Xbox Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

[Madmick]

Has this person turned in work that you find lackluster?

I think you're making assumptions as to this particular person's bonuses.

Even assuming its true, the financial bottom line hasn't dissuaded an awful lot of activism infused stories, characters etc. Disney has been pumping out a pretty steady list of releases that have underperformed and the scapegoat is always sexism or racism, etc. When the truth is peope just get tired of the soapboxing.

 

[avenue94]

Do you know any game devs or designers at mid to large studios?

At any rate, the point stands. You're getting worked up about a weird haircut and have no idea whether the game will be good or bad based off of that. Lots of drama queens here.

 

[Madmick]

Do you know any game devs or designers at mid to large studios?

At any rate, the point stands. You're getting worked up about a weird haircut and have no idea whether the game will be good or bad based off of that. Lots of drama queens here.

LOL. My first contribution to the thread was to defend the game against an aspersion cast about an irrelevant studio. In the Xbox thread it was to highlight the game's graphics shouldn't be derided. Then, all I said was any rational adult finds the choice of attire in the hype video concerning. This is in the context raised of the unrelenting sermonism that has sprouted from Hollywood and Silicon Valley in entertainment projects the past decade. That was it. Said it was a valid cause for concern, but hopefully doesn't get in the way. That's an expression of uncertainty.

Only you white knights are worked up.

Forgive me, but I doubt you guys would struggle to comprehend the point if it were someone in a promotional video for a product containing potentially politically-colored IP decked out in a MAGA hat, but somehow that capacity to put the shoe on the other foot eludes you. Me, I'm tired of it. I'm exhausted with the sermonizing. I don't like it when Bible thumpers do it, I don't like it when the woke whiners do it.

I have Game Pass, so I'll be able to play it either way. If I hear it's obnoxious, I'll save myself the time. Very simple. Moving on with my day.

 

[Bob Gray]

I work in the PC and gaming industry and I'm quite familiar with the bonus structure what senior staff can expect on a project. I can't tell you what his exact comp incentives are, but I can pretty much guarantee they are based on the two metrics I named.

Disney has had a lot of underperforming releases because they have been making pretty underwhelming movies. Disney's business structure doesn't exactly attract a lot of good directors and writers, nor does the economic structure of modern Hollywood encourage this.

Like I said, maybe the game is good, maybe it sucks (I personally think it'll be slightly above average and fairly forgettable), but trying to claim the game will be hot garbage because you saw a funny haircut and pride flag is insane.

You worked on anything I might have played? Not trying to pry, just curious.


Youre right about Disney, but lets not pretend the politics has had zero effect on it. Theyre scrambling to shoe-horn some nightmarish animated effigies theyre calling "dwarves" into their Snow White debacle for a reason. We dont even need to limit it to Disney. Budweiser and Dylan Mulvaney. Targets gay pride month and "tuck friendly" bathing suits. The Marvels more recently (Yeah, its Disney but MCU is kind of its own thing).

Now, I'll be the first to say gamers can largely be pissy drama queens that look for reasons to be offended, weirdly mirroring the pearl-clutching they tend to condemn. But the concern does not materialize for no reason. Especially in regards to a beloved IP like Indiana Jones, who would happen to fit the bill of the type of male characters of yesteryear that have been "updated for a current generation" more than once to the enjoyment of a very select group of people, and the eye-rolling chagrin of nearly everyone else.

 

[avenue94]

Only you white knights are worked up.

I see "let's wait until we have more than an announcement trailer before grading a game" is now being a white knight.

Forgive me, but I doubt you guys would struggle to comprehend the point if it someone in a promotional video for a product containing potentially politically-colored IP was decked out in a MAGA hat, but somehow that capacity to put the shoe on the other foot eludes you. Me, I'm tired of it. I'm exhausted with the sermonizing. I don't like it when Bible thumpers do it, I don't like it when the woke whiners do it.

I would consider it more akin to if a dev was wearing a flag pin or crucifix. Of which I've seen both and don't care.

You worked on anything I might have played? Not trying to pry, just curious.

I work in the PC industry, so no game devs. I just know a decent amount since it's adjacent and touches on my work sometimes. Mostly on the Sony side.

