TimeSplitters Dev: There's No Money in FPS Games

[Aureliano]

Okay. One more time:

Consumers. Have. A. Finite. Amount. Of. Money.

The only thing that everybody will buy is something that appeals to everybody at once and offends nobody in the target demographics. Also, making whatever that is will probably make you want to kill yourself. Just spend less on development and make good games, please.

 

[Irridium]

If there's no money in FPS games, why do they keep getting made? Obviously quite a few must be doing pretty well, considering the massive amount of them out in the market.

I'd also suggest moving away from the $50 Million-a-pull slot machine business model that the industry is operating on. If you win you're the next Call of Duty. If you lose you lay off a development house, and take another pull. This is stupid and suicidal and it really needs to end.

Also, do an HD re-release of the previous Timesplitters games. If that makes shit-tons of money, it'll be a safe bet that people want more Timesplitters. If it doesn't, well then that's life I guess.

Just give me more Timesplitters. Please. Please for the love of god give me more Timeplitters.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Kickstarter man, I don't care if you won't make back your money. This game must happen! D:

 

[DiamanteGeeza]

Then why not spend less on development? Not every game has to cost crysis 2 amounts. TS wasn't famed for it's graphics and it still has plenty of fans.

Sadly, in order for a publisher to pick it up, it would need to "be as good as Call of Duty or Battlefield" by which I mean the only thing publishers seem to value these days is what a game looks like, and that's the expensive bit.

Sad and short-sighted, but true.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

That is a sad indictment of the current trends in the industry when long standing series with a sizable following cannot get a sequel green lit because it doesn't match up to whats currently in fashion. I loved Timesplitters and everyone I use to mention it to tried it out and ended up loving it too. I have no doubt it would have sold well.

It is a shame as I imagined Timesplitters 4 was the game the fps genre needed to shake off some of the modern realism that has become a bit too prevellant. Still just as Timesplitters succeed Goldeneye/Perfect Dark I hope another new IP can step up to continue Timesplitters legacy of frantic split screen multiplayer

 

[jdogtwodolla]

People on this thread are throwing out examples of successful shooters that I thought were AAA titles but apparently aren't (Borderlands, most Valves properties). If that's the case and those are indeed not AAA games, then I don't see A new Timesplitters doing that badly on the market.

Spoiler: Also Surprised no one threw this up at the no new TS news

 

[Headsprouter]

....what? You don't want my money?

Kickstarter. This is the one case I would give sizeable donations in full confidence of the fanbase. And even if they don't make money on it, they'll have wasted nobody's.

I'd even like a remake for the fact it would guarantee my favourite character design, the one I named this account after.
The one thing that gives me hope, still is they haven't said "No" outright.

 

[Dalvyn]

VALV[sup]E[/sup] would like to have a few words. They've made a ton of FPSs, and have been consistently profitable. Even Day of Defeat turned a profit.

P.S. Thanks

I wonder which we will see first... Half Life 3 or TimeSplitters 4? We should start betting money on this. I'm going to bet on TimeSplitters 4.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

That's strange, I didn't realize the Timesplitters series was a triple-A series. The second may have been but Future Perfect and the first aren't as openly loved. Like others have said, there are ways of building up production money by either re-skinning and, re-selling an older title (like TS2: make it HD and sell it on steam, XBLA and, PSN) or Kickstarter if you don't want to sell last gens games on this gens consoles.

Of course if you read between the lines you may actually see a few hints about Timesplitters 4. Like three, the fourth may not be called Timesplitters 4 but maybe something like, Time Splitters: The Dutiful Call or, Timesplitters: Duty of the Call.

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

Do a kickstarter now and watch the money roll in.

This, I would totally throw money at them for this.

Call Of Duty seems to have really crippled gaming, not just shooters.

 

[ThunderCavalier]

Then why not spend less on development? Not every game has to cost crysis 2 amounts. TS wasn't famed for it's graphics and it still has plenty of fans.

Sadly, in order for a publisher to pick it up, it would need to "be as good as Call of Duty or Battlefield" by which I mean the only thing publishers seem to value these days is what a game looks like, and that's the expensive bit.

Sad and short-sighted, but true.

Pretty much this, really.

The only chance for a TS4 is for a publisher to see some merit in releasing TimeSplitters against CoD, Battlefield, and Halo (not likely), or to release it independently on the XBLA, which I guess IS possible, but given how much money you're expected from a venture like that, it'll be like playing a PS2 or a Xbox game all over again since getting anything of higher quality would be too expensive at this rate.

This might be news to some of you people, but Kickstarter doesn't have the funds needed to run Triple A games. If they wanted to release a TimeSplitters of the same quality as a Triple A game, they'd need some publisher money backing it up, otherwise they could probably do something of Xbox-esque quality and put it up on XBLA since that would be more cost-effective.

 

[Hazy992]

I seemed to have missed the part where Timesplitters was ever AAA. It's got a lot of fans sure but I wouldn't call it AAA. Kickstarter it and then we'll see just how much interest Timesplitters gets.

 

[Nihilism_Is_Bliss]

DON'T YOU DARE DO THIS TO ME YOU ASSHOLE!
Do you know how much, and for how long I've hoped and dreamed that Timesplitters 4 would be released? DO YOU?

The current FPS market is the worst it's ever been. Therefore, since we can all agree that CoD sucks, and we should stop copying it, what's the solution? To stop making FPS games apparently.

Apparently TimeSplitters 4 is in the same place as Steve Ellis' balls.

 

[Dryk]

If there's no money in FPS games, why do they keep getting made? Obviously quite a few must be doing pretty well, considering the massive amount of them out in the market.

I'd also suggest moving away from the $50 Million-a-pull slot machine business model that the industry is operating on. If you win you're the next Call of Duty. If you lose you lay off a development house, and take another pull. This is stupid and suicidal and it really needs to end

I agree. Especially since they'll be brushing up on taking all the available money soon, adding more DLC to cover their ballooning dev costs isn't going to save the industry forever. They really need to stop now before the bubble bursts, but since the CEOs driving this trend can just jump ship before it sinks I don't see that happening.

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

I'd sure as hell pay for it. I'd even pay for an HD re-release of Future Perfect, or even just a PC version, and I know I'm not alone in this. The Timesplitters games, even in the day, were refreshing and memorable, and people can still appreciate that.

Basically, Kickstarter it. Let word of mouth and a few inevitable articles covering the campaign be your advertising. You can even cut back on graphics to save costs; I don't think there'd be any complaining if it wasn't the most high-poly, cutscene-filled, realistic game on the block. Take a page from Valve's book: style is more important than expense.

The people will thank you for it.

 

[RaNDM G]

I'm not surprised no one is interested. Most of the new kids that joined this generation have no idea what TimeSplitters is.

 

[A Raging Emo]

Why not just use the same Engine as last time or something? I'm flat out broke, and I'd pay £40 for Timesplitters 4. Just have the popular characters and humour and that spectacular map editor and bam; you've already got hordes of TS fans beating down your door desperate for the game.

 

[JoesshittyOs]

Honestly, what a puss. Grow a pair Ellis.

Do you people just not want to make the game? Than fucking say so. Seriously, a Timesplitters 4 wouldn't even need to be that tech heavy. Release it as a 20 dollar XBLA, PSN, and Steam game in between the CoD downtime and you'll make a killing. It's a much better gamer for College roommates and sit down sessions with your friend than CoD is, and the bots are fun within themselves.

If I'm interested in this game and willing to buy it, you can bet your ass that there's gonna be a lot more qualified gamers willing to buy it.