[Stupidity in gaming industry] - Part 1 : "killing immersion with character customization".

[_??_]

I don't know why, but there is an increasing number of games that give stupid customization options in war themed games, pink tanks, colored weapons, stupid dances or poses, out-of-place dressings, you name them.

Personally I think this is ok in games for kids like Fortnite, but a Battlefield game? they are putting this stupid content that breaks immersion since last 3 games at least.
Soldiers are more like hollywood stars than real soldiers.

Some examples:
https://ibb.co/fXzDH4j
https://ibb.co/1KNvZ29
https://ibb.co/cTYS80Z

https://www.reddit.com/r/rant/comments/bxas43/skins_have_ruined_gaming/

https://www.reddit.com/r/modernwarfare/comments/daikd7/please_allow_players_to_decide_whether_or_not/

COD - August 2019 - two months prior to release:
https://www.usgamer.net/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-wont-be-going-too-crazy-with-colorful-cosmetic-customization-say-devs

COD - After release:
https://i.redd.it/3xruuvgx17f51.jpg

https://www.reddit.com/r/modernwarfare/comments/daf3iv/we_want_plain_guns_activision_no_childish_skins/

BANNED
https://www.reddit.com/r/Battlefield/comments/mv34bp/dice_whatever_you_do_for_battlefield_6_please/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/hkkkel/how_important_is_immersion_in_multiplayer_games/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Blackops4/comments/akqefc/has_fortnite_actually_ruined_gaming_forever/

https://www.reddit.com/r/BattlefieldV/comments/eurtz3/as_a_person_who_enjoyed_studying_ww2_i_would_buy/


Its so stupid that kids don't stop to think that a red cap + golden weapon + purple painted tank will eventually be a "SHOOT HERE" sign.

[☆ƧQυiяяєL♫]

Origineel geplaatst door El coso malo de la muerte:

pink tanks

Pink Tank. Best Tank.

One Session:
❖ Pink Tank: 100+ Kills
❖ You: Zero,.Nada. Ziltch. No-nothing.

[Start_Running]

YOu want immersion?
Play Single Player games and don't utilize immersion breaking customization. Simple.

[wuddih]

EA made the Wilson lootbox work and it is their major cash cow.

Valve made monetized customization popular through their integrated economy system which also spawned 3rd party markets. And in their own system millions of transactions happen daily, just in csgo ... and they earn at least 2 cents on each. But that system also spawns a lot of other issues, so it is mostly avoided.

As a pub/dev it would be dumb not to dip your toes into these practices and try to find the right cash cow for your new game ... and it may even be legally not questionable in the future.

Reality is, a major audience accepts such practices, especially when the game has a marketing budget that could buy a small country.

And EA will put this into every single one of their games. They make more money with this than with actually selling the games ... even if it causes legal problems.

[Start_Running]

Kinda makes sense.
It doesn't cost them much to put it in. If they add it and no one spends money, they don't lose much. But if they add it and people fork over cash, its a win.

[wuddih]

Origineel geplaatst door Start_Running:

Kinda makes sense.
It doesn't cost them much to put it in. If they add it and no one spends money, they don't lose much. But if they add it and people fork over cash, its a win.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-10-23-manveer-heir-bioware-mass-effect-ea-monetisation

Don't drink anything while reading this.

[FOXDUDE69]

Origineel geplaatst door Damp Wizard Sleeve:

Because games like battlefield don't have 3d spotting that already makes everyone a SHOOT HERE sign.

So unless mechanics are realistic, one shouldn't argue for historical accuracy on a WW2 shooter. That's the argument here, uh?

[Tito Shivan]

Origineel geplaatst door Foxdude:

That's the argument here, uh?

The argument is mainstream games try to appeal mainstream audiences. That means, along casual mechanics, the kind of things OP complained about.

The other argument is that focusing Battlefied games as games with historical accuracy and lack of inmersion breaking features is at best a weak one.

[FOXDUDE69]

Origineel geplaatst door Crazy Tiger:

Except of course that Battlefield is simply a game that touches history and not a historically accurate shooter.

