Creativity Vs Profits: What's More Important?

In a recent post, gaming news blog Kotaku posted an interesting hypothetical article regarding Gran Turismo developers Polyphony Digital. In short, the article was asking readers to imagine, for a moment, that they were Kaz Hirai -- head of Sony Computer Entertainment -- and what they (he) should do with Polyphony: look at their previous success and continue to allocate the time they need for their upcoming game, or, approach the game's status from a business point of view and realise that the often delayed (as recently as last week) game is taking too much money and resources, a lot of which could be put to better use elsewhere?

While the article was completely hypothetical, it got me thinking -- Should developers, based on their previous success or reputation, be given the money and time they need to ensure their product is as good as it can be, creatively and technically? Or should the business side of things and therefore profits come first, meaning faster development times and meeting deadlines at the possible expense of quality?

As a consumer and fan of the industry, and someone who is a keen observer of the medium's progress, my initial response to that is that developers should be given as much time as they need to ensure their game is as good as it can be. Regardless of whether it takes two years or five, if the end result is a quality product then in the meantime I can wait patiently for it. After all, it's not as if I (we) don't have anything else to play while we're waiting; backlogs are a common issue for regular gamers and this is only exacerbated each holiday season as everyone tries to release their games before Christmas.

But that wasn't the point of the article, the point was to answer the questions from a hypothetical viewpoint and it's here where things get complicated. On a pure profit level, the sooner a game can be released to the public the better. While a relatively decent game needs to be ensured for success, hitting deadlines and getting it out on time is also crucial. Suffer from delays and it is quite possible that consumers will lose interest, or the hype train will lose momentum due to a longer journey; competition could close in or even surpass the game in production, making commercial success even more challenging; and a once strong reputation could be ruined, all because the development time took too long and the game didn't deliver on its promises throughout. As far as the Gran Turismo series is concerned, Sony's PlayStation consoles wouldn't be anywhere without the franchise: the original game is the PS1's biggest selling game, and Gran Turismo 3 and Gran Turismo 4 are the second and third biggest selling games respectively for the PlayStation 2. Based on history, it's easy to assume that when it does finally come out, Gran Turismo 5 will also see success -- the brand name alone will no doubt sell PS3 units for Sony -- but we're in a different time period now, one where Sony's consoles aren't the clear leaders of the industry anymore and one where Gran Turismo's closest rival, Microsoft's Forza Motorsport franchise, has not only closed the gap but caused hesitation towards Sony's flagship racing franchise. Within the time frame it has taken Polyphony Digital to make Gran Turismo 5, Forza developers Turn 10 have released three installments of their game, and the resulting factor from that is not just a successful franchise for Microsoft's consoles; perception amongst gamers has changed, and is continuing to change. Avid Gran Turismo and Sony supporters can't deny that the Forza series of games are decent, quality products, and some of these supporters are even playing the competition whilst they wait for Polyphony to develop their game. This competition and perception didn't exist when the original Gran Turismo was released, nor around the time of Gran Turismo 3's release. Sony may discard this as irrelevant due to their previous successes with the franchise, but when you consider the changes and how it may impact upon their profits, the question has got to be asked: When does the freedom to polish and perfect Gran Turismo 5 cease so that the game can be finally released and Sony can start making a return on their huge investment?

What about another development house within Sony's stable who have also been developing their next game for multiple years? Team ICO have a remarkably strong reputation within this industry for creating videogame experiences that have been unlike anything else out there, and, clearly, this reputation is enough for Sony to trust Team ICO to take their time with their latest project The Last Guardian. But unlike the Gran Turismo series, Team ICO's games have never seen the commercial success that both Sony or Team ICO would have liked, so where is the line drawn for them? When does the development time stop being about fulfilling the creativity Team ICO clearly want to achieve with The Last Guardian, and instead becomes about getting the game out to market? Due to the more quiet retail success (or not) of Team ICO's games, it's easy to assume that out of the two development teams, it's Fumito Ueda's team who would see upper management's call first, potentially leading to a lesser product. With the reputation that particular team holds in this industry, is that something we really want to see happen?

