Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter

A brief story on The Official Xbox Magazine offers some tidbits from their upcoming issue 78 on the just-announced Syndicate reinvention, focusing on the game's new first-person shooter approach. "It was always going to be an FPS," Starbreeze game director Neil McEwan tells them. "The original nub of the idea was to take that viewpoint from the original game and zoom into the Agent's head, and play that part. A closer experience - to become one of those Agents."

In spite of the genre change, he still feels they can be true to the original. "We're big fans of the original Syndicate, and we're definitely paying as much homage to it as we can - bringing across the essence of the world, the core essence of what it is to be an Agent," he explains. "That sounds wanky but it's true - we're taking the Persuadatron and evolving it in different ways, the weapons and brutality. On both facets of the game, the co-op and the single player, it's very key to stay true to it." He also offers this reassurance for disgruntled Bullfrog fans: "I think the game speaks for itself. We've been very lucky to work with a great, original world, and create another facet of it really. I would love them to like it. You're never going to please everyone."
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97.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 14, 2011, 14:37
Prez
 
97.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 14, 2011, 14:37
Sep 14, 2011, 14:37
 Prez
 

From Merriam-Webster (a tad more reputable than Wikipedia in my view)

mar·ket·ing   [mahr-ki-ting]
noun
1.the act of buying or selling in a market.
2.the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Avatar 17185
96.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 14, 2011, 10:19
96.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 14, 2011, 10:19
Sep 14, 2011, 10:19
 
Beamer wrote on Sep 14, 2011, 10:03:
Look back at the posts I've taken issue with - they're all arrogant and insulting as well. You just agree with their outrage so you don't see them as such.

Nonsense. You need no excuse to launch into lengthy lectures and rants about the community here, you do it regularly regardless of actual topic content. You're becoming a punchline, I suggest you think for awhile before you start making more "I told you so!!", "YOU GUYS ALL WANT THEM TO DO <X>!" and "You guys dont know the industry like I do!" posts.
Avatar 51617
95.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 14, 2011, 10:03
95.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 14, 2011, 10:03
Sep 14, 2011, 10:03
 
Verno wrote on Sep 14, 2011, 09:09:
Beamer wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 16:09:
Most here are very upfront about having never worked in the industry, having never had a management role, and having never done any kind of business planning.

All you need to do is see all the complaining about marketing and advertising to tell, anyway. People will refer to a TV ad campaign as marketing.

This kind of arrogant diatribe is why no one takes you seriously anymore. I'm with Prez, your posts have been getting more insulting, offtopic and bizarre for awhile now. Making every topic about your personal experiences and how much better they are than everyone else is not only inappropriate but it's obnoxious.

Look back at the posts I've taken issue with - they're all arrogant and insulting as well. You just agree with their outrage so you don't see them as such.
94.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 14, 2011, 10:01
94.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 14, 2011, 10:01
Sep 14, 2011, 10:01
 
tRens wrote on Sep 14, 2011, 09:05:
Prez wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 17:39:
People will refer to a TV ad campaign as marketing.

I think you are coming unhinged. First off, a TV ad campaign is marketing. Secondly, why do insist on harping on semantics? You made your point - advertising is marketing but marketing isn't only advertising. The fact that you continue to beat it into the ground seems to indicate you'd prefer to use this as an illustration of your superior wisdom, which I'm thinking no one is convinced of, much less impressed by.


Ding Ding Ding Ding


It isn't marketing, it's advertising.

Here's the Wikipedia opening on marketing:
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development.[1] It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments.[1] It is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves.[1] Marketing is used to identify the customer, satisfy the customer, and keep the customer.

Here's the opening for advertising:
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various traditional media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail; or new media such as websites and text messages.

93.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 14, 2011, 09:18
93.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 14, 2011, 09:18
Sep 14, 2011, 09:18
 
Basically the problem is simple: Starbreeze and McEwan are either taking us for idiots or are themselves idiots.
The statement "the core essence of what it is to be an agent" has never been what Syndicate is about. Either they miss the point that Syndicate is about "the core essence of what it is to be a ruthless Syndicate CEO", or, more plausibly, they're just trying to weakly justify the marketing spin of a futuristic FPS.

Whether that futuristic FPS is good or not remains to be seen, but it certainly won't incorporate "the essence of the [Syndicate] world", however subtle the marketing is, or large the advertising budget is (yes Beamer, we hear you).
92.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 14, 2011, 09:09
92.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 14, 2011, 09:09
Sep 14, 2011, 09:09
 
Beamer wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 16:09:
Most here are very upfront about having never worked in the industry, having never had a management role, and having never done any kind of business planning.

