Everyone seems to think that FPS and action games are the only genres that can be successful in the AAA space. But, why is that? Why, suddenly, are there only two genres capable of success, when we used to have a good variety of genres?
Some will argue that "AAA" hasn't existed until the PS3/360 gen. I argue that "AAA" has always existed, and is simply defined by a developer pushing the top-of-the-line consoles to their limits.
In the PS1 and PS2 eras, we had AAA turn-based RPGs. Yet, today, people scoff at the very thought of such games. "They would flop, horribly" they say. "The publisher would go bankrupt", they say. "Nonsense", I say.
I think people need to ask themselves why. Why can FPS and action games be AAA, but turn-based games cannot? Why do people look down on turn-based games, when they used to be so popular, and sold millions of copies?
To me, the answer is clear. Yet, no one else seems to see it. Think of your average (emphasis on the word: average), modern turn-based game.
I'm willing to bet that, for one thing, you just thought of a handheld or phone game. I present you with problem number 1. How well do you think an FPS would sell on a handheld or phone, compared to its AAA console counterparts?
I'm also willing to bet that you thought of story scenes taking place with static, cardboard-cutout characters who occasionally change the emotion they're supposed to show. Can you even fathom how hard an FPS would flop if it tried to get away with the same crutch? People would laugh at that game. You can't take it seriously.
I think "Demon Gaze" is a perfect example. Look at "Demon Gaze", and replace the turn-based battles with FPS gameplay. Do you think it would sell well? Hardly.
And this is the point I'm trying to make. People (the entire industry, included) look at turn-based games as a "niche" genre, so they make "niche" games in that genre. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. A "niche" FPS or action game will flop just as hard as a "niche" game in any other genre.
And, along those same lines, it is my strong belief that a AAA turn-based game can be just as successful as a AAA game in any other genre, including FPS and action. The only reason they are "niche" is because the industry has forced them to be.
SquareEnix has proven these things to be true, in the past. But the other Japanese companies that make these games look to them to lead the way. And, SquareEnix has not been playing the role of leader. They've been following western companies, and (in my opinion) are largely responsible for the state of the Japanese industry.
If SquareEnix can put their money where their mouth is, and bring turn-based RPGs back to the AAA space, I believe that they will, once again, be a massive success, and other Japanese companies will follow them. All they have to do is try. Something that hasn't been done in a long time.
'Stellar Blade' director Hyung Tae-Kim claims the censored version of Eve's Holiday Rabbit outfit was what he always intended to release.
What they should do, is just like the hair option make it an option to have it either way of your personal choosing. I blame the sensitive media and the perverts throwing the images of her assets around the web.
Three articles form the worse game sites I've ever had the misfortune of clicking on posted to N4G about this... I guess when you have no journalistic skills you got to rely on clickbait.
The game has an outfit that has her almost completely nude, if that doesn't make you happy then go watch some porn you sad t***s
I’m sick of all the censoring BS! Just let a sexy main character be sexy.
I'm more bothered by the bait and switch of the messaging and advertising than the change itself. The game still has an abundance of fan service, but clearly there have been changes made, and Sony needs to stop meddling across the board, not just in this, but in countless games they force developers to make conservative changes to.
You seriously blaming Sony for this? The snowflake loud minorities are the ones to be blamed. They aren't happy until they make every protagonist ugly and gay which is sad. Mind you, this is Shift Up first major console release. Can't blame them they don't want to upset anybody but all these sensoring and changes to please these snowflakes have gone too far imo. If you don't like it, don't play it! Stop trying to ruin it for the others just because you're pathetic and got triggered by everything!
Granblue Fantasy: Relink update version 1.3.0 new content will include a new playable character, Photo Mode, new control schemes and more.
Steam is changing its refund policy, but you probably won’t be affected
Daily reminder that 'TheGamer' is a corporate-generated, anti-gamer, anti-consumer, clickbait web site. They are mostly A.I. generated articles that villainize gamers. They provide nothing positive and actively try to provoke and divide the community through extreme view points and politics. Do not give them any clicks.
Only scumbags? As if people don't play their games on console put in the most amount of hours and return it to GameStop and trade it in for another game. But also how many people are actually do this? And what games have been allowed to be refunded?
You can refund any game you've purchased as long as it hasn't been longer than two weeks, and you've played less than 2 hours. I wish they would change it to 3 hours because some RPG's have so much exposition that you may only get an hour total of complete gameplay. That's my only knock on it. I've refunded plenty of stuff I was just curious to try. I typically stay away from Early Access titles which are the only ones affected by this policy change.
Apparently early access doesn't count, only complete games with a play early preorder bonus.
Yes PS1 games such as FF7 were clearly AAA in terms of production value, but AAA only became a thing a 3D, realtime and high definition, or Western gaming standards.
You are seriously getting the definition of AAA wrong.
Triple A titles are determined by their budgets of production set by a company not their success in the market.
A company could make a turned based RTS and for them it would or could mean it is a triple A title since they are sinking so much money for engineering, marketing, QA, promotion, etc, etc.
It has nothing to do with a genre or success of a title.
'And, along those same lines, it is my strong belief that a AAA turn-based game can be just as successful as a AAA game in any other genre, including FPS and action. The only reason they are "niche" is because the industry has forced them to be.'
It's not the industry, its the audience. Valkyria Chronicles received praise across the board yet it managed just over 1m units sold. Ubisoft release Tomb Raider and deem it a bit of a failure as it was expecting 5m sales, got 4m.
The mindset of most companies is pretty clear, if it doesn't yield ridiculous profits, it isn't worth the effort and possible won't see a sequel.
Funnily enough, Valkyria sold over x2 the number of copies in NA as it did in Japan, yet the sequels were only released in Japan but that's Sega's logic for ya. :)
"it is my strong belief that a AAA turn-based game can be just as successful as a AAA game in any other genre, including FPS and action."
Define successful? Successful in financially or ratings? I'm guessing you mean financially. This just all depends on the publishers (and developers). Hell, I remember Square Enix saying how Sleeping Dogs, Hitman and Tomb Raider were all failures. So the term success in the eyes of a publisher is "Did it sell as much as Call of Duty? No? Failure." Most of the budget from AAA games get poured into marketing.
Personally I find JRPGs to be boring as hell (although I used to like them as a kid). Also you should watch Jim Sterling video on this topic (sort of). I think you'll enjoy it.
http://www.escapistmagazine...
AAA game usually means big budget game with lots of DLC that you end up being bored at it after a week or 2.
The exceptions are rare but when those come around those games are worthy of including in your colection i mean games like Red Dead Redemption and Heavy Rain not something like Call of Duty and Battlefield.