I agree with this and while I'd like to see an historically accurate Battlefield game, I also find it hilarious that that historical accuracy only became a big issue after they placed a woman front and center in the trailer for BFV. Hahaha. Common soldiers running around in the front lines of WW1 with ornate golden guns and guns that didn't exist until after WW1 ended, that was fine. That was historically accurate, I guess!

But on the other hand, if they are going to go this far out from historical accuracy, might as well drop the pretense and just make it a Wolfenstein-type of WW2 were anything goes, if you aren't gonna give players a realistic setting, might as well go loco with it and have some fun.

With all this said, Battlefield 1 and V are still the most immersive multiplayer experiences I've ever had, even with the artistic liberties DICE took. The sound design is just fantastic and the visuals are stunning.

[WhiteKnight]

Wow that lady with cuts on her face. It looks deep. I hope she is eating lot of painkillers.

[FOXDUDE69]

Origineel geplaatst door Tito Shivan:

Origineel geplaatst door El coso malo de la muerte:

So, in a few years all games will look like Overwatch.

If you only look at mainstream gaming of course. Their foucs is making money and that is achieved by attracting the broadest userbase out there.

I'd argue that Overwatch's art direction is one of the best things about it and it will look better in 10 years than the more mature looking games of it's time will.
If that's considered mainstream, then it's one of the good things about being mainstream.

[Tito Shivan]

Origineel geplaatst door Foxdude:

If that's considered mainstream, then it's one of the good things about being mainstream.

Probably OP would classify Overwatch as a 'game for kids' considering the art style and the kind of skins the game has had for ages.

I'll be gladly rocking my Top-Gun Pharah skin in the meantime.

[Courier 6]

Origineel geplaatst door El coso malo de la muerte:

I don't know why, but there is an increasing number of games that give stupid customization options in war themed games, pink tanks, colored weapons, stupid dances or poses, out-of-place dressings, you name them.

Personally I think this is ok in games for kids like Fortnite, but a Battlefield game? they are putting this stupid content that breaks immersion since last 3 games at least.
Soldiers are more like hollywood stars than real soldiers.

Some examples:
https://ibb.co/fXzDH4j
https://ibb.co/1KNvZ29
https://ibb.co/cTYS80Z

Its so stupid that kids don't stop to think that a red cap + golden weapon + ♥♥♥♥♥♥ painted tank will eventually be a "SHOOT HERE" sign.

This battlefield 5 is a dead game anyways like who even talks about it anymore(except you) and it won't get any updates. Dice ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up that time. lets hope the next BF6 game doesn't have any pinkish ♥♥♥♥.

[_??_]

Let me set this clear so the snow ball stops:

1- I don't say that games like Overwatch should not exist, nor others; make your choice, play what you want.

2- I say that this customizations are out of control and are being put in all games recently.

3- Customizations are not the problem, the problem is that everything goes out of control and you start seeing out-of-place things, like "super cool badass dudes" or "weird dressed characters" or "weird paint jobs on weapons and vehicles" and "match ending poses". Something a little more realistic would be better in this type of games where they take some historic licenses (like paintings made by soldiers on tanks or headgear for example which where a true thing back in those days).

4- This applies to battlefield and more games mainstream or not.

5- I don't care about "mainstream" or not. I sense a negative from everybody here when talking about a AAA mainstream titles; it seems that everybody are spitting over Battlefield series because they are mainstream. I don't care if you think I play mainstream games. I do, I like some of them.

6- I'm against these practices that ruin games. I know that EA won't be changing things. I fear that there are less and less games being made that stay in a "grey area" between "realism" and "arcade". That is the whole point here.

7- Simulators are on other league.

8- Most people are answering the typical forum answers: "don't play it if you don't like it" and that is just trying to be here to say something. Some of them are just telling the truth which we all already know: Companies want money, and they make money with this. I KNOW THAT, THANKS. The debate is about if this is good. Some of you like to play a WW2 game with napoleon riding a multicolor ponie and golden shotguns that shoot stars and rainbows. Weird taste but it seems you like the way gaming industry goes.