There are countless other games out there (Alan Wake is just one other example) that these questions and issues could concern, and whilst each game and development team would have their own individual reasons for the long production time or constant delays, when considered as a whole there's definitely a trend out there that is worth pondering and analysing. As consumers it's easy to side with the development teams and suggest that they receive the time they deserve to create a decent product, but without managing the needs of the publishers and the business side, our industry wouldn't be anywhere near as huge as it is now. As a multi-billion dollar industry, it's a conundrum I certainly wouldn't ever want to be in charge of solving, but it's also one I will be keeping my eye on. I just hope that whatever decisions are made, they are the right ones for all involved.

Striving For Perfection

I have been playing games in the racing genre for as long as I can remember, starting with fantastic games like Super Mario Kart and Unirally on the SNES and continuing until the current day with titles like Midnight Club: LA and Race Pro. If it has two or four wheels and goes fast, I'm running it through its paces out of a simple love for all things cars and by extension, motorsport. Even if the game is fairly average -- which a lot of them are -- chances are I will still enjoy myself anyway. I can't describe this enjoyment nor do I plan to; all I can say is that to me, it's just part of the passion I have for the sport in real life. I can, however, try and communicate what makes the genre tick for me.

When it comes to realistic racing games (read: simulators), there is one thing in particular that I feel is the defining reason as to why I would play them over and over again: precision.

The desire to be precise around a race track comes from a desire to be perfect, the desire to have that one perfect lap or race. Now clearly it's impossible to achieve such a goal as there will always be a corner that could have been taken faster on an otherwise brilliant lap, or a race that could have panned out differently, but this is also beside the point. It is the desire in and of itself which makes racing enjoyable, intense and exhilarating and ultimately what makes striving for perfection so rewarding.

A lot of drivers in the real world will tell you that they race to win. They are in it to win it and anything less is a disappointment. There is a reason they say it too; to win in a race is to achieve the highest possible outcome, to be better than the rest and to get as close as is possible to perfection. When victory doesn't happen, motivation will come from the desire to be on the top of that podium and thus the cycle continues.

Winning isn't everything though. In the real world, most race events are part of a bigger picture, just one small aspect of an entire championship or series of events. Winning one race may be achieving the highest possible outcome, but it's an outcome that is only relevant to that race. There is always more to strive for, be it more race victories or winning the overall championship at the end of the year. Beyond that, there's consecutive championships to win, or a move into another series to measure success there. Throughout the goal always remains the same: to achieve perfection.

Polyphony Digital have a reputation for being perfectionists. Their Gran Turismo series is renowned for constant delays while they strive for perfection, as well as for achieving things in the racing genre that were not only innovative but also imitated the real world as best as possible at a time when technology was only just starting to allow such an option. Billed as 'The Real Driving Simulator', the franchise set out to allow gamers the chance to experience what it was like to drive a wide-range of cars around circuits in a realistic manner. The franchise established the benchmark for realistic racing games and remained unchallenged for many years. Sure, attempts to beat it were made but none were really note-worthy until the release of Turn 10's Forza Motorsport on the original Xbox. Forza copied the best features of Gran Turismo, refined them and then added its own take on what it believed the genre was about, as well as what it needed. Tyre physics in particular was a defining feature of the original Forza with an emphasis on portraying the effects that wheelspin and weight distribution could have on a car's handling. It allowed players to gauge grip level, something that throughout a race (particularly longer ones) would change as the tyres wore out and lost some of their tread. This feedback -- visually (sliding), aurally (tyres screeching) and through the use of the Xbox controller's rumble (feel) -- gave, in my view, players a more realistic representation of what it was like to race, demonstrating how things change over the course of a race as well as the effects these changes would have on how the player approached not only the track, but the way they drove the car as well. This was further refined in Forza 2 and the end result was a game that, in my opinion, took over from Gran Turismo as the king of simulated racing games.

