Having read the whole article I must say I agree and disagree with Malstrom.
Yes, games cannot be based around character alone the gameplay is the most important thing (to make that game fun). But Malstrom is basically suggesting Mario should have stayed 2d. Now New Super Mario Bros does have fantastic sales but I wonder if that would be the case if: A) All Mario to this date had been 2d side scrollers and B) If it wasn't a Mario game. I'd think 'no' in both cases. Especially the latter.
Gameplay MUST evolve. People do NOT want to play the same game over and over. Technology often provides new possibilities that should be explored. IF anything I think Miyamoto hasn't gone far enough to push the envelope. However doing an occasional 'retro' style game like NSMB or Megaman 9 is also greatly appreciated.
Finally he fails to acknowledge the importance of branding. People buy Mario games and Sonic games too because everyone knows those characters and trusts their games to be fun. Would Nintendo sports titles sell as well as they do without pimping Mario? No. It disgusts me too how much Mario and Sonic get pimped out but it works. Hollywood is no different, get well known talent to prop up sales of the movie that might otherwise be overlooked.
Food does the same. How much cross branding do you see nowadays?
The Icons are terribly important and ultimately far more important than an individual game's gameplay mechanics. However gameplay is more important to the ultimate success of that particular game.
Existing User Log In
New User Registration
Register for a free account to gain full access to the VGChartz Network and join our thriving community.