9- Please don't use the "spotting is unrealistic" argument because luckily for all of us, spotting CAN BE DISABLED per server rules. Find a HC server. For people that don't like voice chat, it's not a bad mechanic in a NON-simulation game.

I'm not the only one.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/aad3gc/am_i_the_only_one_who_doesnt_enjoy_custom_skins/


I've came up with this stupidly simple idea:

A killswitch to remove all customizations "client side" in the options. Players who want to ride a pony can still do it, and will see a Jeep instead of the colorful little horse.

[Tito Shivan]

Origineel geplaatst door El coso malo de la muerte:

3- Customizations are not the problem, the problem is that everything goes out of control and you start seeing out-of-place things, like "super cool badass dudes" or "weird dressed characters" or "weird paint jobs on weapons and vehicles" and "match ending poses".

The purpose of customization is to be unique amongst the crowd. Of course there's going to be customization that's going to stand out over the normal setting.

Origineel geplaatst door El coso malo de la muerte:

6- I'm against these practices that ruin games. I know that EA won't be changing things. I fear that there are less and less games being made that stay in a "grey area" between "realism" and "arcade". That is the whole point here.

It ruins it for you. But millions of players do enjoy them.
At a certain point one has to realise things change and you can adapt or be left behind. Gaming has changed, the people who game have changed and one can evolve with the times or be stuck with whatever is tossed at your kind.

For me multiplayer games not featuring bots ""ruined"" gaming. But that's the way things roll now. I try to put my money on games that do still feature them, but I don't close my doors to games that don't.

Origineel geplaatst door El coso malo de la muerte:

A killswitch to remove all customizations "client side" in the options. Players who want to ride a pony can still do it, and will see a Jeep instead of the colorful little horse.

This was a request in Team Fortress 2 ever since they added hats to the game. It has never been implemented. Going back to the first point, the purpose of customization is to stand out against the crowd. If your customizations are not going to be seen by others, what's the point in buying/playing for them?
That's why games don't usually feature such killswitch, just like I can't unsee in real life a modded car painted yellow and pink blasting bad music all around.

[_??_]

Origineel geplaatst door Tito Shivan:

The purpose of customization is to be unique amongst the crowd. Of course there's going to be customization that's going to stand out over the normal setting.

Well now lets be honest. That clown hat that player A payed for is also being used by player B,C,D.. .. . .Z. So, there is no such thing as customization to stand out really because everybody has the same possibilities to have it. But I understand what you say. I think it´s people that are not thinking very well here.

Origineel geplaatst door Tito Shivan:

It ruins it for you. But millions of players do enjoy them.
At a certain point one has to realise things change and you can adapt or be left behind. Gaming has changed, the people who game have changed and one can evolve with the times or be stuck with whatever is tossed at your kind.

You seem to favor this changes, saying that "one can evolve with the times or be stuck with whatever is tossed at your kind ". If that's evolving for you, we have clearly opposed thinking paradigms.

Origineel geplaatst door Tito Shivan:

For me multiplayer games not featuring bots ""ruined"" gaming. But that's the way things roll now. I try to put my money on games that do still feature them, but I don't close my doors to games that don't.

I would gladly buy a "Battlefield version 2.0 - no customization" call it as you want. The problem is nobody is doing it. That is the point here.

Origineel geplaatst door Tito Shivan:

This was a request in Team Fortress 2 ever since they added hats to the game. It has never been implemented. Going back to the first point, the purpose of customization is to stand out against the crowd. If your customizations are not going to be seen by others, what's the point in buying/playing for them?
That's why games don't usually feature such killswitch, just like I can't unsee in real life a modded car painted yellow and pink blasting bad music all around.

The thing is this is not real life and I could do that (if they implemented that) but again I understand your point, as said by myself in other post, we have a lot of "eternal teens" who need to stand out. Going to the first point too, there is no such thing as "standing out against the crowd" really since all of the "customizations" are acquirable by any players so you end up with clones and such. Such "clones" would be less impacting (or wouldn't impact immersion at all) if they at least where normal soldiers in a WW2 game rather than Tom Cruises riding pink tanks. It is really simple.