This brings us to the current day where, fortunately, the competition between the two well-established franchises is a casual one. They are rival franchises on rival platforms, but they both share a common goal in providing an experience that many people out there would love to do in the real world. It's this common goal that is seeing both franchises refine what they have already done as well as introduce more in order to achieve that goal. It is also competition that has inspired other developers who share the vision, to strive for the same goal. I may have been a little critical of it in my last post, but I am extremely impressed with SimBin's first attempt at a console simulation game in Race Pro and I seriously cannot wait to see what they do next.

As is probably obvious, I am one of these people who would love to do it in the real world but unfortunately motorsport is extremely expensive and I do not have the financial capacity to pursue it. Naturally, the next best thing is these racing games and I'm very thankful that these developers share a common goal and strive for perfection. By doing so, they give people like me the ability to enjoy their passion in a way that watching it passively cannot and that's a very rewarding feeling. It may not be the real thing, but it will suffice if it means we can aim for victory, aim to be better than the rest and most importantly, strive for that same perfection that our favourite drivers do in real life. If that's not the next best thing, then I don't know what is.

Will First Place Be Decided?

In the past few weeks I have been asked a question by quite a few people including my girlfriend, my cousin and a few online friends. When my girlfriend asked it I thought nothing of it and happily answered it to the best of my ability. When my cousin asked it a few days later, I again answered it with the answer I thought was correct. When I got asked it a few more times by some people online, I begun to question my own answer and then realised that I actually have no idea what my answer is. Basically, consistently being asked this question saw me realise that I hadn't actually decided on an answer. So what's the question?

What is my favourite racing game of all time?

Now if we were to be more precise and say, ask what my favourite Arcade racing game would be well then the answer to the question would probably be rather easy. Same thing applies to the Simulation racing genre as well, it wouldn't be too hard I don't think to answer the question. However, include the entire racing genre (which would then include Arcade, Simulation and Fictional racing titles) and the more I think about it the harder it seems to be for me to choose a particular game and nominate it as my favourite. I mean, I have played so many fantastic racing games over the years across all sub-genres and naturally having so many wonderful experiences makes it hard to just choose one. I do plan on doing so though so I can answer such a question again if it ever pops up in the future (and perhaps I will also do it for other genres) so that means it's time to make a list! A list of games from three sub-genres (Arcade, Simulation and Fictional) that I had an absolute blast playing and that I feel are best examples of their particular sub-genre.

F-Zero GX

This was my introduction to the F-Zero franchise so naturally I hold it close to my heart and regard it as my favourite game from the franchise. However even if it wasn't the first game I played, I dare say it would still be my favourite of the franchise. Only one word comes to mind when I think of this game and that is perfect. Why perfect? Well it just seems to be as such; the track design, sense of speed, character choice and perhaps most importantly, the difficulty curve are all perfectly balanced as far as I'm concerned. It's quick and easy to get into but it also happens to be one of (if not the) hardest racing games I have ever played. The desire to master this game gets stronger with every race and while normally such a challenging game would become frustrating to the point of it never being played again, F-Zero GX was just different. Sure it annoyed me when I failed a race or mission but that constant failure only drove the desire and dedication to beat it even further. I did manage it eventually too and it is one of my most proudest gaming achievements to date. Add in a beautiful looking game and some really awesome tunes from the soundtrack and like I said, perfect is the only word that seems to come to mind.

Mario Kart DS/Mario Kart Super Circuit

There was always going to be a Mario Kart game on this list but when I think about it I just can't choose just one. So instead, I nominate both handheld versions as being the best but for different reasons. I won't go into those reasons (subject for another day) but both games have provided me with endless hours of entertainment. Mario Kart is perhaps the best pick up and play racing game around and no race will ever be the same. Most people go for Super Mario Kart (SNES) or Mario Kart 64 (N64) as their best Mario Kart game and a few years ago I would have agreed with them but after experiencing a portable Mario Kart I don't think the console versions will ever match them anymore. They will be fun of course but for me I feel that Mario Kart is the sort of game that is perfect for handheld gaming. Perhaps I'll elaborate on why I feel this way in the near future, but for now the handheld versions remain my pick of the franchise.

