Who killed adventure gaming
Dec. 3rd, 2008 05:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swamp_lynxИменно так называлась довольно забавная статья, которая вышла после третьей части одной из самых примечательных серий в истории жанра Gabriel Knight. Ответ, к которому в итоге приходит автор, неоригинален, приключенческие игры умерли сами.
Трудно не согласиться, а ещё труднее отказаться от возможности понять, что же стало причиной подобного развития событий.
Под катом важные для дальнейшего понимания
Один из основателей Sierra On-Line Ken Williams о первых шагах студии:
When Sierra started, it was a very different world from what we live in today. There was no internet. Floppy disks were just being invented. The little bit of software that was being sold was shipped on audio cassette. Most products didn’t have packaging. There were no computer magazines beyond a few hand-typed newsletters. This worked in our favor. At the time I was a 25 year old “kid” with no experience running a business. In today’s competitive world, we wouldn’t have survived six months. But at the time, we could get away with horrible packaging, selling products in zip-lock baggies, and no thought whatsoever given to things like brand image. We released Softporn, complete with Roberta’s racy picture on the cover, without ever thinking about issues like branding or appropriateness. At the time, I don’t think we had much more strategy than just to have fun.
Его жена и автор наиболее успешных проектов Roberta Williams:
Back when I got started, which sounds like ancient history, back then the demographics of people who were into computer games, was totally different, in my opinion, than they are today. Back then, computers were more expensive, which made them more exclusive to people who were maybe at a certain income level, or education level. So the people that played computer games 15 years ago were that type of person. They probably didn't watch television as much, and the instant gratification era hadn't quite grown the way it has lately. I think in the last 5 or 6 years, the demographics have really changed, now this is my opinion, because computers are less expensive so more people can afford them. More "average" people now feel they should own one.
Технический специалист Sierra On-Line Scott Bilas о работе над последней успешной игрой компании:
We had to drop a number of Jane’s (Jane Jensen, author of the game) designs due to lack of time or because of technical limitations. For example I remember an action sequence in the game where you had to stomp on rats and whack bats, or something like that. We just didn’t have time to make the game engine support action, so it had to go. There were many other things like this, though it’s been so long I can’t remember most of them.
There is one that sticks in my mind, though. Jane had a puzzle that we had to kill which was unfortunately replaced with the famous “cat hair mustache” puzzle that the game’s producer designed. The gaming site Old Man Murray gave us an award for killing adventure games because of the cat hair puzzle, as I remember. The team hated that puzzle, but we were trying to ship a game, and so we just let it go. Funny to think about it now.
.
В компьютерные игры пришла индустрия, и первой жертвой стал наиболее авторский и потому наименее приспособленный для масс приключенческий жанр. Чтобы быть на коне в современных условиях, губительно оставаться самим собой, необходимы навыки умелого менеджера, выполняющего стандартную работу. Только при успешном соответствии этому требованию возможны шаги к творчеству, которые добавят глубины, не разрушив при этом ориентированную на массы концепцию. Альтернативый вариант – независимые студии, скромные бюджеты и успех в кругу людей, ещё способных ценить свежий взгляд на мир.
Трудно не согласиться, а ещё труднее отказаться от возможности понять, что же стало причиной подобного развития событий.
Под катом важные для дальнейшего понимания
Один из основателей Sierra On-Line Ken Williams о первых шагах студии:
When Sierra started, it was a very different world from what we live in today. There was no internet. Floppy disks were just being invented. The little bit of software that was being sold was shipped on audio cassette. Most products didn’t have packaging. There were no computer magazines beyond a few hand-typed newsletters. This worked in our favor. At the time I was a 25 year old “kid” with no experience running a business. In today’s competitive world, we wouldn’t have survived six months. But at the time, we could get away with horrible packaging, selling products in zip-lock baggies, and no thought whatsoever given to things like brand image. We released Softporn, complete with Roberta’s racy picture on the cover, without ever thinking about issues like branding or appropriateness. At the time, I don’t think we had much more strategy than just to have fun.
Его жена и автор наиболее успешных проектов Roberta Williams:
Back when I got started, which sounds like ancient history, back then the demographics of people who were into computer games, was totally different, in my opinion, than they are today. Back then, computers were more expensive, which made them more exclusive to people who were maybe at a certain income level, or education level. So the people that played computer games 15 years ago were that type of person. They probably didn't watch television as much, and the instant gratification era hadn't quite grown the way it has lately. I think in the last 5 or 6 years, the demographics have really changed, now this is my opinion, because computers are less expensive so more people can afford them. More "average" people now feel they should own one.
Технический специалист Sierra On-Line Scott Bilas о работе над последней успешной игрой компании:
We had to drop a number of Jane’s (Jane Jensen, author of the game) designs due to lack of time or because of technical limitations. For example I remember an action sequence in the game where you had to stomp on rats and whack bats, or something like that. We just didn’t have time to make the game engine support action, so it had to go. There were many other things like this, though it’s been so long I can’t remember most of them.
There is one that sticks in my mind, though. Jane had a puzzle that we had to kill which was unfortunately replaced with the famous “cat hair mustache” puzzle that the game’s producer designed. The gaming site Old Man Murray gave us an award for killing adventure games because of the cat hair puzzle, as I remember. The team hated that puzzle, but we were trying to ship a game, and so we just let it go. Funny to think about it now.
.
В компьютерные игры пришла индустрия, и первой жертвой стал наиболее авторский и потому наименее приспособленный для масс приключенческий жанр. Чтобы быть на коне в современных условиях, губительно оставаться самим собой, необходимы навыки умелого менеджера, выполняющего стандартную работу. Только при успешном соответствии этому требованию возможны шаги к творчеству, которые добавят глубины, не разрушив при этом ориентированную на массы концепцию. Альтернативый вариант – независимые студии, скромные бюджеты и успех в кругу людей, ещё способных ценить свежий взгляд на мир.
