Bleszinski: Japanese developers shouldn't ignore multiplayer "in a disc-based market"

[Blacksite]

Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski feels multiplayer should be embraced by Japanese development studios in order to appeal to western audiences.

Speaking with Gamasutra, Bleszinski said this doesn’t mean tacking on multiplayer for the sake of it, but instead creating interesting experiences – like what From Software developed for Dark Souls. Bleszinski said the multiplayer was “innovative” due to its “connected elements.” He feels it will continue to inspire western developed so to its “blended experience.”

“My advice to Japan is that in a disc-based market right now, you cannot [ignore multiplayer],” he said.

“And if you’re going to make a third-person shooter… the fact that [Platinum's] Vanquish didn’t have a multiplayer suite was a crime. That IP, it was pretty good as far as being western, but the gameplay was great, the vibe… and I’ve often said on record that if Gears is the kind of Wild, Wild West coal train chugging along, that Vanquish is the Japanese bullet train, with style and everything.

“There is absolutely no reason I shouldn’t have been zipping around, doing the mega slides, diving up in the air in an arena with other players.”

Bleszinski said another title which missed an opportunity with multiplayer was Grasshopper Manufacture’s Shadows of the Damned, a game he called a “wonderfully crazy adventure.”

“The dialogue had me laughing out loud, just even the key-door systems in there; it was a beautifully crazy game with really fun gameplay, but no multiplayer co-op experience in there,” he said.

“I’m not saying tack on versus; there’s a billion different ways you can do some sort of ‘players interacting with other players.”

Source

[itachi73378]

I agree actually.

[Blacksite]

If Japanese developers can strike a nice balance between single-player and multiplayer, then yeah, go for it. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time.

[Kauldron]

No thank you Cliff. Take your DudeBro games else where. The last thing we need is Japanese developers trying to make more western styled games. Let their creativity grow on its on. Take the Bromances elsewhere.

Why is this guy wanting to be a consultant anyway? He is not some legendary dev. The market is finally shifting from the shooter genre. His days are numbered.

[itachi73378]

No thank you Cliff. Take your DudeBro games else where. The last thing we need is Japanese developers trying to make more western styled games. Let their creativity grow on its on. Take the Bromances elsewhere.

Why is this guy wanting to be a consultant anyway? He is not some legendary dev. The market is finally shifting from the shooter genre. His days are numbered.

I'm usually complaining about how japanese games need to stop westernizing themselves, but Cliff has a good point. I heard vanquish was good but NO one talks about it now. If it had some multiplayer it may have been different.

Also Cliff didn't say anything about "dudebro-ing" the game up. He said to innovate new ways to connect players through multiplayer and that is a very good idea

[Kauldron]

I'm usually complaining about how japanese games need to stop westernizing themselves, but Cliff has a good point. I heard vanquish was good but NO one talks about it now. If it had some multiplayer it may have been different.

Also Cliff didn't say anything about "dudebro-ing" the game up. He said to innovate new ways to connect players through multiplaye and that is a very good idea

I'll still stick with the "not every game needs a multiplayer component". That is pretty much is DudeBroing it up these days. Some things can be fine on their own.

Sometimes a gem can just be a gem like that excellent game in your trophy card. Do you think that Darksiders need multiplayer?

[itachi73378]

I'll still stick with the "not every game needs a multiplayer component". That is pretty much is DudeBroing it up these days. Some things can be fine on their own.

Sometimes a gem can just be a gem like that excellent game in your trophy card. Do you think that Darksiders need multiplayer?

I agree not every game needs multiplayer, but I think Cliff is refering to the surprising lack of multiplayer games from japan. I mean I can only think of Dark Souls, and metal gear solid 4...oh and re5

[Blacksite]

Bleszinski isn't saying that every Japanese-developed game out there should have a multiplayer component. He does say, however, that if developers incorporate it into their games that they should make an effort to create interesting experiences. He further emphasizes this with the last quote in the article.

[Kauldron]

Bleszinski isn't saying that every Japanese-developed game out there should have a multiplayer component. He does say, however, that if developers incorporate it into their games that they should make an effort to create interesting experiences. He further emphasizes this with the last quote in the article.

“My advice to Japan is that in a disc-based market right now, you cannot [ignore multiplayer],” he said.

Sounds like his one and only piece of advice to me. The last quote in the article is only talking about versus.

[Equinoqs]

Fuck multiplayer. It can be fun in the right game, but I'm sick of its dominance over the minds of developers.

[Blacksite]

The last quote in the article is only talking about versus.

Do I have to bold it?

“I’m not saying tack on versus; there’s a billion different ways you can do some sort of ‘players interacting with other players.”

Look - I'm a huge fan of single-player games. I've expressed my love for JRPGs and shooters before, provided they both have memorable single-player experiences. But that doesn't mean Japanese developers can't develop a multiplayer experience alongside it. Like I said, if they can strike a nice balance between the two game modes then I would welcome it.

