from dem bodies and use dem blood to paint our trukks.

EA, dey's orky. Don't matter how many times dey get Dakkafield or Medal Of Dakka clobbered by Kall of Dakka, dey still come back fer another go. Dat's real orky finking, see? John Romero, he takes one slug to da face, he legs it quicker dan a pointy ear wot's realized he's up against da orks! All talk, no trouser. Dat ain't da orky way. We got talk and trousers!

'ERE WE GO, 'ERE WE GO, 'ERE WE GO!

This is priceless. XD

Okay, so there's Ork Red and then there's other shades of red. There's Ork gumption (I think the Imperium would call it stupidity or stubbornness, but I'm nonpartisan so whatever) and there's cowardice. Got it.

Now, then, Ork Jeffers, assuming the Orks get shit done, why is it that EA can't get a franchise reboot off the ground? Is that part of the Orky way, too?

Yeah, I know, it's a bit of a burn on my part but come on. It's easy. Like, erm, the way Ork tech seems to be designed to crash and runs on pure willpower.

 

[Enverex]

Or you could actually have tried making a SYNDICATE game.

QFT. Thanks EA for ruining another franchise by making another FPS that we didn't need rather than an awesome RTS that it could have been.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft poked Bungie a couple times, told it to somehow relaunch Myth or Marathon as an FPS, and then reacted with utter shock and the naive certainty that it could've done well, when the result will inevitably bomb.

Sadly, Bungie doesn't have the rights to the Myth series, anymore. I forget the exact story, or where the rights are now, but after Myth II the rights to the game fell in the lap of some company that released Myth III, and it was a complete disaster. Would be awesome if Bungie managed to wrangle the rights back and released a proper sequel.