Do you think there's no place for realistic games on the DS? It seems that some people do; when we spoke with Rob Hawkey, Game Director at Deep Fried Entertainment, in regard to MLB 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars, he seemed to think that realism is a recipe for failure when it comes to the handheld's audience. But, really, when has it been tried? For every Brothers in Arms or FIFA Soccer 08, we've got ten games like Elite Beat Agents, Phoenix Wright, and every Mario-themed game ever. This isn't to say we prefer one style over another -- it just means we have more of the latter to choose from, so we choose 'em.Maybe we're over-generalizing. Here's what he said: "When you look at the most successful titles on the DS they tend to be titles that have experimented with new ways of engaging the user, rather than titles that rely solely on the strength of a license or established form of gameplay." And that's largely true, but it doesn't mean we wouldn't also appreciate games that strive for a realistic approach while utilizing the unique strengths of the DS. We appreciate that Deep Fried is trying to give us something unique rather than a port with Fantasy All-Stars; we'd rather see more emaciated, warped ballplayers and fewer half-assed Madden games, frankly. But it would also be interesting to see people not equating "unique" and "experimental" with "bright" and "cartoony."
But maybe it's just us.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-28-2008 @ 11:08AM
Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force said...
Oh gosh, I wish "realism", with all its pretences, would go away from video games. Or at least leave the DS free from it. Let the 360 guys eat all that up.
The problem with realism is that there is always going to be something off. Something astray. Something that will drag you out of the realistic world they attempted to create. Maybe an awkward walk, or a deadness in the eyes. It's always there. It's off-putting.
Plus, it's often not that fun. Realism tends to slow things down and for a handheld like the DS that's not really the right way to go about things. You want quick bites. A quick bangarang. Though, without losing depth as a consequence.
Games like Fifa, Pro Evolution, don't really belong on a handheld. Straight ports, like the ones I just mentioned, don't work. They come of looking tired and playing sluggish. The DS needs DS games and I don't think realism is going to play a big factor in the future of the handheld.
But I'm biased, though. I don't really like realism.
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3-28-2008 @ 12:28PM
Jacksons said...
That reminds me of the movie "The Polar Express." The CGI was amazing in that movie, but minor problems with eyes in some scenes make them look dead, or just downright creepy. I much prefer letting the development team go wild. It's fun to see what they can conjure up.
3-28-2008 @ 4:42PM
Tush said...
Realism is great, but I don't think it really has a place on handhelds, especially the DS.
It's all about creativity. If the game is realistic, it has to be presented creatively. It seems that when the developers focus too much on realism, you lose other important aspects of the gameplay.
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3-28-2008 @ 6:26PM
Broco Lee said...
I donīt like realism on handhelds. OK, brothers in arms was good, but it was SO SHORT! The dsis not the platform for 3d...
But also im tired of animelike people interacting on the screen (iīm thinking about luminous arc, final fantasy) Why canīt companies innovate?? I realllyyyyy loved Hotel Dusk, and it was partly becouse de "realism" wasnīt the edge of the game.
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3-28-2008 @ 6:38PM
Bluebreaker said...
I want more realism in games, but not just for the sake of realism. The DS has a sugary binge overload at times with its characters. I'm not talking about things that PSP is doing. I mean DS should do more serious, low key games like Chessmaster, or New York Time Crosswords.
Now as far as "serious themed" with fantasy art design, Pfft! DS has a *wonderful* stock already with things like Front Mission, Call of Duty 4, and Metroid Prime Hunters.
Long Live Art Imitiating Life!
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3-28-2008 @ 6:42PM
Bluebreaker said...
Yes, I know CoD4 is not fantasy based! (lack of Edit button isn't good) I have to agree with some people that are saying that most of the "realistic" DS games are REALLY short barely 10 hours of game time!
3-28-2008 @ 8:01PM
NZNewsboy said...
Ninja Gaiden DS sure is looking pretty ;)
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3-28-2008 @ 11:26PM
Yishai08 said...
Realism when it's viewed as an artististic style can be really good. As far as the DS though.... it doesn' handle it very well. It's like expecting the N64 to be able to do it.
That said, the Square stuff looks phenomenal to me and makes the DS seem a little more competitive with the PSP.