Sony needs to drop Dust 514 and create a shooter from scratch

[Dodece]

richardhutnik said:

Dodece said:
@OP

While I agree with the gist of your sentiment. That Sony needs to find a answer for Halo, and that they need to get their shit in gear right now. I feel your solution is wanting, because it doesn't address the real problem. Namely that Senior management that is responsible for giving the go ahead on projects is either incompetent, unimaginative, or in all likelihood far too provincially minded. No amount of money, or reputable talent will ever overcome straight up bad taste, or bad direction.

I really think it is a problem with provincial thinking. The stories for both Killzone and Resistance read like they came straight out of Anime. Like someone was trying to create a concept that a Japanese executive might be able to relate enough to that they might sign off on a game. That said it is really to the developers credit that the games turned out as well as they did. In spite of such a obvious handicap out of the gate.

I think you probably have to understand why Rambo First Blood was a pretty cool fucking movie to appreciate what it is that North American audiences want. Anything that doesn't stem from that sentiment isn't likely to be a huge success, and anyone who doesn't think that movie is cool. Shouldn't be making choices about what the North American audience wants.

Why does Sony need to find an answer to an FPS franchise that isn't even the top console franchise at this point?  Besides this, exactly what shape and form does a Halo killer by Sony take this late in the game?

To answer your first question. Halo is a monstrous franchise, and it affects sales accordingly. It grants Microsoft a massive amount of name recognition. Halo is not just a game series. It is a series of books, childrens toys, comics, and films. Sony needs a franchise like that, and being in the most popular genre in North America helps with that. On the game side of things Halo isn't any kind of slouch either. It offers up a counter point to Call of Duty, and gives the library a serious edge in the depth department. Sony needs a franchise like Halo on both accounts.

As for your second question. If I were advising Sony on developing a franchise to fill this role. I would recommend that they take a look at creating a game based on their Roughneck animated television series. Which was set in the Starship Troopers Universe, but deviated in many significant ways from the feature films, and the books. Even if they couldn't secure the license. The concept was incredibly strong. Anyway that series had a strong fan base, and it had, and still has a very strong cult following. Even if Sony wants something that is entirely their own. The concept can be reworked into something that directly answer Halo.

By the way if you haven't seen the series I am talking about. Go watch it for yourself, and tell me if you think they had something there. I think a game like that series could match Master Chief stride for stride. The writers for that show came up with a lot of novel combat scenarios, and a lot of good enemy concepts.