[Chulo]

I think Cliffy B needs to STFU,
the mans ego is so huge on his twitter account he even reffers to himself as the tony stark of video games.
Japanese games have always had this artistic form of expression to their games, adding a multi-player component will just kill it.
even playing in co-op removes the atmosphere because while you are trying to enjoy the game your a**hole friend just wants rush and beat it.

if anything I think the Japanese needs to stop westernizing and start focusing on puzzle,
skill and art, possibly add a little more freedom to their rpg's when in combat. maybe..... better translation too :P

[Blacksite]

And yet a lot of praise was given to Dark Souls for its online, which goes to show that multiplayer, if done right (and what CliffyB was getting at) can help to make a game perform better. Adding a multiplayer component to your games doesn't necessarily mean that the single-player experience has to suffer.

[TGO]

Source

in other words, Capcom keep up the good work?
seriously?
here ya go bleszinski & any other people without a clue

Gamers : developers shouldn't ignore single player, "in a disc-based market

FIX!

[Blacksite]

No one is saying that the single-player experience should be ignored.

See my previous post.

[Xelios]

I'm astonished at the posts in this thread. Did you guys even read the article?

[bigCman123]

I agree with Cliff. I think too many people see the word multiplayer and instantly think "Call of Duty". What Cliff is saying is that it is should be used to find more unique ways for players to interact with each other. Kind of like what Sony Santa Monica is doing (which looks awesome). Hell my favorite online game was MGO, it was quite different from CoD except for the part where you shoot people. Far more strategy was involved if you wanted to be good.


Do you guys remember Journey!?!?!?! That game had multiplayer and it was GREAT! Cliff is suggesting new and interesting appraoches to multiplayer, not just tacking on a CoD rip off to every game!

[keefy]

Its my way or the high way.

[Kuro]

I also agree with cliff after reading it a couple of times through it doesnt have to be just straight up generic multiplayer just think of of a creative idea for it to run smoothly in game

[Dennis Dyack]

No thank you Cliff. Take your DudeBro games else where. The last thing we need is Japanese developers trying to make more western styled games. Let their creativity grow on its on. Take the Bromances elsewhere.

Why is this guy wanting to be a consultant anyway? He is not some legendary dev. The market is finally shifting from the shooter genre. His days are numbered.

I don't think you really took the time to read the article. It seems that you saw who the quote was from, read the title and then jumped to all kinds of conclusions.

He specifically mentioned Dark Souls as having an innovative multilayer component. Multiplayer doesn't have to be competitive.

Co op is a fantastic way to enjoy a single player-type game with a friend. Look at Rainbow Six:Vegas and Ghost Recon. They had awesome co op. Portal 2 has a very innovative co op mode. Burnout Paradise also had a unique co op objective mode.

These are the types of things he wants to see, not necessarily CoD versus games.



Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[Soldier 95B]

Well stated Cliff. I couldn't agree more.

[Gaddes]

I'm fine with co-op. I'd say I don't want the Japanese trying to mimic western shooters, but they've already do that. Hello Mindjack.

[Kasu]

Nice article. I hear some big wigs in the game industry like Hideo saying Japanese video games are sort of slacking in comparison to the west, which is true. Embracing the changes the multiplayer would be a great thing for Japanese games trying to appeal to the west. Hopefully we see some sort of implemented form of MP in future Japanese games.

[NuSoardGraphite]

The Japanese don't need to appeal to the West. Screw the west. The Japanese just need to stick to doing what they are best at. I do agree that they need to advance their game making skills, but I think following in the West's footsteps is the wrong direction for Japan.

Now as for Multiplayer, that's a different matter. I think it should depend completely on the type of game and the game designer's vision for that game. I don't think multiplayer elements should be automatic in all games. Not every gamer likes multiplayer. And some of us have gaming tastes that are not concurrent with mainstream tastes, so it's hard to find like minded gamers to play with. For example, everyone I work with wants to play FPS's online. I have no interest in them. I wouldn't mind playing White Knight Chronicles with some friends online, but no one I work with is interested in it. They don't even know what it is. Thus I tend to stick to off line, single player experiences because of the types of games I like to play.

[Kauldron]

Do I have to bold it?



Look - I'm a huge fan of single-player games. I've expressed my love for JRPGs and shooters before, provided they both have memorable single-player experiences. But that doesn't mean Japanese developers can't develop a multiplayer experience alongside it. Like I said, if they can strike a nice balance between the two game modes then I would welcome it.

Don't know why you had to bold it. That is exactly the quote I'm talking about.

I don't think you really took the time to read the article. It seems that you saw who the quote was from, read the title and then jumped to all kinds of conclusions.

He specifically mentioned Dark Souls as having an innovative multilayer component. Multiplayer doesn't have to be competitive.

Co op is a fantastic way to enjoy a single player-type game with a friend. Look at Rainbow Six:Vegas and Ghost Recon. They had awesome co op. Portal 2 has a very innovative co op mode. Burnout Paradise also had a unique co op objective mode.

These are the types of things he wants to see, not necessarily CoD versus games.



Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

Actually I read the entire interview which is not posted in the OP's source. Even where he tries to talk on how to improve Uncharted's multiplayer. It is over on NeoGaf.

Also, I never specified what type of multiplayer. You specified competitive.

If a game is built specifically on the single player experience, personally, I wouldn't want the devs wasting time and resources on putting in some multiplayer component.

Two birds, one stone.