Former Visceral Dev: Horror Games Are Expensive To Make and Hard To Sell
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Visceral Games is basically no more. We learned that last week when Electronic Arts announced how the studio would be closing down while its Star Wars project (helmed by Amy Hennig) was being transferred to EA Vancouver and repurposed away from a linear single-player action/adventure game.
Survival horror is hard. Horror games in general are expensive to make and hard to sell. People would give us the feedback that they love Dead Space but don’t buy it cause it’s too scary. Kind of works against itself.http://wccftech.com/visceral-dev-horror-games-hard/
You can’t sell games to a market that wants them to exist but doesn’t want to buy them. The actual process of generating projections – which EA uses to set marketing budgets and judge success – is incredibly opaque, which I think most devs found frustrating. We can’t translate our passion into a spreadsheet.
I can believe this. Altho I still end up buying horror games that I'm still too chicken to play.
I get on the train each morning with guys from Creative Assembly and I feel like asking them what's the chances of a new Alien game but I can tell by the way the talk they're on other projects and that the crowd that did A:I has long gone now.
I get on the train each morning with guys from Creative Assembly and I feel like asking them what's the chances of a new Alien game but I can tell by the way the talk they're on other projects and that the crowd that did A:I has long gone now.
It's something that I'm sure many were becoming aware of by now, but it's still disheartening to have it spelled out. Tons of people these days seem to treat horror games as something that you watch your favorite YouTuber play rather than something they'd like to experience themselves. Trying to find that sweet spot between making a game scary enough to match the developer's vision and fans' expectations while still making it accessible enough for people with a low tolerance for scares, on top of building a solid and fun game driving the experience, is extraordinarily difficult if not impossible in most cases. The only game I can think of that hit it out of the park in that respect and appealed to horror and non-horror fans en masse is Resident Evil 4.
Dead Space was one of my favorite series ever (well, the first two at least) and having it just end like this is such a shame. 1 and 2 were built with love and were amazing not only in atmosphere and visuals but in gameplay too (2's tacked on multiplayer aside). I played through them a ton and earned every single achievement for them back when they were new, and was even interested in where the story was going to go. Seeing the industry move away from experiences like those really makes me worry for quality horror games in the future.
Ugh, now that's truly depressing. Alien Isolation was an absolutely brilliant game that finally did justice to the Alien series in the gaming medium. It really perfectly captured what the first movie was going for in terms of the feelings of loneliness, never being safe, overall atmosphere, and setting. Knowing it underperformed and SEGA has given up on a sequel will always be one of my biggest gaming disappointments, because the people who worked on it truly made something special. Ties back into the point the article is making though, because most of the people I've talked to about it have said they either stopped playing it partway through for being too stressful or just didn't pick it up at all since they couldn't handle that level of horror.
I really wish that they had made some more story focused DLC instead of introducing side missions about various characters from the main campaign only to make them storyless challenge maps. Real missed opportunity, but nevertheless, still one of my favorite games ever.
Dead Space was one of my favorite series ever (well, the first two at least) and having it just end like this is such a shame. 1 and 2 were built with love and were amazing not only in atmosphere and visuals but in gameplay too (2's tacked on multiplayer aside). I played through them a ton and earned every single achievement for them back when they were new, and was even interested in where the story was going to go. Seeing the industry move away from experiences like those really makes me worry for quality horror games in the future.
By Laboured Go To PostI get on the train each morning with guys from Creative Assembly and I feel like asking them what's the chances of a new Alien game but I can tell by the way the talk they're on other projects and that the crowd that did A:I has long gone now.
Ugh, now that's truly depressing. Alien Isolation was an absolutely brilliant game that finally did justice to the Alien series in the gaming medium. It really perfectly captured what the first movie was going for in terms of the feelings of loneliness, never being safe, overall atmosphere, and setting. Knowing it underperformed and SEGA has given up on a sequel will always be one of my biggest gaming disappointments, because the people who worked on it truly made something special. Ties back into the point the article is making though, because most of the people I've talked to about it have said they either stopped playing it partway through for being too stressful or just didn't pick it up at all since they couldn't handle that level of horror.
I really wish that they had made some more story focused DLC instead of introducing side missions about various characters from the main campaign only to make them storyless challenge maps. Real missed opportunity, but nevertheless, still one of my favorite games ever.
