Ghost Recon: Future Soldier developers have admitted struggling to stay true to the tactical shooter series' roots while simultaneously trying to grow its user base.
Like the last few Assassin's Creed games, Future Soldier is an international development effort being carried out by teams with different languages and cultures, which lead game designer Roland Campos Oriola says has been another tricky element of the project.
"It was always going to be a challenge," he said. "It's the drill when you're working on a franchise with a quality track record and you want to innovate and offer a different game experience. It takes time and trials to get it right."
Earlier this month, Ubisoft UK brand manager Matt Benson said the publisher's happy to let EA and Activision fight it out for the FPS crown this Christmas, then bring a much slower tempo to the genre with Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.
While distancing the Ubi shooter from Activision's and EA's efforts, Benson did suggest that Ghost Recon had been too "dry" in the past and has learnt to be more "intuitive and fun" like its competition.
Comments
14 comments so far...
dubplate240 on 15 Jul '11 said:
I'm playing Shadow Wars on the 3DS currently and although it's the only Ghost Recon game I've ever played I'm really enjoying it. So maybe time to think outside the box with the FPS genre.
ingy on 15 Jul '11 said:
The problem as i see it, is to grow and compete with the market leaders you have to appeal to the largest user base ie 'cod'
This means speeding everything up, killstreaks, rewards and gimmicks designed to hook you in like an addict, often at the expense of gameplay, especially teamwork.
I fear another 'cod' clone in the works, i just hope they stick to their guns (sorry about the pun) and give us something different,......i swear i had a dream the other night where every time i looked at something, an on screen prompt told me for the hundreth time how to pick it up, i then stabbed a gun toting madman from fifty yards away while he peppered me with lead while numbers jumped in front of my eyes telling me how many points i'd earned. You couldn't make that up
RetroJB on 15 Jul '11 said:
So yet another game falls prey to "game design via focus testing" to maximize profits.
Another dumbed down piece of crap for the mass market.
gmcb007 on 15 Jul '11 said:
Well there's a simple solution: DON'T DUMB IT DOWN!
I'm sick of devs being obsessed with the 'expand user base' concept. If every game has to adapt horrible-out-of-place features then we're going to be stuck with a market consisting of generic dribble. Uniqueness is what makes a game brillant. I mean who exactly falls into this 'wider audience' group? They sound like a bunch of underaged brats who need a daily fix of guns and explosions to keep their attention. Is it just another way of saying they want to suck the COD addicts in?
Nod Nolan on 15 Jul '11 said:
Because selling more games is a bad thing for games companies.
gmcb007 on 15 Jul '11 said:
Did you even read the rest of my post? They are pratically dumbing down games to the extent that they're ruining the things that made the game great to start with. Take SC Conviction for example.
Nod Nolan on 15 Jul '11 said:
Did you even read the news article, that includes wording like "Innovate" AND "true to roots" and "intuitive"?
gmcb007 on 15 Jul '11 said:
Yes I did, and if they wanted to stay true to their roots then they shouldn't be adding silly out of place features just to appeal to a bigger fanbase. Ironically it can put original GR fans off buying it. I'm not just talking about this game, i'm talking about the whole latest ' epand user base' craze that devs are obsessed with.
Imaduck on 16 Jul '11 said:
Pretty easy really. Keep the complexity and variety of ideas, always work towards slicker controls and interface. As you move controls progressivley further away from "clunky as f**k", you can add more ideas and stuff as people will be less focused on controls and be able to deal with more. So where's the problem?
RetroJB on 16 Jul '11 said:
Matt Benson really gives the fans the finger here http://www.oxm.co.uk/31100/news/ubisoft ... ans-happy/
So, expect a dumb down, grenade-fest Ghost Recon for 12 year olds.
liveswired on 16 Jul '11 said:
What Ubisoft means is making Ghost Recon a pixel perfect copy of COD, but keeping its own identity,
KK-Headcharge78 on 16 Jul '11 said:
Yeah stick to your roots recon just like BF does, oh wait sorry bad example.
Whinge whinge whine whine
RetroJB on 17 Jul '11 said:
Hmm, looking at the games you're currently playing I can see that you'll think Future Soldier will be like 'totally wicked n sh*t'.
http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2010/11/callofduty-415.jpg
kenneth50 on 17 Jul '11 said:
I'd be happy with pretty much the same format as last time but just with better graphics and new levels/guns. However, it certainly needes to keep its one shot kills and its ballistics.