All you need to do is see all the complaining about marketing and advertising to tell, anyway. People will refer to a TV ad campaign as marketing.

This kind of arrogant diatribe is why no one takes you seriously anymore. I'm with Prez, your posts have been getting more insulting, offtopic and bizarre for awhile now. Making every topic about your personal experiences and how much better they are than everyone else is not only inappropriate but it's obnoxious.
Avatar 51617
91.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 14, 2011, 09:05
91.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 14, 2011, 09:05
Sep 14, 2011, 09:05
 
Prez wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 17:39:
People will refer to a TV ad campaign as marketing.

I think you are coming unhinged. First off, a TV ad campaign is marketing. Secondly, why do insist on harping on semantics? You made your point - advertising is marketing but marketing isn't only advertising. The fact that you continue to beat it into the ground seems to indicate you'd prefer to use this as an illustration of your superior wisdom, which I'm thinking no one is convinced of, much less impressed by.


Ding Ding Ding Ding
90.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 19:25
90.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 19:25
Sep 13, 2011, 19:25
 
Bhruic wrote on Sep 12, 2011, 23:57:
Oooo, 500k sales!
Oooo, 1M sales!

Considering that's more than some of their games sell for, I don't think your attempt at mocking is that impressive. 1M in sales for a non-FPS game would be quite respectable, and would certainly pay for a medium-sized dev house. Would it be Starbreeze? Probably not, as others have mentioned, they seem to focus on FPSes.

As for who should do it, well, the ones that own the IP have decided they want to make a game for that setting. If they've already decided that much, it's not a much bigger stretch to want them to do it properly. We've already seen they aren't, so any further speculation along that path is moot.

Problem is: I don't see EA investing in a game that a) they cannot price at launch at 60 US$; b) may not please consoles audience. From their point of view, is better to shove lots of money into a FPS than spending less in a game that will reap less money per copy (and sell less copies, too).

At the end, is just about money. As always.
89.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 19:16
89.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 19:16
Sep 13, 2011, 19:16
 
briktal wrote on Sep 12, 2011, 23:04:
Annex wrote on Sep 12, 2011, 22:47:
Beamer wrote on Sep 12, 2011, 22:02:
That would sell about 200k copies.

Let some indie do that. It doesn't need to be Syndicate - let them create a new world with new twists in plot, setting and gameplay.

Fine so why not call this FPS game something other than Syndicate and have them hire a studio that actually wants to make a true sequel?

Because they aren't jaded gamers wishing everything was like it was back when they were younger and gaming wasn't so mainstream. Maybe they, like lots of people probably have, thought "oh man wouldn't a Syndicate FPS be cool?"

Or maybe they don't really care about the original game and their fans ? Instead, all they want is a classic and untouched franchise easily recognizable by the gaming press to shove another bland and generic futuristic FPS thru console boys throats, in the hope they can also surf in the DX:HR hype ?
88.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 18:46
88.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 18:46
Sep 13, 2011, 18:46
 
Alpha Geist wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 16:02:
Rather have the new Syndicate sell well (being a decent game or not) and possibly spawn more FPS sequels, and have the IP live on (with a bleak possibility of another official Syndicate title in the vein of the classics)?

Or have the new Syndicate sell poorly (decent game or not) with neigh a possibility of any Syndicate sequels, be it FPS or another perspective? Since I'd imagine poor sales would equate to never seeing anything "Syndicate" ever again.

I'm always more happy to see an old franchise get brought to life again than to never have it see another game. I don't really subscribe to the notion that a bad new game will rape my childhood or something.

If the remake is like Deus Ex and is a good game, I hope it'll sell well, so we get sequels / more good games.

However, that still doesn't mean I wouldn't like an actual Syndicate game.

Creston
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87.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 18:16
87.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 18:16
Sep 13, 2011, 18:16
 
panbient wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 18:11:
Love or hate the idea but there's no way at all that the PR departments at Starbreeze and EA aren't wetting their pants in glee at the buzz this announcement has created. Positive or negative is irrelevant, fact is people are talking about it - A LOT.

You're describing almost any announcement involving EA.
Avatar 54452
86.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 18:11
86.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 18:11
Sep 13, 2011, 18:11
 
Love or hate the idea but there's no way at all that the PR departments at Starbreeze and EA aren't wetting their pants in glee at the buzz this announcement has created. Positive or negative is irrelevant, fact is people are talking about it - A LOT.
85.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 18:00
85.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 18:00
Sep 13, 2011, 18:00
 
mag wrote on Sep 12, 2011, 21:01:
Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter

"Do you like my hat? It's made of money."

