Senno

@WMWA: Thank you.

@AlisterCat:I'm not suggesting that Cliff himself designed or created Bulletstorm, but he did rubber-stamp it and it's in his game-making credentials. He was Design director for the publisher, giving his consent over the game and how it was done. How much involvement I can't say, but it's there. Far from being the only man in control, I'm sure there is a team of designers and producers who helped create their titles - game testing and market research are great tools for these gentlemen, after all. Yet notice that there is a huge shift from the early 90's onwards in his games, and in gaming in general? There is no strong female lead, and that is compounded by the industry in general, which of course lead to the infamous Dead Island: Riptide scandal. I was just using his name as an example, and because of comments I read from him on Twitter. As someone who has enjoyed his games and as someone who is influential and is such a public face, I was dismayed to see he'd rather less originality and more pretension. There's a fine line between being profitable and being credible.

@DeF: Indeed. And while I don't play the games myself, I am well aware of how lax many parents are in that regard. The Eurogamer article is eye-opening on just how ingrained the culture of guns is in the American society - and while gaming is a huge part of that, there is nothing to suggest that there is any causal link between it and the sad events at Sandy Hook. I believe there was a study on this very recently based on some of the arcade games forcibly removed from near Sandy Hook which showed how different an arade "light gun" is compared to an actual handgun, and how there is no correlation in the feel and function of the real thing.

Achievement unlocked!

Hail all,

There's been some change of late. THQ shuttered, and there's actually a pretty good look at why right here on GB.

Surely as a corporate they made misteps, threw money at dead projects and kept making kids games even when the kids started playing in browsers and mobiles. Suddenly Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds was eating into their bottom line, and in the last few years there were less original games coming out.

But that wasn't always the case. They made heaps of great games, and even started some franchises in the sixth and early seventh generation. Games like Red Faction changed for the better, there was the brilliance of Company of Heroes, and weirdness in Saints Row and Destroy All Humans.

After THQ was no more, quite a few of their games found new homes - and I'm happy to see that South Park: The Stick of Truth and Company of Heroes 2 are safe. But the loss of Darksiders doesn't bode well for the industry - and that's something that a champion of the industry should be promoting, rather than degrading.

Yet I'm hearing from multiple developers, with the loudest voice being CliffyB's that Saints Row would be a better title if it got rid of it's "signature" weapon, the giant purple dildo bat.

I don't think so. Get rid of that, get rid of the gimps and hos... and what you have is another GTA clone. Perhaps a great clone, but one reeking of "me too" and devoid of any real identity. Koch Media paid a pretty penny for Saints Row (as well as the developer Volition and franchise Metro) for the very reason that it's unique.

Calling it immature - I turn it around on him by questioning Bulletstorm, a game called out by the NRA for all the wrong reasons.

Surely our games do need to grow up, we're still seeing drek like Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2 and Duke Nukem Forever, (mind you, these are big name releases from big name studios that also failed commercially), but the point being that games, especially on consoles and whenever I wander into a games store, are seen as a masochistic, masculine, boys club activities with a strict "look, but don't touch" attitude towards the girls.

Perhaps that's why they're seen as sex objects in so many games, and hey lets not forget the way the internet acted like a dick to Anita Sarkeesian, who was only trying to explore this.

The industry needs to be known for Journey and Heavy Rain and Saints Row The Third equally. It shouldn't have to explain for Saint's Row because it's an equal opportunity offender.

And it's a riot to play.

And that's the attitude that Koch Media is apparently taking towards the series - it's original, fun and over the top, but it's not pretentious or seedy.

And it's that originality that the game industry needs, lest we all be inundated with GTA and Call of Duty clones.

The games industry needs to show that it can have it's flight of fancy - and bank on a game which isn't hard-set by what game-testing is saying is the next big thing.

It can have it's cake (mmmm, cake) and eat it too. A great idea shouldn't be ignored if market research is pointing towards a tried and tested concept. Even if it's immature, is it any more immature by ignoring their own sense of creativity?

But that's not to say that there isn't a responsibility to be shared. For surely if the games industry is to be seen on the same platform as other entertainment media then it needs to shed it's image as a place only for the boys.

Cheers,

Senno.

Absolutely brilliant Eurogamer article. Yet one thing bothers me about it. Call of Duty is routinely suggested that it is sold to children. I hope that is not the case. The horror and the horrible act of bringing to death someone at the end of a gun is nothing compared to the carnage and delightful glee that can be seen on a childs face as they play that title. As a name brand, it has a responsiblity to ensure that children aren't playing their product. Something as simple as monitoring it's online multiplayer (which I've heard is full of screaming adolescents anyway) and banning them.

I agree with the bit about Vigil. A great studio, they made great games, and they're sadly not on anyone's list because they had the misfortune of releasing a game recently.

It is never ok and there is never any justification for it.

I wonder if the tobbaco industry was created tomorrow, and we knew everything we know about it that we do now, would we allow it to exist?

I'm pretty sure we wouldn't.

So why do we let it exist now?

I have to say Im a little surprised. I just hope it goes well - he did some fine jobs in producing, and I thought thats the extent of where it would go. I was hoping to see Jon Favreau taking the helm.

@RecSpec said:

Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney is another one I'm watching closely, specifically because of how AAI2 wen't down. AAI2 is a decision that still confuses me. I always thought that series did well enough that it wasn't a question of if, but when. Each Layton game made it to the states, and AA5 is already confirmed for over here. But still, I worry about Layton vs Wright.

My sentiments exactly.