Why don't Developers make the games we want to play?

[gideonkain]

I have been so frustrated lately looking at the upcoming release schedule.
So many copy cats, under developed ideas and retreads of tired tropes.

I was wondering why don't Developers make the games their audience is clamoring for?

You would think making the games that people want to play would be a sound business strategy.

A few LONG overdue games:

Kingdom Hearts 3
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Half Life 3
Legacy of Kain / Soul Reaver
Star Wars Battlefront 3
Beyond Good & Evil 2

 

[Vault101]

doesnt this belong in gaming discussion?

shooters and such are popular right now....

 

[Hal10k]

Kingdom Hearts and Half-Life 3 are presumed to be in development, there's a Legacy of Kain reboot in the works, Square Enix have stated that they don't want to make a VII remake until they feel they've surpassed it in terms of quality (that and it would be a rather pricey operation), the team that made Battlefront was shut down by Lucasarts due to internal conflict, and Ubisoft are sitting on the Beyond Good and Evil license until they get some more projects out the door.

 

[burningdragoon]

Snarky response: They do. Even the really, really shitty games have people that want to play them.

Better response: making a good, well polished game (generally) requires a lot of time and money. Ultimately devs are in the business of making games and very few have the luxury for an "it's done when it's done" schedule. Add in the fact that they need to actually make money, they have to appeal to broader and broader audiences the more money they spend. Some of that is their own fault, but it's how it is.

And since when do fans actually know what they want? Seriously, here's what I want: I want them to make games they want to play and hopefully I will too.

and sigh at mentioning FF7 remake

 

[Zhukov]

Depends on the game.

Kingdom Hearts 3

No idea. Maybe the writers had a breakdown trying to comprehend the convoluted mess they had made for themselves.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

I'm guessing it's because (a) it would be expensive and (b) nobody is interested in actually making it. I wouldn't be surprised if it actually happens at some point though.

Half Life 3

They're making it. Slowly. Valve are in the rather unique position of being under absolutely no financial pressure to get their projects out the door.

Legacy of Kain / Soul Reaver

What about it? Didn't this finish? Or are you talking about a remake?

Star Wars Battlefront 3

Because Mr Lucas thought Force Unleashed was better.

Beyond Good & Evil 2

The first one sold so badly that at one point they were giving it away free with block of cheese. Also, the creator was busy with other stuff. However, word is that it's recently got back on track.

 

[ffs-dontcare]

I have a theory. Bear with me here.

Now, some developers do indeed make games that they themselves want to play. And that's good. Because when a developer makes a game that they would play, they do their utter best with it and make it as good as they possibly can in terms of quality.

The problem, however, is that some other developers take it upon themselves to make games with the focus of making money, NOT with the focus of making something they themselves would play (unless they themselves are your stereotypical (key word there) mouth-foaming Alpha-Beta console jockeys, in which case you can bet your ass they would play it).

In other words, they're focusing on the wrong thing. They have the wrong motivation: money and competition. I remember a while back when I was reading something somewhere (probably on this site, but who knows?) about how a certain bunch are basically trying to compete instead of innovate. Again, money. They're going for the wrong thing.

Either that, or their overlords are taking creative control, directly or otherwise, and actively try to steer the game's development in a more immature/juvenile direction.

Perhaps even both, at times.

This is just how I personally see it, though.

 

[DoPo]

there's a Legacy of Kain reboot in the works

I'm afraid, I was one of the people spreading the hope rumour around. But after another LoK-less E3, I'm willing to dismiss it as just another rumour until I see concrete evidence. Also, Crystal Dynamics recently said that they are working on a new game, as in something brand new. Even less of a chance of a sequel.

Other than that, CD, did work in a new LoK title but Eidos forced them to scrap it. So now a sequel is actually not the best option - on of the main voice actors passed away (R.I.P. Tony Jay) and Amy Henning, who was responsible for writing much of the series, works in Naughty Dog now. So making a new game is sort of hard.

And as other people said, HL3 is in development. It's just stuck in Valve time.

I don't know about the rest of the games, though, I would assume there are plausible reasons as to why they aren't being made (at least some of them).

 

[gideonkain]

I have a theory. Bear with me here.

Now, some developers do indeed make games that they themselves want to play. And that's good. Because when a developer makes a game that they would play, they do their utter best with it and make it as good as they possibly can in terms of quality.

The problem, however, is that some other developers take it upon themselves to make games with the focus of making money, NOT with the focus of making something they themselves would play (unless they themselves are your stereotypical (key word there) mouth-foaming Alpha-Beta console jockeys, in which case you can bet your ass they would play it).

In other words, they're focusing on the wrong thing. They have the wrong motivation: money and competition. I remember a while back when I was reading something somewhere (probably on this site, but who knows?) about how a certain bunch are basically trying to compete instead of innovate. Again, money. They're going for the wrong thing.

Either that, or their overlords are taking creative control, directly or otherwise, and actively try to steer the game's development in a more immature/juvenile direction.

Perhaps even both, at times.

This is just how I personally see it, though.

A well thought out response. But if money is the primary motivator that's all the more reason to make guaranteed Day One Hits out of these franchises with ravenous and numerous fan bases.

 

[burningdragoon]

Because it's more profitable to churn out CoD clones.

making a good [...] game [...] requires a lot of time and money.

I think you may have forgotten something there ...

But a good effort doesn't care about forgetting!

*sigh* silly trolls hijacking obviousness.

 

[Thaluikhain]

They do. Just because you don't want to play them doesn't mean that others don't.

And, TBH, if you were them, which would you rather make? A bland game exactly the same as lots of otehrs that you know will sell well, or an innovative game that's harder to make and may or may not sell well?

 

[Vault101]

*sigh* silly trolls hijacking obviousness.

Heh, yep.

...

To anyone reading this, I should point out that we're talking about a certain other troll. We're not calling each other trolls.

[small]So you can take your mouse off the report button, thanks![/small]

RIP....no one truly understood his brilliance

 

[Vault101]

what if I were to say I wanted to play gritty shooters? BAM! your argument goes out the window

 

[Wintermoot]

because everybody has different tastes

 

[Clearing the Eye]

Record sales numbers say they are making the games the majority of us want to play.

 

[Vault101]

what if I were to say I wanted to play gritty shooters? BAM! your argument goes out the window

I enjoy playing Gritty shooters... does that mean I win thread?

it means we are awful awful people

 

[Phlakes]

See, the whole "we" part is the entire issue here. Considering CoD is consistently breaking sales records there are obviously a damn lot of people who want to play that.

Also there's the whole making money thing. I guarantee developers and publishers out there would be happy making Super Niche Adventure Game the Game, but they can, very understandably, only do that if they can comfortably expect it'll turn a profit.

EDIT: Just look at the Kickstarters. No publisher investment means they're free to make anything.

 

[kortin]

Depends on the game.

Kingdom Hearts 3

No idea. Maybe the writers had a breakdown trying to comprehend the convoluted mess they had made for themselves.

No idea what you're talking about there. Everything there makes perfect sense.

 

[airrazor7]

short answer(s): the publishers don't believe the games you want will make them the money they want or they don't want to devote time to those games right now.