Forum Overview :: Fallout III
 
The economics of Fallout III by Lizard_King 07/08/2007, 10:13am PDT
In case some of you missed Bodybag's NMA at Bethsoft catch of the day over at Qt3.

The opening salvo only hints at later magnificence.

Citizen Insane wrote:

Something that I've been mulling over lately with the recent news of the butchering of FO3 is that American companies no longer value the niche market. There was a time when people wanted quality products and were willing to pay for them. I mean I can still get a hand made guitar, I just have to pay $2000. One hundred years ago, there wasn't anything BUT hand made guitars...and they were affordable, although not cheap. The problem is that big business is a slave to its investors. A company should NOT be focused on making as much as possible, it should be focused on making enough to support the lives of its employees and in the process create a devoted market following that will continue to buy their products, such creating a self sufficient cycle. I'll be the first to admit I'm a little to the left of Liberal in my views, but I honestly think that investment is the single worst thing that's happened for our product based economy. Being a slave to one's share holders means that you can't just recoop your costs, that's considered a market failure. Why is that? Why is that? Why not try to intensely please a smaller crowd of people so that you can build up a deticated fan base. Fallout was never a game for the masses. Most people I talk to (even hardcore gamers) didn't play, or dont' know what Fallout is. Fallout was always about the niche and it really should stick to its roots. Here are some other places where well made, low volume products are better and succeed:

-Musical Insturments (hand made >>>>> factory)
-Film (why are low budget films often better? They don't try to cature the whole audience, they just go for a small group)
-Music (Last I checked, pop sucked)
-Books (I bet a lot of you liked the DaVinci Code, that doesn't mean it wasn't a [censored] book)
-Art (the antithesis of pop, the whole point is to push the boundries)

What it start to look like however, is that this would require the game to be more expensive...so I pose a question. Would you pay $75 for the perfect sequel to Fallout 2? I think I'd pay $100.


He meant a little to the left of Che Guevara, and a LOT dumber. So the provocative ideas put forth in that thread begin with a demand for the $100, soon to be possible 2500$, 1999 version of FIII (#1).

same idiot wrote:

That's my point though, if they made an awesome game they could make enough money to pay all the developers salaries and to get the game on the shelves. That's all that needs to be done. Nothing more nothing less. Let the fans enjoy the game, not the masses, they're retarded anyway.


#2 The same masses this guy probably loves when making speeches about the proletariat having nothing to lose but its chains are, in fact, retarded.

Unfkon wrote:

Boogaleeboo wrote:

Yeah, all those millions of people that went out and got Oblivion after Morrowind are total goobers. What do they know anyway?


Yeah, many of which are pure victims of hype.


#3 A sure indicator of being a member of the retarded masses is liking Oblivion. Coupled with:

Gatt9 wrote:

Of course, you neglect to mention that there was exactly 1 other RPG on each platform when they released, and those other RPG's sucked even worse, nor do you mention there's still only 1 other RPG for the 360. Coming in #1 out of 2 is not an achievement.


#4 Objective proof that Oblivion sucked.

Muad Dib wrote:

Brillo wrote:

Know what happens when you make niche games? Your studio goes broke and have your assets sold off to studios that make non-niche games. Like Bethesda.


You couldn't tell from what Gary Grigsby's been doing for the past 20 odd years.


#5 Obscure reference to designer making SSI war games as the gold standard of videogame making with integrity.

Unfkon wrote:

And masses listen to Britney Spears instead of Mozart...
Yeah, that about sums that up.


#6 Loathing Oblivion and wanting F3 to be 1999 in 2007 is the equivalent of being a videogame gourmet, as measured by Mozart references per thread.

And now for the one post to unite them all, expressed in the bittersweet compromise post to follow:

Saddlecreek wrote:

The biggest reason that we don't get to see the FO3 we want is simply because we're not the developers and we don't share their vision. And everybody are entitled to have their own artistic vision and fresh ideas are always a good thing. Some things may suck but I guess we just have to deal with that. Bummer.


The real reason F3 isn't being made as if it were 1999? Because the people who want it that way are talentless and in no way involved in the videogame industry, as well as lacking any consumer clout from being poor (likely a result of following ethics premised around no investment). Bummer.

The best part? The thread goes on for another 10 pages, until wrom breaks it.

Proof positive Bethesda should have just closed its forums at the same time it announced Fallout 3.

NEXT REPLY QUOTE
 
The economics of Fallout III by Lizard_King 07/08/2007, 10:13am PDT NEW
    Re: The economics of Fallout III by Fussbett 07/08/2007, 2:20pm PDT NEW
        Actually, he goes beyond non profit by Lizard_King 07/08/2007, 5:50pm PDT NEW
            While the artistically pure thing does take things into the realm of the insane by motherfuckerfoodeater 07/08/2007, 6:10pm PDT NEW
                Perhaps. by Lizard_King 07/09/2007, 10:42am PDT NEW
    The Fallout game they want to see: Fallout 1 again? by Jhoh Cable :( 07/08/2007, 3:03pm PDT NEW
        Blizzard is elevated to the status of ultimate example by Lizard_King 07/08/2007, 5:47pm PDT NEW
            Re: Blizzard is elevated to the status of ultimate example by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/08/2007, 5:54pm PDT NEW
                Sweet jesus. I definitely had forgotten about that guy. NT by Lizard_King 07/09/2007, 11:00am PDT NEW
            I was just joking about the blizzard thing, but then SHIT JUST GOT REAL by Jhoh Cable :( 07/08/2007, 7:37pm PDT NEW
                Re: I was just joking about the blizzard thing, but then SHIT JUST GOT REAL by Jhoh Cable :( 07/08/2007, 7:38pm PDT NEW
                    You don't have to convince me. by Lizard_King 07/09/2007, 11:01am PDT NEW
    I lost interest in this game when I heard about the EverQuest-style combat :( by Jerry Whorebach 07/08/2007, 9:39pm PDT NEW
        Still interested in: Quarter to Three by Jerry Whorebach 07/08/2007, 11:16pm PDT NEW
            Uncanny. Do you have links to the 2004 post? by Lizard_King 07/09/2007, 10:41am PDT NEW
                No NT by Jerry Whorebach 07/09/2007, 8:47pm PDT NEW
                    Too bad. Bizarro me striking from the past could have been great. by Lizard_King 07/09/2007, 8:52pm PDT NEW
    Re: The economics of Fallout III by Emphasis added 07/08/2007, 10:11pm PDT NEW
    Re: The economics of Fallout III by Shredder 07/09/2007, 2:54pm PDT NEW
        Re: The economics of Fallout III by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/09/2007, 2:55pm PDT NEW
        The Bethesda forums were a tragedy just in the pre-morrowind era. by Lizard_King 07/09/2007, 9:01pm PDT NEW
            I meant: "The Bethesda forums were already a tragedy in the pre-morrowind era." NT by Lizard_King 07/09/2007, 9:01pm PDT NEW
            Re: The Bethesda forums were a tragedy just in the pre-morrowind era. by Mischief Maker 07/09/2007, 9:13pm PDT NEW
                LK took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom by Worm 07/09/2007, 9:40pm PDT NEW
 
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