Paper Mario Sticker Star 3DS

[F0X]

Soleron said:

F0X said:

...

Video games are commercial art. All forms of art follow trends. Trends change. If something doesn't follow or set a new trend, it will fail.

Lol. I can't even.

If a game of the original type would sell well, make that. If a new game with a different formula would sell well, make that instead.

The Mario RPG series has a history of poking fun at convention. To see it succumb to all but a handful of preset notions would be the bitterest of ironies.

Arguments from artistic motivation bounce off completely. Games are money. They have art value to the consumer, and maybe the dev thinks they are making art, but they are not funded because art.

I have seen franchises die because of lack of change, but decline is more common. Tekken, Tony Hawk, Dynasty Warriors, and others have failed to keep up with trends and are forever chasing the ghosts of their ancestors.

Oh sure, if the audience wants something different then the game company has to change. But they have to change into what the customer wants, not just trying gimmicks the lead designer is in love with.

There's a huge problem with making a new game with a different formula. Branding. It's almost always riskier to create a new IP than to apply a new concept to a familiar name, and shouldn't publishers try to minimize said risks? It's all about the money.

Games are not funded because of art, but they sell because of it (as you said, it holds artistic value to the consumer). As such, it would be unwise to not invest in the artistic qualities of a game.

Figuring out the desires of the consumer is not an exact science. What you describe is the process of finding what current fans possibly want (if you argue that fans have a hive mind). However, Nintendo is in the business of making games for as many consumers as they possibly can. As such, it is natural to try different approaches to see if results improve. In this case, one must ask the question why Nintendo wouldn't stick with the exact same formula as previous games. From what I see, Nintendo is attempting to move in that direction (it's certainly less of a departure than SPM) but continue to play with certain aspects. It's an attempt to find a better balance between what is expected from the franchise and bringing in newer consumers who like the sticker concept. Will it succeed? Only time will tell. If it doesn't, Nintendo has a few options: Give up and axe the franchise, go back to basics, or try another idea that seems appealing.