Gaming Call of Duty “has almost ruined a generation of shooter players,” says Tripwire Interactive

[tom_mai78101]

Earlier this month I visited Killing Floor and Red Orchestra 2 creator Tripwire Interactive to play Rising Storm, the upcoming standalone expansion to RO2 (look for a preview on Monday). After the demo, Tripwire President John Gibson and I got talking about the state of first-person shooters, and Gibson laid out a detailed criticism about the way Call of Duty “takes individual skill out of the equation.” Gibson also expressed frustration over how difficult it had been trying to design a mode for Red Orchestra 2 that appealed to Call of Duty players.

PCG: How do you feel about the state of FPSes?

John Gibson, President: I think that single-player shooters are getting better. I think they’re finally coming out from under the shadow of the Hollywood movie, overblown “I’m on a rail” linear shooter. I’m talking about Call of Duty-style shooters. In the late ‘90s, you had the original Deus Ex, which was an RPG-shooter. And those kind of games almost took an eight year hiatus. And I’m so excited to see them coming back with interesting gameplay. Like the Fallout games, even though their shooting mechanics could really use some improvement, just mixing a really cool story, but not a linear story, one that you create yourself. The melding of RPG elements and shooter elements has been great. I’ve seen this reflected in a lot of the reviews, it’s like, “Okay guys, we’re tired of this on-rails experience.”

On the flip side, I’m really discouraged by the current state of multiplayer shooters. I think that, and I hate to mention names, because it sounds like ‘I’m just jealous of their success,’ but I’m really, I feel like Call of Duty has almost ruined a generation of FPS players. I know that’s a bold statement, but I won’t just throw stones without backing it up. When I was developing Action Mode [for RO2], I got a group of people that I know that are pretty hardcore Call of Duty players. And my goal was to create something that was accessible enough for them to enjoy the game—not turn it into Call of Duty, but try to make something that I thought was casual enough but with the Red Orchestra gameplay style that they would enjoy. And we iterated on it a lot. And just listening to all the niggling, pedantic things that they would complain about, that made them not want to play the game, I just thought, “I give up. Call of Duty has ruined this whole generation of gamers.”

Call of Duty "has almost ruined a generation of shooter players," says Tripwire Interactive

Earlier this month I visited Killing Floor and Red Orchestra 2 creator Tripwire Interactive to play Rising Storm, the upcoming standalone expansion to RO2 (look for a preview on Monday). After the demo, Tripwire President John Gibson and I got talking about the state of first-person shooters...

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Accname]

LOL
Dont play shooters so i can really not talk about this topic, but the developer does sound a little bit whiny.

 

[Hatebreeder]

LOL
Dont play shooters so i can really not talk about this topic, but the developer does sound a little bit whiny.

I don't agree. He's got a point. CoD has taken it's place as the Nr.1 Shooter franchise, because it's that good. But games such as Blacklight Retribution are elevating the multiplayer expirience beyond that of CoD and it just can't take a stand against CoD. I personally find BLR much better than CoD, because it's got more game-deph to it and is community driven as well.
I wouldn't say that the shooter gamers generation is ruined, but I can see how most shooter gamers mindset is narrowing them down on said franchise and neglect anything that isn't something they know from CoD.

 

[Accname]

I don't agree. He's got a point. CoD has taken it's place as the Nr.1 Shooter franchise, because it's that good. But games such as Blacklight Retribution are elevating the multiplayer expirience beyond that of CoD and it just can't take a stand against CoD. I personally find BLR much better than CoD, because it's got more game-deph to it and is community driven as well.
I wouldn't say that the shooter gamers generation is ruined, but I can see how most shooter gamers mindset is narrowing them down on said franchise and neglect anything that isn't something they know from CoD.

1). You dont agree with what? That i cant talk about shooters? That i dont play shooters? Or that the developer sounds whiny?

2). If CoD has become the number 1 as you claim then it certainly cant be bad enough to "ruin a generation" of gamers. If the game is called out for being so bad it wouldnt be number 1. And if it really is number 1 and still bad then maybe the generation was "ruined" beforehand.

3). Maybe the majority of shooter gamers dont want more complex more in-debth games. Maybe they like it simple and the developers of those complex shooters are the ones who are "ruining a generation" of gamers.

If there is demand for a game like CoD then maybe the other games are the ones doing it wrong?

 

[KaerfNomekop]

IMO most people who want to play shooters don't do it for the storyline anyway. They play the game for the bang bang.

There are people who play games for their storylines which coincidentally happen to be shooter games, like me. But I doubt we're as much of a market worth catering to as either genre on its own.

 

[Fatmankev]

There are people who play games for their storylines which coincidentally happen to be shooter games, like me. But I doubt we're as much of a market worth catering to as either genre on its own.

I'm thinkin' Fallout 3 proved that that's a very real and powerful genre, with Bioshock leading the way right alongside it.

 

[camelCase]

If it's any consolation to them, I hate CoD. Lol. I bought it for the XBox and regretted it =/

 

[FireCat]

IMO most people who want to play shooters don't do it for the storyline anyway. They play the game for the bang bang.