Youre right about Disney, but lets not pretend the politics has had zero effect on it. Theyre scrambling to shoe-horn some nightmarish animated effigies theyre calling "dwarves" into their Snow White debacle for a reason. We dont even need to limit it to Disney. Budweiser and Dylan Mulvaney. Targets gay pride month and "tuck friendly" bathing suits. The Marvels more recently (Yeah, its Disney but MCU is kind of its own thing).

I don't really consider that politics (at least in the modern partisan sense). They aren't sincerely held beliefs, just marketing campaigns a company that wants to make money though would work. It's about as sincere as a company's twitter feed on veterans day.

But the concern does not materialize for no reason. Especially in regards to a beloved IP like Indiana Jones, who would happen to fit the bill of the type of male characters of yesteryear that have been "updated for a current generation" more than once to the enjoyment of a very select group of people, and the eye-rolling chagrin of nearly everyone else.

There is something to say about chasing trends and it backfiring. But I think a lot of the reason gamers are some of the worst customers is the sense of entitlement, where they think a game has to be made specifically for them because they liked the franchise or what not. And the fact of the matter is most of us on this forum are kind of old and not really the target audience for games.

Like if you were to make an Indiana Jones game, you wouldn't target it at people who saw it in theaters (those folks would be in their 40s or 50s), you would target it at the core 18 to 30 demographic.

 

[Bob Gray]

I see "let's wait until we have more than an announcement trailer before grading a game" is now being a white knight.

I would consider it more akin to if a dev was wearing a flag pin or crucifix. Of which I've seen both and don't care.

I work in the PC industry, so no game devs. I just know a decent amount since it's adjacent and touches on my work sometimes. Mostly on the Sony side.

I don't really consider that politics (at least in the modern partisan sense). They aren't sincerely held beliefs, just marketing campaigns a company that wants to make money though would work. It's about as sincere as a company's twitter feed on veterans day.

There is something to say about chasing trends and it backfiring. But I think a lot of the reason gamers are some of the worst customers is the sense of entitlement, where they think a game has to be made specifically for them because they liked the franchise or what not. And the fact of the matter is most of us on this forum are kind of old and not really the target audience for games.

Like if you were to make an Indiana Jones game, you wouldn't target it at people who saw it in theaters (those folks would be in their 40s or 50s), you would target it at the core 18 to 30 demographic.

The only reason I disagree with these not being sincerely held beliefs is because, like you said, money is usually the bottom line. Except this sort of sermonizong via entertainment and popular characters seems to have a detrimental effect on that bottom consistently enough that I'm still kind of shocked that it happens. I'm not shocked that peope have these beliefs, I'm shocked that billion dollar companies haven't seem to catch on to how easily these decisions seem to have the opposite result you'd think they want.

100% agree on the sense of entitlement gamers have, though. There's a large portion of them that simply look for things to cry about.

 

[avenue94]

Except this sort of sermonizong via entertainment and popular characters seems to have a detrimental effect on that bottom consistently enough that I'm still kind of shocked that it happens. I'm not shocked that peope have these beliefs, I'm shocked that billion dollar companies haven't seem to catch on to how easily these decisions seem to have the opposite result you'd think they want.

The way I would explain my competition is I think overall the gaming industry has really stagnated due to a lack of competition and the death of mid-sized releases. It's not unlike Hollywood. That's mostly what I attribute crappy games, "woke" or otherwise to. The fact is politics is inseparable from entertainment, people just complain when it's a view they don't agree with. Like Call of Duty is more moraziling, preachy and political than most flubs and fiascos gamers get up in arms about.

 

[HereticBD]

The way I would explain my competition is I think overall the gaming industry has really stagnated due to a lack of competition and the death of mid-sized releases.

I wouldn't agree with that. It's more wide open than it's ever been. Every year 100's of indie/AA titles are released, and they have more outlets to distribute them and more importantly, get eyes on them. Some of the biggest games released in the past 15 years or so, have been indie games. You wouldn't see that in the pre-internet days. Everyone had to be tied to a major publisher, to get any traction. Today, you have games made by one person getting eyes on it, and making bank.