Burnout 2: Point Of Impact

Ah my beloved Burnout franchise. I love each and every installment and don't expect that to change any time soon. I love the fact that every couple of versions or so Criterion change things up and completely reinvent the series to make it fresh, unique and yet ever so familiar at the same time. I can't think of any other franchise that does that (regularly anyway). Anyway while I also hold Burnout 3: Takedown (the majority's pick as best Burnout game from what I can gather) and the recent Burnout Paradise in very high regard my favourite Burnout game is still Burnout 2. To me it was the exact definition of what Burnout was; fast and crazy racing through a variety of very well designed tracks that had you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It also introduced Crash mode which was absolutely awesome fun and took advantage of the destruction engine perfectly. I still play this game regularly and it still looks absolutely gorgeous too. This is what Arcade racing is about.

Wave Race: Blue Storm

Some might be surprised if they read this and saw Wave Race being included but I'm happy to include it. It provided a different take on the genre which I'm always welcome to and it was definitely awesome to hoon around on a Jet-Ski while jumping over waves and weaving in and out of those buoys. It helped of course that the water effects were lovely to look at and the music wasn't half bad either. Some would argue that the original on the N64 was the better game and I can certainly see why they choose it, but for me Blue Storm was the better game as it included everything that made the original awesome and added a few more things to make a better overall experience. Out of all the franchises that could be released on the Wii, I really hope Wave Race sees a return.

Gran Turismo 4

The Gran Turismo franchise was also guaranteed to be on this list. The original showed me what was possible with racing games in gaming and provided an experience I had been craving for ages before it was released: that of being able to drive any car of my choice around a circuit and have the experience feel as close to the real thing as possible. It's obvious that games won't completely mimic what it is like to drive a car around a track, but Gran Turismo is certainly close enough for me. As the franchise continued on we saw new tracks that became classics, more cars and of course graphical upgrades as well and all were awesome additions. The franchise has also taught me a lot about cars, from who makes what (although I knew most of that already) to manufacturer's histories to what certain car parts do. The fact that a game can teach me things and provide a fun experience is fantastic as far as I am concerned and I'll always admire and appreciate the perfectionism that Polyphony aim for with this franchise. I nominate GT4 as my favourite from the franchise because I feel it is the most complete version yet. I dare say that Gran Turismo 5 (when I finally get a PS3 and when that finally releases) will take that crown though.

Forza 2

The other simulation franchise close to my heart, Forza again provided another take on an experience I love so much: the ability to drive cars of my choice on a race track. Forza introduced what I feel to be a much better tyre based physics system than Gran Turismo and as such, it was quite the different experience as a result. Forza 2 improved on that physics system dramatically and because of this reason alone I feel that Forza 2 is the best simulation racing game I have played to date. Gran Turismo 5 could beat it, Forza 3 could beat it - I don't know and I don't care at the moment. Forza 2 is where it is at for me at the moment and I still play it regularly a year on from its release. It might not have the best graphics around or the biggest choice in cars or tracks, but that is irrelevant to me. I mean come on, I can sit here lapping the same track for 100 laps and not even notice...

