The Innovation Treadmill

[Siris]

So I've been playing Disgaea 4 recently, and I love it. It's been one of my favorite games this year, and it has probably made me smile more than any game this year. It has a fun story, the same crazy deep gameplay of the other entries in the series, and the graphics have finally gotten the HD overhaul they deserved.

The thing is, a lot of the reviews I've read talk about the games being on some kind of treadmill that all the steps forward don't count because the series is 'basically the same game'. That there isn't enough change of tone between any of the games or differences that separate the entries apart from one another, and so they took points off.

I find this mind boggling. Yeah, the series feels similar: it's a series. It's supposed to. There are common themes throughout because it's a cohesive style. It's how the games operate. I don't see anyone get mad at Modern Warfare 2 for making someone think of Modern Warfare 1. This just bothers me that I've never seen this argument rolled out for other series.

I'm only vaguely connected to reality and even less plugged into a lot of things, so I'm going to ask: does this happen to other series? Does anyone say this to the yearly installment games? We have to wait three or four years for each Disgaea game, so atleast we have time to miss how those games played...

 

[Zhukov]

I'm only vaguely connected to reality and even less plugged into a lot of things, so I'm going to ask: does this happen to other series? Does anyone say this to the yearly installment games?

Uhh...

Yes.

All the damn time.

Although, for every person saying, "What the hell? It's just more of the same", there will be someone else saying, "Arrg! They changed too much! Now it doesn't feel like X anymore!" So yeah...

People. Bleh.

 

[Tazzy da Devil]

Yeah, people say this all the time. Mostly about Pokemon.

 

[J-dog42]

Although, for every person saying, "What the hell? It's just more of the same", there will be someone else saying, "Arrg! They changed too much! Now it doesn't feel like X anymore!" So yeah...

I couldn't agree more. You can please some of the people all of the time or all of the people some of the time. When it comes to the human race, you cannot please all the people all the time. I would also suggest that the "This is too similar" and "They changed it too much" crowds will have members that sit in both camps.

 

[Rack]

It still has a Metacritic rating of 84 so I think this is one cases where it's probably getting fair criticism. More of the same, but that's still great, it's a great game just not an outstanding one that manages to reinvent itself. The problem is partially in that we've become so spoiled by genuinely awesome games that we forget that great is still great, and partially that big publishers throw giant hissy fits when their by the numbers sequel only gets an 8 that a lot of reviewers cave in and rate them as 9s and 10s.

 

[ChupathingyX]

This happens in pretty much every long series.

I would bring up the [sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub]Dynasty Warriors series[/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub], but this website isn't the right place to discuss it.

But yes, this happens to almost all video game franchises, some people want more, some want less, some want to stay somewhere in the middle.

 

[Siris]

Alright, fair enough

It still has a Metacritic rating of 84 so I think this is one cases where it's probably getting fair criticism. More of the same, but that's still great, it's a great game just not an outstanding one that manages to reinvent itself. The problem is partially in that we've become so spoiled by genuinely awesome games that we forget that great is still great, and partially that big publishers throw giant hissy fits when their by the numbers sequel only gets an 8 that a lot of reviewers cave in and rate them as 9s and 10s.

I agree with a lot of the criticism on the game. The only thing I really don't get is how a B- on 1UP coordinates to a 67 on Meta... someone might have to explain that

 

[Limecake]

The only thing I really don't get is how a B- on 1UP coordinates to a 67 on Meta... someone might have to explain that

well 1UP is one reviewer and meta is a collection of a large number of reviews. don't take meta critic to heart though when portal 2 was released all those 'Anon's' rushed to meta critic to crash the score.

to truly innovate in a series you'd need to spend more than a year working on the sequel, say what you want about valve time at least Half-Life 2 was a huge step ahead from the original.

 

[Cridhe]

I'm only vaguely connected to reality and even less plugged into a lot of things, so I'm going to ask: does this happen to other series? Does anyone say this to the yearly installment games?

Uhh...

Yes.

All the damn time.

Although, for every person saying, "What the hell? It's just more of the same", there will be someone else saying, "Arrg! They changed too much! Now it doesn't feel like X anymore!" So yeah...

People. Bleh.

Congratulations sir, you have just won the internet. I could NOT agree more on anything...ever.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

I don't see anyone get mad at Modern Warfare 2 for making someone think of Modern Warfare 1. This just bothers me that I've never seen this argument rolled out for other series.

Eh?
Have you ever read the comments to any thread about CoD in the history of ever? That's ALL anyone complains about!

Read the comments on this thread:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.310757-Trailers-Call-of-Duty-Modern-Warfare-3-Multiplayer-Footage#12565261

Half the people are saying that it looks like MW2, and that's a good thing. Half the people are saying that it looks like MW2, and that's a bad thing. The guy that posted 7th manages to say that it looks like MW2, and thats both good and bad!?!

Every Franchise gets the same criticism, whether true or not. I have personally seen people say this in these forums about Sonic, Mario, Halo, Final Fantasy, Eldar Scrolls, Tomb Raider, etc. etc. etc.

In short, yes, it happens to every series, because people have different opinions about what makes a game good, you just have to learn to take it on the chin and ignore it.

 

[Worgen]

meh, every game nowadays is just pong with bump mapping

 

[Siris]

meh, every game nowadays is just pong with bump mapping

No! It has motion controls too!

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