Facebook Twitter YouTube Frictional Games | Forum | Privacy Policy | Dev Blog | Dev Wiki | Support | Gametee


Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?
eliasfrost Offline
Posting Freak

Posts: 1,769
Threads: 34
Joined: Mar 2007
Reputation: 39
#11
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

(04-06-2014, 02:56 PM)BAndrew Wrote: Point is this:
Developers of course don't care so much about the profit (as long as it is ok). They love their job and they want to create the best game possible. That applies to other professions as well. It is the companies that want to maximize profits and you can't really blame them because if they don't make enough money they are going to close.

Basically this, I admire developers who have the backbone to stand up for their creative integrity but at the same time I don't see the problem with making money as that's the only way to make new games.

The problem with the AAA market though is that the creative vision of the developer has to go through numerous stages of compromises due to large team sizes, the publisher demands and the restricted development time. With such a burden it's often easy to forget that you are creating art and it becomes more a challenge to keep yourself in line with the restrictions set upon you.

[Image: indiedb_88x31.png]
04-06-2014, 03:03 PM
Find
Bridge Offline
Posting Freak

Posts: 1,971
Threads: 25
Joined: May 2012
Reputation: 128
#12
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

(04-06-2014, 02:42 PM)BAndrew Wrote:
Quote:The work itself should be the ultimate reward - the money is only upkeep, an unfortunate prerequisite for future projects, and perhaps an opportunity for expansion. This has been reversed in the corporate world so that the objective is money, and the work of "art" is the means.

So what? I read this in your post, but you can't blame corporations for wanting to make money. It may be their primary objective, but I don't see a problem with this. If I don't like their product then I won't buy it. It's that simple. I don't care what their goal is. All I can judge is the outcome (product).

The problem is that they have a monopoly on the market and are active in shaping it. Crowdfunding etc. is becoming something to be reckoned with but the AAA industry still has virtually all of the money. How can you possibly not see anything negative about corporate bigwigs crafting perfectly calculated and neatly packaged pieces of "art" to be consumed? Doesn't the idea frighten you?
(This post was last modified: 04-06-2014, 03:12 PM by Bridge.)
04-06-2014, 03:10 PM
Find
BAndrew Offline
Senior Member

Posts: 732
Threads: 23
Joined: Mar 2010
Reputation: 20
#13
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

I don't say that it is great and we should have a party, but if there are people that are buying these "arts" then what can we do? Obviously forcing them not to consume certain things is not an option.

•I have found the answer to the universe and everything, but this sign is too small to contain it.

[Image: k2g44ae]



04-06-2014, 03:15 PM
Find
Bridge Offline
Posting Freak

Posts: 1,971
Threads: 25
Joined: May 2012
Reputation: 128
#14
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

(04-06-2014, 03:15 PM)BAndrew Wrote: I don't say that it is great and we should have a party, but if there are people that are buying these "arts" then what can we do? Obviously forcing them not to consume certain things is not an option.

No, but it is detrimental to everybody else. Whether out of ignorance or simply apathy, there are certain aspects that the "plebeian audience" (without being elitist) considers unimportant that are consequently deemphasized. Almost any amount of finesse in any aspect usually qualifies as "unimportant." Whereas with a coherent idea you can have an expertly crafted work of art that has superficial surface elements nonetheless, with mainstream media these factors are completely deleted. An excellent example is Amnesia actually - on a superficial level it is a game with monsters that you run away from; It's something you can play with friends and be scared by. But - the people on this forum can play the exact same game and appreciate the careful attention to detail, the spooky aesthetic design, the Lovecraftian writing in all its mysterious glory, the haunting music - the same game. With the triple A industry such superfluousnesses are dispensed with because they take effort which in the end is only going to increase sales by a few percent or fractions of a percent. It's not worth it relatively speaking. The end result is you have only the former - the shallow entertainment, and none of the latter.
(This post was last modified: 04-06-2014, 03:37 PM by Bridge.)
04-06-2014, 03:36 PM
Find
BAndrew Offline
Senior Member

Posts: 732
Threads: 23
Joined: Mar 2010
Reputation: 20
#15
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

Then the problem isn't really the fact that companies are seeking profit. It is that most people can't criticize whether they really like the product (whether it is a game or music or whatever) or if they just follow the fashion. That's a problem however not in the game or entertainment industry only. Most people are making bad decisions all the time and they lack analytical thinking and I don't see this being resolved any time soon. If this a problem didn't exist then this would be a better and more fair world.

•I have found the answer to the universe and everything, but this sign is too small to contain it.

