Saints Row thread

[NotFatChild]

What a shitshow.

From one of the most based modern developers who delivered fun, funny and violent games, to wokies plopping out the bastard child of Watch Dogs 2 and Fortnite... in what, less than a decade?

Are there even any developers with any balls left, even in the indies?

Keep in mind that a lot of old studios (for rpgs at least, cant comment on other genres) have seen close to 100% turnover. I was looking at credits/staff pages for a game company I used to follow recently and I didn't recognize a single name.

It's like people who insult bioware, not knowing that bioware is dead and has been since the two founders sold it to EA in 2008 (right after their last big original hit series, Mass Effect, came out) and drove off into the sunset with massive bags of cash in the back of their new cars.

 

[Boston Brand]

It really pisses me off because I've long had a special affinity for Volition since they had a very unique approach, openly making something similar to something that's popular, but putting enough of a fresh spin on to make it worthy on it's own instead of just another imitator.

The fact that even they have been ruined by Wokeness really speaks to how the heart and soul is being bled out of video games.

Right? The appeal of the Saints Row games is they completely understood what people enjoyed about open world crime games like Grand Theft Auto in a way even Rockstar seemed to have forgotten as they started making "serious" games... ie, doing hilarious, goofy sociopathic shit in as violent a manner as possible.

The Saints Row games 2-4 are some of the funniest, most enjoyable to play games on the market.

Keep in mind that a lot of old studios (for rpgs at least, cant comment on other genres) have seen close to 100% turnover. I was looking at credits/staff pages for a game company I used to follow recently and I didn't recognize a single name.

It's like people who insult bioware, not knowing that bioware is dead and has been since the two founders sold it to EA in 2008 (right after their last big original hit series, Mass Effect, came out) and drove off into the sunset with massive bags of cash in the back of their new cars.

So what happens to the old talent? They just retire, switch industries, or move to different studios?

 

[NotFatChild]

So what happens to the old talent? They just retire, switch industries, or move to different studios?

A mix of all three.

The two co-founders I mentioned from Bioware went into investing in startups and making craft beer, respectively. I could talk about them for quite a while, one of my favorite games - Jade Empire, was pretty much their love child.

After Troika went defunct a lot of them bounced back and forth between different game companies and different positions (for example, one of Arcanum's writers was a "project director" on The Outer Worlds). I still want to meet Tim Cain in real life to ask him what the fuck he was smoking when he gave the Outer World's writing a pass as director. It was some of the worst I'd ever seen, my only consolation was that I pirated it when I heard rumors of how shit it was. Still felt ripped off, I want my bandwidth back. Tim might just not care anymore.

Warren Spector totally vanished after Deus Ex and only recently resurfaced for System Shock 3.

 

[Tom Nook's Gloryhole]

Keep in mind that a lot of old studios (for rpgs at least, cant comment on other genres) have seen close to 100% turnover. I was looking at credits/staff pages for a game company I used to follow recently and I didn't recognize a single name.

As a heads up, that isn't always a bad thing. The recent Hitman trilogy didn't feature a single name from those who worked on Blood Money and yet you could easily tell the games had taken Blood Money into account when creating the new system.

Good developers can leave, but good developers can always be hired.

 

[Jack Awful]

I don't give a shit if the story is borked and full of woke shit as long as the core gameplay is fun, I hated both 3 and 4's storylines so another game where I just gloss over the cutscenes and go back to slicing up negros with a dick sword or blow up cops is all I want.

You say that until the main character starts shouting memes and ACAB whenever they kill cops during regular gameplay.

 

[Vault Boy]

You say that until the main character starts shouting memes and ACAB whenever they kill cops during regular gameplay.

Great, thanks for reminding me of the possibility of them making a moral grandstand out of killing cops in free roam.

Rather than being a fun way to challenge the player, or have something for players to mow down, they'll use BLM & ACAB to justify it.

Guess that means there's definitely no chance in hell of FUZZ ever returning as a side activity.

 

[Dom Cruise]

Keep in mind that a lot of old studios (for rpgs at least, cant comment on other genres) have seen close to 100% turnover. I was looking at credits/staff pages for a game company I used to follow recently and I didn't recognize a single name.

