So help me Rudy
Jul 28, 2009 18:05:47
Submitted by Brent on Jul 28, 2009 18:05:47 CST (comments: 11)
Jul 28, 2009 18:05:47
| When many people really want to make it known that they MEAN business they invoke some name or other of what they see as a great eternal being. It usually goes, “So help me…” For years now I have been saying “So help me Rudy.” Most people who haven't known me that long just look at me with an odd expression (ok more odd than usual). People who have known me awhile, or who are long time Bill Cosby fans now just what I am talking about… …A stand-up comedy routine. Bill Cosby once did a stand up routine where, instead of invoking the hallowed name of the Lord, and ticking him off in the process (The Lord, not Bill Cosby) he invoked the name a friend of his: Rudy. Like Bill Cosby I figure the Lord has a lot better things to worry about than videogames, especially (considering the advent of things like barrens chat) mmos. So… So help me Rudy I agree with Richard Bartle (almost). Once upon a time, Dr. Bartle mentioned in an interview that if he could, he would get rid of World of Warcraft. It caused quite a stir at the time as, no doubt, it was meant to do. Now I myself have had many good times and many bad times in World of Warcraft. It used to be the good times outweighed the bad…it used to be. The last few months my account has been in what Paul Barnett called “A parking fee” on our show, No Prisoners, No Mercy. What he meant by that was I keep paying the monthly fee because I “might” want to go back to it. It's almost like keeping the phone number of an old flame “just in case” things fall apart with the latest greatest thing in my life. Now in my case I couldn't find any old flame if my life depended on it (Thank Rudy). But lately, as Keen discussed on one our shows, the bad times have outweighed the good times. Now couple all that with the fact that I am so fed up with writer clones falling back on the same tired old rhetoric by calling something a “WoW clone” that I am almost ready to agree with Dr. Bartle. If it World of Warcraft didn't exist no one could compare another game to it. No bean counter, or investor could look at Activision/Blizzards Gross Profit (a great deal different than Net Profit by the way) similar to a small country and say “I want that.” But if we got rid of World of Warcraft we would also get rid of some of the future creativity that their devs might bring us and that would be like throwing the baby out with the bath water. So I almost agree with Richard Bartle - almost. So until next time, when we will discuss what I call “writer clones” in more detail… See you online, - Julie Whitefeather |
Submitted by Brent on Jul 28, 2009 18:05:47 CST (comments: 11)
Comments:
'If only....' by Yoh
Submitted on 2009-07-28 21:58:44 CST
Yeah, I supose it would be nice if WoW didn't exist, so that people could compair other games to it. But even if it didn't, there would be something else in it's place to compair to, and there will always be stupid people in this would.
But it will die eventually, so we only hope and dream of that day to come.
(I'd bet something will come along in the next 5-7 years to knock it, and almost every MMO of this generation down...... as soon as I get into an development studio ^^)
However, I wouldn't bank on the corperate shills that is Blizzard with coming up with anything treribly original. I foresee the future of MMO's to become increasingly social, and Blizzard are not exactly social, putting it mildly.
I'd expect more from smaller, more passionate development studios, esp if they are a indy.
Where it is not just about the money.
'ergh' by Token
Submitted on 2009-07-29 07:04:21 CST
The last time I subbed WoW it was out of extreme boredom, and I only played it for 1 hour in that 30 days. It's so completely stale it needs to be thrown into the trash to make room for a fresh product. Lets see if WoW is innovative enough to justify it's existence. World PvP addicted me, raiding occupied me (unfortunately), BC arenas defined my time there, Lich King added absoloutely nothing, nah it's time it went in the trash.
'War(craft)...what is it good for...obsolutely nothing (say it again)...' by Seritaph
Submitted on 2009-07-29 17:19:43 CST
Sing along. Remember that song? Anyway, I have some comments about World of Warcraft. Whether or not anybody likes it (whether or not Blizzard even likes it) WoW has transcended from being a game, and has turned into a cultural/commerical phenomenon. I compare it to the pet rock, Beanie Babies, and the iPod. Yes there are other rocks, you can find one anywhere. Stuffed toys, well they've been around forever. MP3 players...dozens of them. So what makes these things so special? Are the original? No. Are they important? Obviously.
Like it or not, agree or disagree, bored or enamored, World of Warcraft is one of the most influential and important titles in gaming. I don't think it was planned that way, but Blizzard does have a knack for hitting the ball out of the park every time they come to the plate. Just like Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record, such will be the fate for WoW...eventually.
In the meantime, we have to suffer through the knock-offs, the me-too products, the game itself becoming long in the tooth and distorted, and everything else. Still, I wouldn't get rid of it.
