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Your right about the corporate mindset, I've heard your explanation many times before, just like everyone here has probably heard my complaint. I just don't think the argument is a valid one. The BGs were actually huge hits, as were the Icewind Dales. It's true that both Fallout RPGs (and the underrated Tactics) had lackluster sales, but they still turned a profit. Not to mention the huge cult following that they created, which allowed Interplay to make more money off a crappy Xbox game and then sell the rights to Bethesda.
I understand that creating games is a business and everyone needs to get paid, but watering down the game quality until you reach the lowest common denominator is not the right way to do it. I love great graphics as much as the next person, but it's the cutting edge technology that makes development costs so astronomical in the first place. If I have to sacrifice everything else to see pretty pictures I might as well just sit and stare at my screen saver.
Financially, it makes more sense for developers to concentrate on the rest of the gameplay -- it will make their customers happy, and hiring someone to write a good story will cost them less than paying a team of 100 programmers, artists, sound engineers, etc. Lower development costs mean lower risk for the company, and ultimately greater rewards.
[ 09-28-2004, 04:22 AM: Message edited by: Rokc Cadarn ]
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