Project Gotham Racing 2 and 4

Arcade crossed with Simulation crossed with style = one unique but massively fun racing game. I absolutely love this franchise and feel that each installment has been brilliant. If I had to choose a title as the best my choice would be with PGR 2 as I feel it had the best of everything. The best cities and therefore track design, the best cars, the best difficulty curve (PGR 2 is still the hardest game to obtain those Platinums in as far as I am concerned and is also one of the hardest racing games I have played so far) and also perhaps the best online play of the series as well. I still fire it up to race around Sydney, Mexico and the other cities and I still have a blast each and every time. PGR 4 gets included in this segment though because it is pretty much on par with PGR 2 for me. It may not have the best of everything like PGR 2 does, but what PGR 4 has provided is the same sort of fun that PGR 2 did and that's why it is included. Plus it had a fantastic weather system which also happened to look beautiful. I've talked about how I feel about weather and games in another post and its inclusion in PGR 4 was a welcome one.

Note: PGR 2 also had weather.

Test Drive Unlimited

Not really a racing game and more of a driving game, Test Drive Unlimited is included purely because it again provided an experience that I was craving for a long time. The chance to hop into any car I wanted and just go for a cruise. Whether it be cruising in a city or out in the countryside, it didn't matter to me as long as I got to go cruising. The fact that TDU had both because it was set on the Hawaii island of Oahu was just the icing on the cake as far as I was concerned. It had some flaws and wasn't as gorgeous as other racing games on the market but who cares? I certainly don't because I was (and still am) too busy just enjoying the fact that I can just drive.

There, the racing games I feel are my favourite out of all the ones I have played so far. As is evident by the fact I had to include more than one title in some instances, it was extremely hard choosing between titles to form this list. Some were obvious standouts while others took quite some thought before I could decide. Now I get an even harder task as I decide on what I think is my favourite racing game of all time. Excuse me while I figure it out and once I do, I will reveal the answer here.

What I'm Playing

I originally intended the What I'm Playing entries to be weekly, detailing what I was playing for that week and also offering thoughts on a few things. Obviously, it hasn't been a weekly entry and I apologise for that, but I do still intend on keeping it a regular thing and here's hoping I can find a way to balance my time so that it can be a regular piece.

Anyway, this week I have been playing the following:

Burnout Paradise

Picked this up on Friday night and according to the in-game timer, have already played it for over 25 hours. See what I mean about time getting away from me easily?
Anyway, I have been playing it so much because it's just so damn awesome. Whether it is doing the races, Road Rages, Marked Man challenges or Stunt Runs; Or whether it is mucking around online with friends, Paradise is an absolute blast to play and I look forward to playing it some more in this coming week.

Mass Effect

I have returned to this game after a short break, this time playing through it for the second time. I decided to re-use my character from the first run although this time I'm being a bit more of an arsehole while I go for the Renegade achievement. I'm also going to try some other options in the game but I won't detail them here to save for spoilers. It's still a brilliant game though and it actually feels weird seeing different things happen in the game knowing that it was different the first time.

Undertow

I finished this in Co-Op with my friend a few weeks ago but I am still playing this gradually because I am an achievement whore and only need one achievement to 200/200 the game. The final achievement is 10,000 kills although thankfully it is nowhere near as hard as the 10,000 kills achievement (Seriously...) from Gears of War. I won't be dedicating 8 months of my gaming life to Undertow, put it that way.

Forza 2

I will always be playing this. At least, until either Forza 3 releases or I get a PS3 and Gran Turismo 5. I'm still setting various lap times for various reasons and I am also still playing it online every now and then. I just recently purchased some Microsoft Points too, so next time I fire up the game I will be buying the two DLC tracks - Motegi and Road America - and setting lap times on those as well.

Rez HD

As I mentioned above, I picked up some MS Points recently and there is just no way in hell I was going to pass up on the opportunity to finally play this game. I have been wanting to do so ever since learning about original version and I now finally have the chance to experience it for myself. Awesome times ahead!

In other news, I just recently finished my second play through of BioShock and despite having finished it once, I was still blown away by just how real Rapture feels and how immersive the game is. So expect a post on that (I suppose it was only a matter of time considering this blog is inspired by the game...) in the near future. You can also expect one on Mass Effect, Burnout Paradise and possibly even Rez.

And those are just the posts on particular games...