It's like people who insult bioware, not knowing that bioware is dead and has been since the two founders sold it to EA in 2008 (right after their last big original hit series, Mass Effect, came out) and drove off into the sunset with massive bags of cash in the back of their new cars.

Care to name the specific company? Reminds me of when I did a deep dive into Capcom credits not long ago on Mobygames and how few credits you see for 2000s era guys after around 2012, although to be fair one major figure tragically died.

If the original founders of Bioware left in 2008 though, then how did Mass Effect 2 still manage to be so good? Already well in the pipeline before they left?

A mix of all three.

The two co-founders I mentioned from Bioware went into investing in startups and making craft beer, respectively. I could talk about them for quite a while, one of my favorite games - Jade Empire, was pretty much their love child.

I really can't understand why they would bail so soon, I get game development is hard and the desire to cash out and live an easier life, but I don't get not feeling passionate enough for games that you wouldn't want to stick with it for a little longer.

After Troika went defunct a lot of them bounced back and forth between different game companies and different positions (for example, one of Arcanum's writers was a "project director" on The Outer Worlds). I still want to meet Tim Cain in real life to ask him what the fuck he was smoking when he gave the Outer World's writing a pass as director. It was some of the worst I'd ever seen, my only consolation was that I pirated it when I heard rumors of how shit it was. Still felt ripped off, I want my bandwidth back. Tim might just not care anymore.

You've got to remember the Stalinist climate in modern game development, if Tim said the work of the dyed hair female devs suck, they'd accuse him of sexism, sexual misconduct, try to get him fired, ruin his life etc, so he has to just smile and nod.

I agree The Outer Worlds sucked, was very disappointed, the more time goes on, the more it looks like Woke really has killed game development in the west.

Warren Spector totally vanished after Deus Ex and only recently resurfaced for System Shock 3.

What about Epic Mickey?

 

[Jonah Hill poster]

You say that until the main character starts shouting memes and ACAB whenever they kill cops during regular gameplay.

Great, thanks for reminding me of the possibility of them making a moral grandstand out of killing cops in free roam.

Rather than being a fun way to challenge the player, or have something for players to mow down, they'll use BLM & ACAB to justify it.

Guess that means there's definitely no chance in hell of FUZZ ever returning as a side activity.

Modern day slactivists do not play or like video games. You don’t get a billion dollar game industry without some forms of pandering, an yet those types in question will not play or care for Saints Row.

There’s more people today wondering what GTA VI will look like after Rockstar Games announced on Twitter recently that they are currently working on it for the new generation.

 

[Vault Boy]

Modern day slactivists do not play or like video games. You don’t get a billion dollar game industry without some forms of pandering, an yet those types in question will not play or care for Saints Row.

There’s more people today wondering what GTA VI will look like after Rockstar Games announced on Twitter recently that they are currently working on it for the new generation.

Another reason this direction the new game's taking saddens me, I wanted Rockstar to get some actual competition for this generation.

My feelings towards Rockstar has become dimmer in recent years, one reason being that they were getting too complacent with GTA Online. Over 8 years of them coasting on an Xbox 360 era game instead of pushing boundaries for the series, and god knows how long they'll be coasting on GTA Online 2 whenever that comes out. Watch Dogs is its own thing for better or worse, but I figured that a proper Saints Row might've been enough to get Rockstar's attention, especially in light of them forsaking their campaigns after launch and the horrible release of the GTA Defective Trilogy.

In light of what Saints Row has become however, I can only imagine that some Rockstar execs watched the reveal trailer, chuckled smugly for a bit, and went back to drafting up new ways to nickel & dime the GTA Online community. They have nothing to fear from Volition, I bet they won't even notice the company going under in the likely event of the new Saints Row bombing and being forgotten about.

 

[NotFatChild]

Care to name the specific company? Reminds me of when I did a deep dive into Capcom credits not long ago on Mobygames and how few credits you see for 2000s era guys after around 2012, although to be fair one major figure tragically died.

If the original founders of Bioware left in 2008 though, then how did Mass Effect 2 still manage to be so good? Already well in the pipeline before they left?


I really can't understand why they would bail so soon, I get game development is hard and the desire to cash out and live an easier life, but I don't get not feeling passionate enough for games that you wouldn't want to stick with it for a little longer.


