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Fair point.
I think it's the other way around: most gamers aren't interested in hunting games.
I think a lot of the negatives in many are because of the lack of authenticity - with issues like graphics and AI being among the top. Then you have some that are plagued by bugs or just poorly created. And then there's the issue like what's going on with this "game", as well as others…
Most hunters have been begrudgingly playing hunting “sims” that were nothing but FPS/shooting galleries because they technology wasn’t around to make a real hunting sim. Now the technology exists, but we are not seeing them.
They start off with what could be a great hunting sim, but instead of pursuing a great hunting sim in which a significant demographic would welcome (hunters), they quite quickly change over to bring in anyone they can – meaning gamers.
I get it – initially the numbers are not going to be there. All one would have to do is consider the huge list you just posted and the negative comments to understand that most hunters are now “gun shy” of new sims/games (pun intended). Had any one of those titles kept their focus on the sim they would be selling like hotcakes, and continue to do so.
There’s a market there, but some are just not willing to put the time and effort into seeing that market grab hold. It’s like asking someone whether they want to produce tomatoes or walnuts – there’s a market for both, but if you don’t want to put in the effort of waiting for a tree to produce walnuts, you’re just going to take the easy way out and plant tomatoes. Or like going for the easy laugh - who want's to make someone think when it's easier to just make a fart joke?
But in their attempt to keep it a “hunting game”, most gamers get bored with it quite quickly. Who wants to go from COD to shooting Bambie, when Bambie doesn’t pose a threat or shoot back? It’s quite tame compared to other FPS/shooting gallery games.
And what are you left with? And overblown, oddly off the mark FPS that doesn’t resemble either hunting or what gamers would look for in a FPS.
The new Hunt Club (as well as a lot of other new content) is proof positive of this type of attitude – it’s strictly gamer. And that's why I think you will be adding this to the list in the near future. I hate to say it, because there was so much potential with this one...
I think you make some good points. Capcom made that mistake with resident evil to try and give the series "mass appeal" because it somehow convinced itself that the series wasn't popular anymore and yet the shift to more of an action series, saw losses.
I do like what this game (Hunter: Call of the Wild) offers. Its one of the more sim like hunting games I have played. I think there are some things that need work. At least I think in this game it requires a great deal more patience to be successful. They were able to keep Hunter Classic going for years (since 2009 iirc). So I hope that they continue to support this game with fresh and new content and further improvements to build on the otherwise solid foundation they have.
I feel the same.
First hunting game I played was Deer Hunter 2005 and I liked it a lot. After that I tried many different games in the genre, but they all seem to emphasize on fast paced action.
I had to wait for over a decade to play another simulator and albeit buggy, this game still is the only game that comes close to a simulator and is not pay to play.
Small niche, only so many players to go around. Which means only so many dollars. If I'm a dev/publisher right now, and someone brings me a hunting game, I look and see that mainly this market is cornered by COTW right now. So even if I go forward, I'm already in competition for a niche market.
Which means I'm not pouring a ton of money into something that I may not get a good, or substantial return on. So, low budget equals limited quality and limited features.
I also believe the genre has been hurt by advances and expectations overall in gaming. The experience. Most hunters may like to hunt alone. HOWEVER, since much of gaming now is community oriented, you could play that angle to get customers based on that aspect.
Imagine if you had the budget and could build a more interactive multiplayer experience. Lets say there could be something like actual Cabela's stores or similar where actual players were moving around, buying fishing and hunting gear, and signing up for hourly multiplay hunting sessions with goals/prizes, and even tournaments. And maybe even rooms in that store where players could interact, get advice, attend short training seminars, etc. Those kinds of interactions/things are what would draw non-traditional hunters in I believe.
So until someone has the guts and the pockets to invest into getting the entire experience up to what many people look for nowadays, the budgets will probably remain low, as will the base of players.
And don’t you think the niche of “gamers who might like to watch paint dry for a short period of time, but only if you throw in some buzzers and bells” is any better than the original niche/market?
I just can’t figure why they need to start veering into the “gaming” sector with a hunt sim. I.e. why try to make drying paint appeal to the gamers, when there is a market for people who do want to watch paint dry? :D To me that’s like the Singer sewing machine company slapping tires on their machines to try to win the Daytona 500 and grab that “NASCAR market”. Who wants their sewing machine to go 200mph, and how well do they think they are really going to stand up to the auto industry? You end up with a bunch of people not being able to sew a straight line, and a company that eventually dies trying to perfect something that’s already been perfected. It’s just a loss all the way around for them.
If it really is what you are saying, then it’s 100% greed with no forethought. There COULD be a payout on the investment, if they followed that investment through instead of changing mid-cycle.
Yes, multi-player is big… and I can see it being really big with hunting as well (it’s been on most hunting games since the 90’s, and it’s one of the only reasons I got this game – so I can “hunt” with my friend back home.) But just like I’ve been trying to point out with this mentality ruining a hunting sim: Their beta Hunt Club (gamer stuff), has literally made it impossible for me to hunt with my friend (long story, check out my “technical issues post”).
Why ruin something that a demographic WANTS to see, just to grab a temporary hold on a market that never wanted to see it and will eventually grow tired of it? Again – it’s a winless situation, other than a quick payout.
And maybe they should think about the fact that with everything moving towards that direction, simply for the demographic, that there’s a large demographic only playing that because there’s nothing else out there. I can play a FPS (I sometimes do), but there are a lot of people who don’t want to face 16 year old, DarkVengance4648 trying to drop a mortar on your head from his parent’s basement. I would much rather watch paint dry and relax in the woods (since I’m unable to do it where I work/live now).
I disagree completely that because this is a niche it chases companies away. If that is the case they need to fire their leadership. In business a niche represents a tremendous opportunity to fly in to the market as a disruptor. I think my above points are more likely the cause for the lack of content. You just can't model hunting in a way that satisfies the point of playing a game. If you want hunt as a game you must be prepared to do so with the additional gaming specific elements.
I know that at times I have been like that and I have played games just for to satify that feeling.
But hunting games are games of patience. Of trying to out think your prey. Of spending an hour or two waiting for your target to appear.
Not many players will be able to play that way considering they have COD and other shooters like that to play.
So companies have a choice to make. Do they spend time, effort and money making a simulation game where people have to hunt and spend lots of time being patient and sell maybe a hundred thousand copies or do they make a game where players get instant gratification by shooting their opponents and sell a million copies?
I think those are all good points. While the genre may be niche I agree that even niche games can do well. Take Square's Bravely Default for instance which they didn't even want to publish in NA, it was Nintendo that ultimately published that game. Only then did Square realize "We didn't know people still liked these games."
I think the point about instant gratification is a good one and is probably why so many other hunting games focused on a more arcade like experience where you shoot 50+ deer, which is quite unrealistic.
What this game does so well in my opinion is it rewards you for your patience. It really feels like you have to work for it. Hunting isn't easy. I've tried both stalking and ambush/stand hunting in this game and like them both. I had called in a deer and was on top of this ridge. I got down into a prone position thinking when the deer came around the corner at the bottom of the ridge I would have the drop on it. The deer had other plans and instead circled around the ridge and approached my position. It's these kinds of moments that cause you to think on your feet and I like that.