The fact is politics is inseparable from entertainment, people just complain when it's a view they don't agree with.

Sure, but it comes down to knowing your audience. Infusing overt feminism and LGBT themes, will go over about as well with the gaming community, as an army recruitment center would, situated at a hippie convent.

 

[avenue94]

I wouldn't agree with that. It's more wide open than it's ever been.

It's objectively not and quite apparent when looking at how little new IP lands in the best selling slots.

very year 100's of indie/AA titles are released, and they have more outlets to distribute them and more importantly, get eyes on them.

Most Indies are not AA titles or even midrange titles. It's literally why they are called indies. A lot of midsized studios have gotten acquired or disappeared, so game releases are pushed to the extremes of it's either a huge AAA franchise or it's an indy that maybe catches lightning and gets acquired.

Sure, but it comes down to knowing your audience. Infusing overt feminism and LGBT themes, will go over about as well with the gaming community, as an army recruitment center would, situated at a hippie convent.

This ignores how much the gaming community has changed and doesn't resemble sherdog anymore. Don't' alienate your audience, but at the same time there is no point making the same game for the same declining demographic. Games have to adapt. And at any rate, studios are free to make whatever they want, if you don't like it, don't buy it. That's how art works, a customer isn't owed the same game every release.

 

[HereticBD]

This ignores how much the gaming community has changed and doesn't resemble sherdog anymore.

If that was true, nobody would be complaining. The key demographics are the same as they've always been. The woke shit fails, because they're catering to an audience that doesn't exist in that sphere. Nobody wants to be preached to while playing a videogame.

 

[avenue94]

If that was true, nobody would be complaining. The key demographics are the same as they've always been. The woke shit fails, because they're catering to an audience that doesn't exist in that sphere. Nobody wants to be preached to while playing a videogame.

I guess you've never heard about biased samples in stats. At any rate, it's absurd to insist the key demographics are the same as they've always been lol. Because I bet you would be complaining in a thread about more people identifying as not purely straight and insisting its a nefarious scheme.

At any rate, objectively, the gaming playerbase is quite different than what it was 15 or 20 years ago.

 

[Zazen]

lol this is going the way of the Hogwarts legacy thread. Some of you guys are way too invested in this culture war bs. Wait until the game releases and if it’s woke then you can have fun watching all your favorite YouTubers scream about it for weeks on end until the new fotm

 

[Adamant]

Will remain an XBOX Exclusive. So looks like I'll be watching it on youtube. Probably for the best.

 

[Monte Moku]

Guess I'm the only one who thought the gameplay looked underwhelming and bland. It feels like outside of the big Japanese game directors like Kojima, Miyazaki, Ueda, etc. there is big lack of meaningful art direction in most games. Todd Howard is the only western game director that I can think of off the top of my head, and he hasn't released anything without heavy backlash in nearly ten years. This looked like it had no flavor at all. Hard for me to stay hopeful for any Xbox related projects anymore

 

[method115]

View attachment 1029620

Will remain an XBOX Exclusive. So looks like I'll be watching it on youtube. Probably for the best.

That's actually not what he said at all. MS our masters of communication. It's amazing to me how many people misunderstood what they said. When he was asked directly Phil said these games aren't off the table as far as being ported to other platforms. He said no game is off the table.

 

[Madmick]

View attachment 1029620

Will remain an XBOX Exclusive. So looks like I'll be watching it on youtube. Probably for the best.

He made it clear that neither Starfield nor Indiana were games that were being ported. Ergo, the status quo is intact. They are exclusives. Until further notice it's fair to assume this stands.

Furthermore, they did go out of their way to dispel the rumor that Xbox was getting out of the hardware game. They doubled down on the promise of an upcoming Xbox console. In fact, the promised it would offer the single greatest hardware capability performance leap in a single generation we'd ever seen. I'll take that with a grain of salt. But it also seems to forebode they already have a future console beyond the Xbox Series X generation planned. Because the leaks from the Activision merger trial indicated a console refresh that didn't increase processing power at all; it would just improved things like WiFi bandwidth, power consumption, and in particular the controller. So they couldn't be talking about the same console.