Feedback request on new games

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#141

Idofgrahf, the point I’m trying to make is that “more popular” and “better” are not the same thing.

The Da Vinci Code may be a more popular book than (a zillion other books) but it doesn’t make it a BETTER book in every way than those other books. It makes it just that - more popular.

There are many metrics to judge by.

If making sales is your primary aim, then “sells the most copies” is a pretty important one.

Of course, if making as many sales as possible is your primary aim, bishoujo games probably aren’t the right industry for you. This is something that comes up in the indie games industry a lot - It’s a ridiculous way to try to get rich. Almost all of us would make FAR more money with Actual Jobs than by making and selling games. Making money simply is not the only goal.

It is a goal, however, and anyone who’s trying to sell games has to make some decisions based on what they think will sell better, while trying not to overly compromise their artistic vision.

I think most of us recognise that, and are perfectly happy for PP to put out, say, Cleavage, and even to prioritise it over other games - even though a lot of us can’t stand Cleavage and won’t buy it - if it helps the company support other games.

However, we will be less happy to hear that Cleavage and X-Change are “better games”, and if the company decided to focus SOLELY on these titles, we will bitch and flail impotently.

#142
quote:
Originally posted by Idofgrahf:
Obviously you can't compare RPG to FPS game sales, they are different genre just as you can't compare H-game to main stream console games. But in either case, more sale equalls better game, square is obviously doing something right to get several million sales for each FF, almost every review gives it a high mark, they can't all be baised. Of course there are some people who finds SO III more enjoyable then FF, but not many judging by the sales. Last I checked FFX's back cover give you very little info of the game, they assume you arleady know what FF is about and there wasn't that many comericals on it either, I only saw a few before its relased, certainly a lot less the scocom.

You can't really put ads on the TV for H-game, it cost alot of money and the conservatives will scream murder, but you can translate a few H game that already has exposure in the form of anime, previous games , ie comic party, To heart, Tsukihime etc.

[This message has been edited by Idofgrahf (edited 05-17-2006).]

[This message has been edited by Idofgrahf (edited 05-17-2006).]

The FF series doesn't rely on ads so much as its brand name. The brand name has become so well known that people buy the games because the label stands out to them; it's comfortable to them. Sort of like how one tends to buy the same brands of cereals all the time, assuming the prices are the same. The FF series represents a comfort zone for the casual gamer, who really doesn't know much about the genre, so he goes with the familiar brand name from which he knows what to expect.

One can argue that a history of good quality games built up the regard for the brand name we now see, but one also has to keep in mind that other lesser known games can match or surpass the quality of the well known brand, yet the more well known brand will continue to sell better due to a certain "inertia" of public opinion.

Also, one has to factor in such things as wideness of appeal. A mediocre (quality) game with mass appeal will tend to outsell a very good game with niche appeal. In a sense, you could say that flashy FF graphics appeal to the casual gamer, who doesn't play a whole lot of RPG's and is very much impressed with eye-candy. On the other hand, veteran RPG gamers (the hardcore sort of fans that focus on this genre of games) are probably less concerned with impressive graphics, and will tend to judge a game based on other elements such as depth of story and characterization. This might just be speculation on my part, but I think that once you've had a great amount of experience with a particular type of entertainment, you become less concerned with the shallower, very visible things that casual viewers appreciate, and you become more aware of the deeper, subtler things in a particular piece, the uniqueness that sets it apart from the rest.

[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 05-17-2006).]

#143

enough of this, this is getting way off topic, we can discuss the good/bad of FF on another board, we are here to voice our opinion on which H-game we like to get translated, so I vote for death meta, the rest I could really care less, clevage isn’t to my taste, the rest are okay but the story is too bright for my liking.

#144

There is no topic. The topic is dead; long live the topic.

Seriously, they did announce on this thread like … a month ago? More? I can’t even remember - they announced they’d decided which games they were going to translate. So I don’t think there’s much point to actually staying on topic … we may as well digress.

FF sucks! DQ forever! Not that I’ve ever played DQ, but come on – you can’t not disagree that Cloud wasn’t whiny!

#145

Well I’ve played 1-8 of DQ and i haveto agree…

On and for another random remark…i just hope PP doesn’t put any Sophas into their games.

#146

And those are…?

#147

Sopha = Sofa spelled wrong in Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town

#148

Depends which FF or DQ game. They went back and forth.

Every game needs more sophas.

[ 05-28-2006, 02:11 AM: Message edited by: Faust ]

#149