Submitted by shodan74 355d ago | opinion piece


In light of the disappointing sales performance of both Resident Evil 6 and Dead Space 3, survival-horror enthusiast Mark Butler argues that publishers are making a grave error by trying to attract Call of Duty fans. (Call of Duty, Capcom, Culture, Dead Space 3, EA, PC, PS3, Resident Evil 6, Xbox 360)

NYC_Gamer  +   355d ago
This is what happens when publishers listen to focus groups instead of gamers
#1 (Edited 355d ago ) | Agree(32) | Disagree(1) | Report | Reply
GamerElite  +   355d ago
Damn right
rezzah  +   355d ago
Follow the devs who don't follow CoD. Even those who are forced to do so may not allow it to stain their main ideas.

The effect of CoD if mostly MP, this is good news for me because SP won't be heavily effected (if at all).
3-4-5  +   354d ago
Focus group made up of non gamers.

They are chasing the " this it hot now " audience and soon enough COD type games won't be "cool".

Why even try to make a watered down version of a game that nobody wants ?
Bimkoblerutso  +   355d ago
Don't know how many times developers have to see their games ran into the ground before they realize this. CODheads don't want to play COD-inspired games....they want to play COD. They want to play it so bad that it can essentially be released dozens of times with minor changes, but if it has COD in the title, that is all that is required.
Summons75  +   355d ago
couldn't agree more, you'll get so much more money giving gamers and fans what they want, need, and making things unique and interesting.d
DaReapa  +   355d ago
Very nice piece. Sadly, the stove is never too hot for publishers. And as a result, they won't quit this practice until the next iteration of a "COD crowd" is forged from the masses by means of another game.
HarryMasonHerpderp  +   355d ago
This article is spot on.
The thing is most COD players are interested in COD and COD alone, they don't care about Dead Space or Resident Evil because they don't need to.
They are perfectly happy playing the same franchise every year.
Making you're survival horror series more action orientated is not attracting anyone and only results in losing you're core fanbase.
#5 (Edited 355d ago ) | Agree(13) | Disagree(0) | Report | Reply
Dms2012  +   355d ago
They need to learn that in trying to appeal to everyone, you end up with a mediocre game. Its like when you mix every color on your pallet, you end up with brown.
JCENAdaBest  +   355d ago
I'm glad Dead Space 3 and RE 5/6 sucked... These publishers needed to learn the hard way. As if RE4 and DS 1/2 didn't make enough money!! They still had to make their games shitter to get more money - hard lesson but hopefully they will learn and come back with the game we all want.
josephayal  +   355d ago
Nothing can beat COD
rezzah  +   355d ago
From a business point of view, Maybe nothing (for now?)

From a passion point of view, many games have accomplished this. Look to the games that are unique and try to be innovative with new sequels or series.

Sticking to the same formula until it runs dry is fear of losing profit, not passion.

Edited for missing word.
#8.1 (Edited 355d ago ) | Agree(2) | Disagree(0) | Report | Reply
USMC_POLICE  +   355d ago
Look at socom Sony's best online title with countless fans. They made socom 4 like cod and we all hated it. Now zipper is closed and so com is gone. Its quite sad
DEATHxTHExKIDx  +   355d ago
they need to stop trying to be something there not.
HonestDragon  +   355d ago
It's like I always say: There's an audience for everything...unfortunately. In the case of publishers trying to turn their games into these COD inspired action fests, I totally agree.


Completely true. I just played Dead Space 3 and I couldn't be even more disappointed. The first two were great, but this installment just sucked out everything that made Dead Space a great horror game. No revenue system, two weapon limit, lack of suits, universal ammunition, and practically no genuine horror.

Resident Evil 6 is the same thing. The whole sequence where Chris and his team are in that city fighting BOWs with firearms practically felt like Gears of War 3. The narrative of Resident Evil 6 was pretty much lackluster and haphazard. It's so tacked on that it really had no business to exist other than to milk the series one more time.


Mainly because they are too busy rage-quiting or stroking their egos to their "skills" in any and all COD games. Plus, nothing can replace COD in their eyes. Everything else is imperfect to them.


Unfortunate, but true. Anyone remember the good ol' days when Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and Spyro the Dragon were heralded as some of the best games around? Yeah, those were good days indeed.

"But the starker reality is that CoD’s impressive following is driven primarily by a huge level of interest from individuals who, frankly, couldn’t give a sh*t about other games."

Again, unfortunate, but true. This is especially considering that quite a number of said individuals are kids that look exactly like the one they have pictured there. Kids are always looking into what's popular and want to be cool, so they practically bribe or annoy their parents into buying them COD. Then parents complain of how violent it is and the media gets wind of it and starts the vicious cycle all over again. Argh! *tears hair out*

Then you have those adults who play nothing but first person shooters (primarily COD, Battlefield, Medal of Honor, and Halo). While Halo isn't a modern military shooter (and I much rather play that), the other games I listed are just first person military shooters. They really have nothing going for them in the long run other than intense action, chest pounding, juggernaut stamping realism.

And that's the problem. This sort of thing just caters to the uneducated masses of gamers that like the least common denominator of entertainment and don't delve into other prospects merely because it doesn't have guns and explosions. Same could be said of sports gamers who would much rather play football on television rather than with an actual football with real friends and family, but I digress.

This is one of the unfortunate realities of this generation and one that I hope becomes a thing of fiction in the next. I would very much like to see developers let their creativity grow and publishers have the courage to support that so innovation may thrive. Hopefully that will be the case.
#11 (Edited 355d ago ) | Agree(5) | Disagree(0) | Report | Reply
Magnus  +   355d ago
Publishers and creators should be not turning a great solid franchise into something they are not. If you want a game that appeals to the COD fans create a new franchise. Changing an existing franchise into something its not hurts the fans of the franchise and it also ruins the franchise to the point where people won't buy it. Only franchises I can think of with EA that would come close to COD is Battfield and Medal of Honor. As far as I know Capcom has nothing they should rebuild Dead Space and Resident Evil from the ground up and support those fans first.
#12 (Edited 355d ago ) | Agree(1) | Disagree(0) | Report | Reply
Hudahudahuda  +   355d ago
Yet they refuse to copy one of the things they do right, 60 FPS
ShaunCameron  +   355d ago
Call Of Duty is right now what Super Mario Bros. was in the 1980's and 90's, and Grand Theft Auto in the 2000's. A cultural force to be reckoned with. Not much new under the sun.

And I do agree with the article. The reality is there are lot of people that only care about whatever's popular and little else and are content with it.
IWentBrokeForGaming  +   355d ago
Publishers need to FORCE the COD audience into accepting other/better/diverse playing expierences than just FPS...

I feel a Developers games only are as good as the Original Vision expressed in the product. If they design to what their vision of the product is and not the vision of whats "popular" to others... I feel they produce BETTER games in those instances!

Don't EVER sacrifice vision/quality to strive for a rediculous milestone!

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