PS-She said:
They can always get better right? I'd like to think developers read reviews and stuff too so they see what others think of their games. I really want to believe that all developers want to get better and make great games. Except maybe Data-Design or whatever that one company is called. |
I don't think it's so much a question of 'can they get better' as much as it is 'can they afford it'
As time goes on, what matters in retail-quality releases for major systems/genres (such as a big JRPG or action-based game) is the budget behind it. New games take massive amounts of developer time to churn out a quality title. This is across the board for every system: Even a game like Super Mario Galaxy or Twilight Princess had/has a big budget so they can get it right.
The weakness of a company like From Software is the fact that it's unlikely they have the cash to put forth an uber-title at this stage in the game (especially when it comes to a game like Ninja Blade - an action game, and Demon's Soul - a JRPG). If the budget isn't there, than chances are the scope of the project gets scaled back, and becomes something less than the initial hype and desire of the game. Give From Software a $50m budget, and I assure you it'd be one of the best games of all time. Give EA, Square, Nintendo, MS, or Sony $5m to work with, and chances are, the product won't be as good as you'd hope.
This example is best seen in Mistwalker's Blue Dragon. The game was developed not by Mistwalker, but Artoon. Artoon is one of THE crappiest developers in the market. They put out that turd Vampire's Rain (which stands as one of the worst-rated games this generation). Yet Blue Dragon was in the upper 70's, and very well-received in Japan, and overall had great polish. Why? It had a budget.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