I love Dead Space 1 and 2, two of the best games to come out last-gen. Sad to hear that this is the state of horror games now. This will probably affect REmake 2 in some way, all I want is RE2 in the style of REmake. :(
People would give us the feedback that they love Dead Space but don’t buy it cause it’s too scary.
I agree with this, its been this way within my circle of friend as well when it comes to horror games. As someone said above, it is becoming something that people would rather enjoy through others rather than themselves with this rise of lets play and twitch. I seriously hope this doesn't deter devs as I've been enjoying the genre more and more.
Dang, that's a bummer. I'm always surprised how many people are legitimately afraid to play horror games. I play them all the time, yet I tend to avoid horror movies. I dunno, maybe it's that fact that when I play a game at least I'm in control of the player, so I always have the chance to fight back, or if not, at least strategize accordingly.
Sucks. I loved Dead Space.
I'm watching horror movies this month and know someone that just prefers to watch youtubers talk about them instead.
I'm watching horror movies this month and know someone that just prefers to watch youtubers talk about them instead.
By Alcotholic Go To PostI have a feeling Horror Games will be fairly niche in the future or left to indie devs.
in my opinion Horror games were always more of a niche genre, the feeling of being scared while doing something you should have fun with (i know it sounds dumb but i don't know how to word it correctly^^) doesn't cater to everyone. They gained popularity with Amnesia back in the day but the main audience was always smaller to begin with. People enjoyed watching some youtuber being scared more than playing the game, at least that's what i'd assume.
Anyway i see his point...and it sucks. I'm currently replaying dead space and it's just amazing.
I'm sure finding the right balance between horror and action in practice is not easy, and the sweet spot for the audience seems pretty hard to hit.
For example, I really liked the first two Dead Space games but don't think I finished the third. I liked RE4 and Alien: Isolation but didn't like Outlast, probably because it makes the player feel powerless. I have a few more in the backlog like Soma and Until Dawn but haven't got to them.
For example, I really liked the first two Dead Space games but don't think I finished the third. I liked RE4 and Alien: Isolation but didn't like Outlast, probably because it makes the player feel powerless. I have a few more in the backlog like Soma and Until Dawn but haven't got to them.
Dead Space 1 and 2 can be bought on Steam right now for 2 and a half raheems each. Get in on them if you can. Playing through Dead Space 2 right now and it's still a great game.
How sad... :( Some of the best games that I've played would be classified as horror/action horror. People would rather watch reactions than play the games themselves, it seems. I just hope that Capcom takes what they've learned from 7 and keep the torch burning bright.
Indie horror is lit, but I'll miss the frequency that we once had with mainstream games and the knockoffs that they inspired.
Sucks that we won't get another Alien Isolation game, Dead Space game, or a Silent Hill one.
Indie horror is lit, but I'll miss the frequency that we once had with mainstream games and the knockoffs that they inspired.
Sucks that we won't get another Alien Isolation game, Dead Space game, or a Silent Hill one.
I'd say it's harder to make horror than action. Horror needs many more skills and a deeply ingrained understanding of human psychology to work proper.
That being said, Action isn't the antithesis to horror. The problem in the games industry is that almost all action is designed as a power fantasy. Dead Space 1 had an almost perfect balance. At least for the first half of the game. The final stretch was just empty meaningless shooting galleries designed to pad out game length.
But looking at the gameplay itself it's almost perfect. Small fov, relatively low damage output, and a realistic movement speed coupled with a decent ai and good level design... The base is incredibly strong with this game.
Shame what happened to the series.
That being said, Action isn't the antithesis to horror. The problem in the games industry is that almost all action is designed as a power fantasy. Dead Space 1 had an almost perfect balance. At least for the first half of the game. The final stretch was just empty meaningless shooting galleries designed to pad out game length.
But looking at the gameplay itself it's almost perfect. Small fov, relatively low damage output, and a realistic movement speed coupled with a decent ai and good level design... The base is incredibly strong with this game.
Shame what happened to the series.
Considering how RE7 failed to meet capcom’s expectations, I imagine next one will be back to action.
By Grimsat Go To PostConsidering how RE7 failed to meet capcom’s expectations, I imagine next one will be back to action.Fine by me. Just not another operatic frankenstein monster that completely misses the point of why ppl like the games in the first place.
Taking the dumbest of takes from RE4 has to be one of the biggest blunders of Capcom.