+1 lol

 

[mushroom911]

john gibson is a pretty cool guy, been observing tripwire since RO 1 was a thing and I have to say, they've got it spot on when it coems to shooter mechanics.
if you like bang bang, try RO or RO2.

 

[mushroom911]

IMO most people who want to play shooters don't do it for the storyline anyway. They play the game for the bang bang.

There are people who play games for their storylines which coincidentally happen to be shooter games, like me. But I doubt we're as much of a market worth catering to as either genre on its own.

that's the problem with recent shooters... Hacktivision and Electronic Farts have been doing a good job of striking a center field that caters to everyone and noone at the same time.

 

[iPeez]

So has WoW, as THE MMO, in the european / american gaming. It is a shitty game now. They removed everything that "made" the game in the first place, reduced difficulty by 500%, and that is a Wrath of the Lich King player speaking (I came in 3-4 years after the original release. At which point I thought the game was amazing, complex and balanced.

Call of Duty 4, was an amazing shooter, in multiplayer. Because it focused on shooting and your skills at doing so.

2). If CoD has become the number 1 as you claim then it certainly cant be bad enough to "ruin a generation" of gamers. If the game is called out for being so bad it wouldnt be number 1. And if it really is number 1 and still bad then maybe the generation was "ruined" beforehand.

Because they dont know what they are missing out on.

 

[Accname]

[...]

Because they dont know what they are missing out on.

The article says it otherwise. As it seems, they know what they are missing out on in the other games, but they dont like it.

 

[YourFace]

I don't agree. He's got a point. CoD has taken it's place as the Nr.1 Shooter franchise, because it's that good. But games such as Blacklight Retribution are elevating the multiplayer expirience beyond that of CoD and it just can't take a stand against CoD. I personally find BLR much better than CoD, because it's got more game-deph to it and is community driven as well.
I wouldn't say that the shooter gamers generation is ruined, but I can see how most shooter gamers mindset is narrowing them down on said franchise and neglect anything that isn't something they know from CoD.

I don't agree, BLR is pay to win. The best equipment perks, etc. come from paying for them. Plus all levels generally face each other, lvl 40s vs lvl 11s. It doesn't improve multiplayer experience if only a few dominate everyone thanks to their gear

 

[Sim]

The truth is, the problem lies in the company behind Call of Duty: Activision-Blizzard.

Here's a (long) read on the matter; the story of Activision-Blizzard in recent years, and their mentality: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=128252

It's a very long (and much interesting) read but, in short, their goal is to

- Take out all the fun in making video games
- Sell games as you would sell detergent, i.e., market differently things that are exactly the same. Every new CoD brings pretty much nothing new to the table.
- Make games with the ulterior motives of selling more stuff within the game. Auction House, DLC, expansion packs, micro-transactions, name it.
- Make games that are linear in nature. Not 100% linear, but in a casual way instead. Make games that aren't really challenging, that aren't really innovative, that aren't really complex either. Just games that have a certain amount of value that's expected of their cost. As you purchase more value, you get more "game" value.
- Pay to win mentality.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I am totally in agreement with the President of Tripwire Interactive, and I would dare extrapolate further: Not only Call of Duty, but Activision-Blizzard as a whole encourages this new piss-poor mentality of everything casual-oriented, value-vs-cost among other bad things.

Just look at any of their recent games and you will see this business model coming out. Starcraft 2's multiplayer is maybe the last of its kind that's still competitive and genuinely good.

 

[iPeez]

Here's a (long) read on the matter; the story of Activision-Blizzard in recent years, and their mentality: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=128252

It's a very long (and much interesting) read but, in short, their goal is to...

That was an enlightening read.. damn.

 

[tom_mai78101]

Casual gaming came out when Nintendo Wii hit us like a hurricane. Everything else then evolves around it, trying to bring in more casual gamers into their marketing audiences and gaining more profits from them, just like how Nintendo does it with their Wii.

It blows my mind thinking that the entire industry lies in the hands of Nintendo. Or I'm just getting too blown over.

 

[FireCat]

The truth is, the problem lies in the company behind Call of Duty: Activision-Blizzard.

- Take out all the fun in making video games
- Sell games as you would sell detergent, i.e., market differently things that are exactly the same

Oh crap! Well, that article paints a "creepy picture of Activision" hmm enough to consider boycotting their games. ?!

Btw: Blizzard Isn't Blizzard anymore are they? lol

 

[Nigerianrulz]

which is why COD is played mostly by 12 yr olds now.

 

[Accname]

Oh crap! Well, that article paints a "creepy picture of Activision" hmm enough to consider boycotting their games. ?!

Btw: Blizzard Isn't Blizzard anymore are they? lol

Blizzard isnt working on call of duty. Thats an activision game.
Although blizzard is owned by activision they still operate independently.

 

[FireCat]

Although blizzard is owned by activision they still operate independently.

Ah okay. Well, but who is vivendi?