[Image: k2g44ae]



(This post was last modified: 04-06-2014, 03:46 PM by BAndrew.)
04-06-2014, 03:46 PM
Find
Bridge Offline
Posting Freak

Posts: 1,971
Threads: 25
Joined: May 2012
Reputation: 128
#16
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

(04-06-2014, 03:46 PM)BAndrew Wrote: Then the problem isn't really the fact that companies are seeking profit. It is that most people can't criticize whether they really like the product (whether it is a game or music or whatever) or if they just follow the fashion. That's a problem however not in the game or entertainment industry only. Most people are making bad decisions all the time and they lack analytical thinking and I don't see this being resolved any time soon. If this a problem didn't exist then this would be a better and more fair world.

Right! But it is poisonous when the free democracy of what constitutes quality is stifled by producers and other such entities. An artist not only needs an audience because it is for most artists the goal in creating art (not that fame for fame's sake is necessarily important - but if there is nobody to see your work then what is the point?) - but they need it also because unfortunately staying alive in modern society is not free, and producers can often guarantee an audience. As I said, things are getting better especially with crowdfunding, but it still is not there yet by a long shot. I think it's fair to say it has had an amazing effect on video games though, which is great.
04-06-2014, 03:54 PM
Find
Red Offline
Posting Freak

Posts: 1,757
Threads: 49
Joined: Feb 2012
Reputation: 54
#17
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

Gaming industry is becoming more and more corrupted like music industry is.
People don't care about the quality of the music, the music can be totally shit, still it sells. You don't need talent anymore, it's just about how well you can move your lips and hips.

When watching games like COD and BF or TF, we can say without doubt that the first person shooter based games are the shit that sells. There's no need for good storylines, amazing visuals or innonative gameplay. It's all about how you can kill people for points and compete with other people.
Of course there are people who complain against everything this, like us, but we are just a small minority among the other people who call themselves "gamers". Currently we can't help it any way, we just have to wait until people get bored, if that is even possible to happen in this monotonous planet. We have to wait until corporations decide to change the ruling trend.
(This post was last modified: 04-06-2014, 04:04 PM by Red.)
04-06-2014, 04:02 PM
Find
eliasfrost Offline
Posting Freak

Posts: 1,769
Threads: 34
Joined: Mar 2007
Reputation: 39
#18
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

But yet games like Last of Us, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Amnesia, Gone Home, Thomas Was Alone etc. sell. Not nearly as much but they are appreciated and much more widely and critically spoken about than CoD will ever be, perhaps not in the mainstream media but in the gaming industry it's the actual "good" games (that is the ones that try new things or have a very specific focus) that grab the attention.

I think there's a lot of unnecessary doom-saying amongst gamers these days, things are not even nearly as bad as some make it out to be. Gaming is bigger now than ever and the indie scene is flourishing more now than it ever have with lots of great ideas and discoveries that is getting much more deserved attention than it has before.

[Image: indiedb_88x31.png]
(This post was last modified: 04-06-2014, 04:21 PM by eliasfrost.)
04-06-2014, 04:06 PM
Find
Red Offline
Posting Freak

Posts: 1,757
Threads: 49
Joined: Feb 2012
Reputation: 54
#19
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

(04-06-2014, 04:06 PM)eliasfrost Wrote: But yet games like Last of Us, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Amnesia, Gone Home, Thomas Was Alone etc. sell. Not nearly as much but they are appreciated and much more widely and critically spoken about than CoD will ever be, perhaps not in the mainstream media but in the gaming industry it's the actual "good" games (that is the ones that try new things or have a very specific focus) that grab the attention.
Same thing with the music, some other invidual artists sell well too because they can make music, and people like it, but the current top sellers hill isn't as golden as it should be.
04-06-2014, 04:21 PM
Find
Wooderson Offline
Posting Freak

Posts: 2,460
Threads: 25
Joined: Dec 2011
Reputation: 52
#20
RE: Responsibilities of the Consumer in the Entertainment Industry?

Basic industry stuff.

MONEY!

If something makes money then people will try and go for the same. The day the COD franchise ceases to make enough money for them to say its worth making then thats the day they will stop. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT? THE BUYERS. So there is an answer.

More examples....

Look at the recent film Dredd. A cult success some would say, yet spokesmen have said that they can't make another one until there is more chance of making money.

Now you could throw in some theory on fandoms here about how people find comfort within relationship gratifications of sharing strong opinions for or against things.

Fandoms belonging to a cult success can keep something they endearly love alive through the fandom but its the mainstream audience that brings the money and is why there is a continuation of 'copycats' of things that were previously successful.

For example, following the huge success of Flappy Bird, notice how quickly there were so many similar games. Trying to do nothing more than cash in.

[Image: luv.gif]
04-06-2014, 04:32 PM
Find




Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)