Parallels between the Gaming Industry and Music Industry?

[LibertyRansom]

First time posting. There are plenty of the comparisons between the art and gaming world but heres is one I was thinking about.

A few years back I spent a summer interning for a well known record label. One specific thing I recognized was that talent or quality of the artist only had to be above a certain threshold, which was, imo, set pretty low. After passing that threshold, it didn't matter in terms of selling units if you were a prodigy or doing essentially the same thing. What mattered after that was how much money was put into promotion, along with certain pop trends etc.

Do you think this trend holds true for the gaming industry as well or is there a difference in the market? Do games, once hitting a certain threshold, become hits (sales) due to promotion (regardless of how greatly they pass that threshold). Or, are they held to a higher/different standard than that of the art world?

 

[BLOBERT]

BRO I WOULD SAY GAMING PARALLELS MOVIE SHIT MORE BUT THEN AGAIN I AM NOT SUPER INTO MUSIC PROBABLY SAME THING

BROS THERE IS ALOT OF HEATRACHE HERE ABOUT THIS

 

[Destroid]

Safe assumption, considering that big studios spend more than 2/3rds of a titles budget on marketing these days.

 

[DakaSha]

I's say its more like hollywood/movies as well but all 3 industries are pretty alike namely: gay

 

[LibertyRansom]

Yea, I suppose the movie industry is a better example; which is a shame. Essentially successful movies/game franchises try to be jack of all trades, easy to jump into, accessible to as many market segments as possible; then it's just a matter of pumping into promotion.

However, promotion tends to be a necessary evil and I think we all play into it whether we like it or not. When I was 13 I saw advertisement for Arcanum in a magazine and ended up buying it just because of the picture, not really knowing much else about it. I never ended up buying ToEE or Bloodlines because I didn't even know they existed, or were even made by the same company. Same for FO1 and FO2. It's a shame I didn't end up buying/playing those games until the company went belly up.

 

[DraQ]

Re: Parallels between the Gaming Industry and Music Industry

Do games, once hitting a certain threshold, become hits (sales) due to promotion (regardless of how greatly they pass that threshold).

I guess, yeah.

2006 robbed me of all illusions.
And the threshold itself is very low - somewhere around "not physically painful".

 

[mondblut]

As I said in another thread, the Kodeks is the vidiyagames' black metal underground. And outside said underground, nothing matters.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I never ended up buying ToEE or Bloodlines because I didn't even know they existed, or were even made by the same company.

Same here. I saw them at stores and even some crappy ads but they never said why should I buy it. Just an image and the tittle.

 

[Phelot]

Oh I think that games have a pretty high threshold of whats good and not, it's just that we elite individuals do not like what is considered "good." It's expensive making the vidya gaymes and there's little room for failure so I think it's more a case of finding a formula that works and using it until it needs to change.

 

[Destroid]

That doesn't explain derpified sequels.

 

[LibertyRansom]

I never ended up buying ToEE or Bloodlines because I didn't even know they existed, or were even made by the same company.

Same here. I saw them at stores and even some crappy ads but they never said why should I buy it. Just an image and the tittle.

Same here, I actually do remember seeing the cover for ToEE and hearing the name but thinking, eh, sounds stupid. Additionally if I ever did see the cover art for Vampire Masquerade I'm sure I would have been turned off as well, it looks cheesy. (were they going for the teenage market with the vampire chick?). However, years later, upon playing, both turned out to be great games in their own right.

It's sad but when your not "hardcore" into a genre, or know the godfather companies, you make quick calls, read a book by its cover and get your game advice from a friend. This all adds up to grabbing "what has the most promotion."

Good cRPGs deserve a collective and organized street team.

 

[Destroid]

At least with bloodlines it was an accurate depiction of the contents, unlike most games which have slutty women on the front cover.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I never ended up buying ToEE or Bloodlines because I didn't even know they existed, or were even made by the same company.

Same here. I saw them at stores and even some crappy ads but they never said why should I buy it. Just an image and the tittle.

Same here, I actually do remember seeing the cover for ToEE and hearing the name but thinking, eh, sounds stupid.

ToEE sounded to me like something like the PoR2:Ruins of Myth Drannor back then.

 

[BLOBERT]

BROS THE BUYING ARCANUM THING BY THE COVER MAKES ME LOLOOLOL SO HARD

MAYBE YOU BROS WERE JUST YOUNG THEN BUT ARCANUM CAME OUT DURING ONE OF THE TIMES I HAD A CURRENT PC AND I READ A FEW INTERVIEWS ON IT FROM EVERYTHING I SAW IT CAME ACROSS PRETTY NEGATIVELY COMPARED TO PST AND FALLOUTS SO I DECLINED AND THEN PC REQUIREMENTS PASSED ME BY FOR LITTLE WHILE

BROS FOR A FORTY TO SIXTY DOLLAR GAME I USUALLY NEED A PRETTY GOOD IDEA IT IS DECENT ESPECIALLY WHENY I WAS YOUNGER

THOPUGH I GUESS IF I WAS A KID AND IT WAS A BRTHDAY PRESENT OR SOMETHING I WOULDNT NEED HIGH STANDARDS

 

[Phelot]

PoR2:Ruins of Myth Drannor back then.

I bought that... Oh God why did I get that game.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

BROS THE BUYING ARCANUM THING BY THE COVER MAKES ME LOLOOLOL SO HARD

MAYBE YOU BROS WERE JUST YOUNG THEN BUT ARCANUM CAME OUT DURING ONE OF THE TIMES I HAD A CURRENT PC AND I READ A FEW INTERVIEWS ON IT FROM EVERYTHING I SAW IT CAME ACROSS PRETTY NEGATIVELY COMPARED TO PST AND FALLOUTS SO I DECLINED AND THEN PC REQUIREMENTS PASSED ME BY FOR LITTLE WHILE

BROS FOR A FORTY TO SIXTY DOLLAR GAME I USUALLY NEED A PRETTY GOOD IDEA IT IS DECENT ESPECIALLY WHENY I WAS YOUNGER

THOPUGH I GUESS IF I WAS A KID AND IT WAS A BRTHDAY PRESENT OR SOMETHING I WOULDNT NEED HIGH STANDARDS

During the Arcanum times, I already didn't trust press, as it was after BG1 and BG2 getting the best game ever scores.

I bought Arcanum after playing the demo.

I started to dislike the combat and character creation system only after playing the full version.

 

[BLOBERT]

BRO I UNDERSTAND I DIDNT TRUST THE GAMING PRESS MUCH EITHER YOU CAN READ BETWEEN THE LINES THOUGH IF YOU READ MORE THAN ONE REVIEW BALDURS GATE NEVER INTERESTED ME TOO MUCH

WHAT I KEPT READING FOR ARCANUM WAS THAT THE COMBAT WAS BROKE AND UNBALANCED AND THE GAME WAS BUGGED TO SHIT AND RAN SHITTY

 

[Exmit]

BALDURS GATE NEVER INTERESTED ME TOO MUCH

Blobert finaly reveals his true nature of console faggotry ?

 

[Destroid]

I played Ultima VI -> Fallout -> Fallout 2 and every RPG I've played since (including BG) has seemed crappy, except for PST and Arcanum.