Crytek: Devs Need To Make Elite Titles To Have An Impact
Crysis 2Analysts, developers and publishers alike all agree that review scores are absolutely crucial in this industry.
Take Crytek executive producer, Nathan Camarillo, for instance: in his view, if a studio wants to make a big splash in the industry, they need to produce titles that average over 90% on the score meter. In speaking about the potential of Crysis 2, Camarillo addressed EA Partners boss David DeMartini's claim that scores for the anticipated sequel will average about 90%.
"I think you have to be 90 plus to make an impact in any genre now. The quality bar is so high and publishers and developers have put so much effort against high quality games.
If you want to be recognised at all, regardless of genre, like anything you need to create the highest quality product possible and anything else is not going to get noticed."
In general, quality does get rewarded in this industry. If it hadn't been for the majority of critics wholeheartedly recommending Heavy Rain last year, it likely would never have sold between 1.5 and 2 million copies. The initial expectations were way below that. This is only one example; the great games tend to sell great. So yeah, if Crysis 2 scores high, it'll sell better.
Even so, gamers will always have their preferences. It wouldn't matter if the game in question nailed down high 9s; if a person doesn't like shooters, he/she won't care, right?
Related Game(s): Crysis 2
Tags: crysis 2, crysis 2 sales, ea, crytek
1/16/2011 9:14:36 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (25 posts)
Beamboom
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 12:48:12 PM
Some titles on the ps3 I think has received a too harsh gameranking score includes Spiderman - shattered dimensions (78%), Katamari Forever (77%) and Lost Planet 2 (69%).
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DemonNeno
Sunday, January 16, 2011 @ 11:03:08 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, January 16, 2011 @ 11:13:20 PM
1 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 12:49:43 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, January 16, 2011 @ 11:16:09 PM
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Lawless SXE
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 1:11:41 AM
Also, Heavy Rain is very much a niche title. It won't really appeal to the mass market, but for intellectuals, for women, for people interested in something genuinely different, it is an unmissable gem.
Peace.
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Borderline
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 8:01:49 AM
I too would love to see greter sales numbers for games like HR to encourage developers to invest in more titles like it.
Last edited by Borderline on 1/17/2011 8:03:45 AM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 11:27:12 AM
The thing about Heavy Rain though is, no matter WHO wanders into my area when I'm playing it they just get sucked in. It seems to transcend niche and I can't see why games like that don't compel twitchy folks to slow down and try something unique.
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Beamboom
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 12:52:15 PM
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Borderline
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 12:55:50 PM
Interesting that you mentioned reading as I was feeling much the same way until I tried to get an e-reader for my wife for christmas....was a very difficult search as many were sold out everywhere. Granted it's not a physical book but there has to be a lot out there still reading which is encouraging.
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___________
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 12:19:37 AM
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look at enslaved, it got excellent reviews and it sold terribly!
its more to do with advertisement, brand name and genre.
most people dont surf the web searching for the latest games and reading reviews on them, most people just go down to the store and ask whats popular, or see a add on TV and say hey that looks good.
almost fainted today when i walked into westfields and saw a poster of LBP2!
WHAT!?
sony, actually advertising a game of theres?
IMPOSSIBLE!
my god, i do need glasses!
brand name is more important, ive said this a million times and i will say it again.
antivision or M$ could release COD, or halo and it could get 1/10 reviews from every site and it would still break sales records!
Also genre because some people are just not interested in certain types.
like me i dont care for RTS or MMOs, look at starcraft 2 which won countless GOTY awards, got 9+ reviews everywhere one of the industries most praised games!
but i wont be buying it, simply because i dont enjoy those types of games simple as that.
having a game sell well has nothing to do with reviews, you could get stinker reviews and the game could do well.
or you could get brilliant reviews and the game could do poorly.
quality does not really factor into it either, i mean look at assassins creed brotherhood.
one of the buggiest, messiest, most repetitive games i have ever played!
but that did not stop it outselling its predecessors did it?
im actually playing AC2 on my PC now, to try out the new 3D mode and it reminds me everything i loved about AC2.
and why i was so, so disappointed with ACB.
especially the story, they basically add NOTHING there!
nothing to the end, than they drop a huge bomb like that and make you wait till 3 for explanation.
i mean WTF ubisoft!
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Beamboom
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 12:56:49 PM
Last edited by Beamboom on 1/17/2011 12:57:18 PM
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Geobaldi
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 12:30:38 AM
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Lawless SXE
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 1:21:25 AM
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Unfortunately, the same effect can be achieved through brand name recognition, ala Final Fantasy, GTA, CoD and Halo, or through a seriously aggressive marketing campaign. This can be a good thing as, more often than not, these games have very strong merits, but it also means that a bomb effort will sell well, which isn't good.
Finally, gamer preference. I'm pretty open to all genres, but I know that I don't like RTSs, or FPSs all that much. I'll still play them if I know that they are quality (KZ, Resistance, Bioshock, and I tried Starcraft, but definitely not my thing). People will buy based on what they like, or if they are interested in expanding their horizons, they will generally go for a title that has scored highly, thus generating more sales. Only a fool would use something like Last Rebellion for their first RPG or Rogue Warrior for their first FPS.
The reviews factor in, but they are not the ONLY factor.
Peace.
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Temjin001
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 1:32:07 AM
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I got it, that already stupid looking Gladiator game for 360. =p
Last edited by Temjin001 on 1/17/2011 1:32:22 AM
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nilos95
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 1:36:02 AM
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A2K78
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 8:58:42 AM
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If anything, this guy from Crytek just described the pitfall of making games with incredibily high budgets...when you do, everthing is on the line. It for this reason why I agree with the chastisment the creator of pong laid onto the industry:
http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/12/atari-co-founder-al-alcorn-talks-about-creating-pong-and-modern-game-industry/
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Kevin555
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 9:57:20 AM
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Thankfully we will be able to get a taste of what Crytek are capable of on consoles. I can't wait for this, it's probably my most wanted game this year alongside BioShock Infinite, Mass Effect 3 & Uncharted 3.
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 11:35:18 AM
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Geobaldi
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 8:03:52 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 11:36:37 AM
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Geobaldi
Monday, January 17, 2011 @ 8:02:34 PM
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___________
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 6:45:06 AM
the graphics are not going to be hurt at all, because theres 2 completley different developers working on them.
its not the graphics that is making me excited for this though, its the 3D effects, AI and level design.
crytek say they have the best 3D effects ever seen in a game so thats got me excited, plus they say the director from the avatar has seen it and was impressed.
to impress the creator of the worlds best selling film? yea thats pretty impressive!
they had a story on the AI in gameinformer mid last year, apparently the AI actually reacts to what weapon you have equipped and to the environments.
NO game has ever done that before, if you have a shotgun equipped enemies will stay back because shotguns have poor range, but if you have a rocket launcher, or sniper something with long range they will rush up on you.
the AI in crysis is still some of the best i have ever seen, and this is what 5 years later?
the level design was the best part of crysis, the environments are just so large you can literally attack every situation from every area all the battles are so open.
like one of the demos crytek showed off recently on G4, there were heaps of massive alien Armour, so instead of taking them on the ground which would be suicide you can go into the buildings get up onto the roofs and take them from there.
its got everything!
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WorldEndsWithMe
Reply
Sunday, January 16, 2011 @ 10:39:59 PM