L M A O


^D^
"Never start a fight, but always finish it."
Avatar 55075
84.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 17:54
84.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 17:54
Sep 13, 2011, 17:54
 
Beamer wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 16:09:
Most here are very upfront about having never worked in the industry, having never had a management role, and having never done any kind of business planning.

You're the guy throwing around gross generalizations and fake arguments with that big mouth of yours.

See, this is why people think you're an idiot. Point me to anyone saying that they want a shitty Syndicate ripoff. There wasn't any. That was just you making the moronic assumption that any true sequel to Syndicate would have to be shitty.

Furthermore, you've presented an entirely false dichotomy. It's not a case of we can have a FPS or we can have a Syndicate sequel.

Is it possible that they'll make a decent Syndicate-setting FPS? Sure. But there's not enough of a "Syndicate-setting" to have any significant impact on that. There is absolutely no reason to place a FPS in the Syndicate world. The only advantage they gain from it is potentially getting sales from people based on the name. And that's why people are upset.

Hammer, nail, coffin.
Avatar 54452
83.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 17:39
Prez
 
83.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 17:39
Sep 13, 2011, 17:39
 Prez
 
People will refer to a TV ad campaign as marketing.

I think you are coming unhinged. First off, a TV ad campaign is marketing. Secondly, why do insist on harping on semantics? You made your point - advertising is marketing but marketing isn't only advertising. The fact that you continue to beat it into the ground seems to indicate you'd prefer to use this as an illustration of your superior wisdom, which I'm thinking no one is convinced of, much less impressed by.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Avatar 17185
82.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 17:04
82.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 17:04
Sep 13, 2011, 17:04
 
All you need to do is see all the complaining about marketing and advertising to tell, anyway. People will refer to a TV ad campaign as marketing.

Why do you insist on taking the ridiculously extreme viewpoint of other's positions? People don't complain about marketing and advertising, they complain about the proportion of money spent on those compared to the amount spent on the actual development of the game. There hasn't been a single person on these forums who's said "Games should never be marketed or advertised".

And a TV ad campaign, as it is advertisement, is a part of a marketing campaign. Is it imprecise to refer to marketing when you are talking about advertising? Probably. Will most people understand what you are talking about? Yes. So feel free to nitpick over it if you want, but that's all you are doing.
81.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 16:09
81.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 16:09
Sep 13, 2011, 16:09
 
wonkawonka wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 10:14:
Beamer wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 09:16:
You pathetically have no idea what a "suit" is, or what "marketing" is (as you idiots confuse it with advertising, which is an aspect of marketing but a fraction of it) and you constantly whine about advertising budgets without understanding how goddamn directly related it is to sales, moreso than quality and therefore advertising spend comes from a different pool of money than developer budget.

Speak for yourself, don't generalize. Some of those you label "you idiots" might be slightly better knowledgeable in this field than you....

Most here are very upfront about having never worked in the industry, having never had a management role, and having never done any kind of business planning.

All you need to do is see all the complaining about marketing and advertising to tell, anyway. People will refer to a TV ad campaign as marketing.
80.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 16:02
80.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 16:02
Sep 13, 2011, 16:02
 
I, like many are truly disappointed (and rightly so) over the direction this new Syndicate is going, I ask you all this.

Regardless of the fact that it is and will be a FPS, would you:

Rather have the new Syndicate sell well (being a decent game or not) and possibly spawn more FPS sequels, and have the IP live on (with a bleak possibility of another official Syndicate title in the vein of the classics)?

Or have the new Syndicate sell poorly (decent game or not) with neigh a possibility of any Syndicate sequels, be it FPS or another perspective? Since I'd imagine poor sales would equate to never seeing anything "Syndicate" ever again.
79.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 15:57
79.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 15:57
Sep 13, 2011, 15:57
 
Wowbagger_TIP wrote on Sep 13, 2011, 11:48:
The one recent attempt was so ridiculously lousy that I think whoever is in charge of that IP now must have no imagination whatsoever.

I don't know who owns it now. Didn't FASA go and buy it back from Microsoft? Even if they did, though, they haven't really done anything with it.

It's a shame. Shadowrun had so much incredible material for its P&P roleplaying game. Imagine a videogame built around Dunkelzahn's presidency and subsequent "assassination"? Heck, you could make five fantastic RPGs just out of the "Dunkelzahn's Secrets" sourcebook.

I miss the old Shadowrun of the '90s.
Avatar 15604
78.
 
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter
Sep 13, 2011, 13:12
78.
Re: Why the Syndicate Remake is a First-Person Shooter Sep 13, 2011, 13:12
Sep 13, 2011, 13:12
 
CANDY BARS
97 Replies. 5 pages. Viewing page 1.
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