'Seritaph' by Token
Submitted on 2009-07-29 17:45:57 CST
I agree with you that WoW is a cultural phenomenon, but all that means is it's importance has become hugely over inflated. I'd throw Beanie Babies, the original ipod and Pet Rocks into the trash after I was sick of the sight of them, I don't see how WoW is any different. I love Blizzard, but their WoW development team are not innovating and have become an obstacle for other developers.
'Glass ceilings and throwing stones' by Seritaph
Submitted on 2009-07-29 19:41:49 CST
I see your point too Token. I am not a fan of Rap/Hip-Hop music, but to wish it'd never existed (throw it in the trash, as you put it) and say it's an obstacle in music innovation is just not true. If anything, I think along with the tidal wave of inflated pop culture lies an under current of inspiration to go another direction. It's somewhat of a symbiotic relationship that forces change. It's like a bad thing happening to someone, but eventually something good comes out of it and they grow. Perhaps I'm getting a little too existential, but that's how I see it. So even if WoW has set a barrier it's a ultimately a good thing, because barriers that don't exist cannot be broken. Does this make sense? I even confuse myself sometimes, lol! :D
'One last thing...' by Seritaph
Submitted on 2009-07-29 20:10:31 CST
I think Yoh, Token, Dr. Bartle are ahead of the curve. Dr. Bartle in fact is so far out there, he's on another plane of existence. I don't think the mainstream audience gets half of what he's talking about. The dude is out there. So, I can see the frustration, the dislike, the need to throw things into the trash. It's perfectly understandable, and I just wanted to acknowledge and validate that point.
'Just like...' by AnkleBiter
Submitted on 2009-07-29 20:50:27 CST
McDonalds...
Do they make the best burgers around?... No
Do they make the cheapest burgers around?... No
Do they provide a chic/hip/trendy atmosphere in their "restaurants"?... No
Do they have a massive marketing budget (ie: brainwashing)?... AHA!!
Same with the iPod, and any number of other products that the masses lap up that are in fact not as good as a competing product with a smaller advertising footprint.
I'm sure Fran would agree, being in graphic design and having to have dealt with (slimy) advertisers (well, I guess they can't _all_ be bad).
'I'll bite.' by Seritaph
Submitted on 2009-07-29 21:12:26 CST
So I am to believe that even though I don't like seafood, an advertisement for seafood is going to make me buy something I don't like. Brad McQuaid has stated on his blog that he thinks Vanguard could make a comeback if SOE would put some marketing dollars into it. Could this be true? That if SOE piled loads and loads of money into advertising the hell out of Vanguard, that we'd all succumb to the power of advertising and be spellbound in to buying and playing the game? Probably wouldn't hurt.
Yes, advertising will aid in influencing our decisions, but it's not some Jedi mind trick.
'I Won't Bite' by Yoh
Submitted on 2009-07-30 00:30:56 CST
I feel like the odd one out. For some strange reason, advertising has zero effect on me.
In fact, I no longer even watch TV, because ads drove me irreversibly mad, and I can watch everything I want to watch online. TV is going the way of the dodo.
Maybe it's because I'm just too critically minded.
And I agree with your comment about WoW being a barrier the needs to be overcome Seritaph (see, we can agree on things ^^).
Because what it, and these copycat/painting the turd MMO's are doing, is perpetuating an experience that we have already had, the status quo if you will, and thus we grow very tired and frustrated at the lack of innovation.
This atmosphere is perfect for true innovation to grow, kinda like compost for plants. Everyone increasing shows dissent and disinterest in the status quo, somebody will pick up on this and push for actual innovation, and when a game that is truly new and innovative arrives, everyone and their dog will flock to it. To which we could expect the WoW phenomena occur all over again.
I just hope I'm the one driving these innovation when that time comes.
(attempting to get work at CCP)
~Yoh
'I Won't Bite' by Yoh
Submitted on 2009-07-30 00:31:02 CST
I feel like the odd one out. For some strange reason, advertising has zero effect on me.
In fact, I no longer even watch TV, because ads drove me irreversibly mad, and I can watch everything I want to watch online. TV is going the way of the dodo.
Maybe it's because I'm just too critically minded.
And I agree with your comment about WoW being a barrier the needs to be overcome Seritaph (see, we can agree on things ^^).
Because what it, and these copycat/painting the turd MMO's are doing, is perpetuating an experience that we have already had, the status quo if you will, and thus we grow very tired and frustrated at the lack of innovation.
This atmosphere is perfect for true innovation to grow, kinda like compost for plants. Everyone increasing shows dissent and disinterest in the status quo, somebody will pick up on this and push for actual innovation, and when a game that is truly new and innovative arrives, everyone and their dog will flock to it. To which we could expect the WoW phenomena occur all over again.
I just hope I'm the one driving these innovation when that time comes.
(attempting to get work at CCP)
~Yoh
'wow gold' by Rockstarbabu
Submitted on 2009-07-31 06:39:02 CST
wow gold--wow gold
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