You've got to remember the Stalinist climate in modern game development, if Tim said the work of the dyed hair female devs suck, they'd accuse him of sexism, sexual misconduct, try to get him fired, ruin his life etc, so he has to just smile and nod.

I agree The Outer Worlds sucked, was very disappointed, the more time goes on, the more it looks like Woke really has killed game development in the west.


What about Epic Mickey?

ID Software.

Mass Effect 2 was unveiled at E3 a year after the company was sold, so I assume it was in development prior to EA buying them (maybe it was WHY they bought them). As for why they bailed, it's possible they just wanted to take the money and run. Or that after they sold it to EA they quickly realized exactly what EA was going to do to their company and didn't want to stick around to see it. Also, I feel like you could already see the decline in quality when Mass Effect 2 game out. It was a much better shooter. The writing on the other hand.... Also that fucking oversized terminator at the end.

For Tim Cain, there seem to be two forms of white old boomer mentalities. There's the "Don't care, go fuck yourself" one and the "Don't care, do whatever you want" one. Wouldn't be shocked if Tim was just a total push over.

Had never heard of Epic Mickey. Had to look it up, and apparently it was a wii thing? I only recently bought a 3ds, all my gaming is done on my PC with the exception of Halo when I was a kid. It looks like Warren worked on a lot of stuff for the last 8-10 years that either got canceled or just never saw the light of day.

 

[BrokenWokenBespoken]

Another reason this direction the new game's taking saddens me, I wanted Rockstar to get some actual competition for this generation.

My feelings towards Rockstar has become dimmer in recent years, one reason being that they were getting too complacent with GTA Online. Over 8 years of them coasting on an Xbox 360 era game instead of pushing boundaries for the series, and god knows how long they'll be coasting on GTA Online 2 whenever that comes out. Watch Dogs is its own thing for better or worse, but I figured that a proper Saints Row might've been enough to get Rockstar's attention, especially in light of them forsaking their campaigns after launch and the horrible release of the GTA Defective Trilogy.

In light of what Saints Row has become however, I can only imagine that some Rockstar execs watched the reveal trailer, chuckled smugly for a bit, and went back to drafting up new ways to nickel & dime the GTA Online community. They have nothing to fear from Volition, I bet they won't even notice the company going under in the likely event of the new Saints Row bombing and being forgotten about.

The state of the industry is not the same as it was when Saints Row had to prove itself it wasn't trying to steal GTA's thunder. They survived one bankrupt publisher already and know this time around Uncle Timmy has a golden parachute for them. The reality is it is a terrible time to endorse the fratboy/dudebro gangsta lifestyle when Activision finally burned through what goodwill it had and will be thoroughly gutted by Microsoft for anything fun.

And I don't count on GTA6 to save us, Rockstar isn't the same company as it was years ago and as much as I hate to say it, the politicians who made noises about video game violence still have a lasting legacy as GTA cannot have achievement where you are intentionally killing civilians

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

And I don't count on GTA6 to save us, Rockstar isn't the same company as it was years ago and as much as I hate to say it, the politicians who made noises about video game violence still have a lasting legacy as GTA cannot have achievement where you are intentionally killing civilians

I don't think GTA games have even had Rampages/Kill Frenzies since Vice City (unless you count those lame side missions with Trevor)

 

[The Last Stand]

I don't think GTA games have even had Rampages/Kill Frenzies since Vice City (unless you count those lame side missions with Trevor)

Rampages were around since III. GTA IV was the exception to that rule. Technically, San Andreas too on the PC because THOSE rampages were two-player only.

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

Rampages were around since III.

They've been around since GTA2, they were just called Kill Frenzy back then.

Who the fuck played San Andreas local multiplayer on PC? lol

 

[The Last Stand]

I believe the closest thing SR had to Rampages were strongholds and gang territories.

 

[Cod of War]

I believe the closest thing SR had to Rampages were strongholds and gang territories.

They have the Mayhem activities

 

[Jack Awful]

ID Software.

New Doom is actually good.

 

[BrokenWokenBespoken]

Rampages were around since III. GTA IV was the exception to that rule. Technically, San Andreas too on the PC because THOSE rampages were two-player only.

Directed at Gangs and the odd vehicle in GTA III, not civilians.

 

[Jonah Hill poster]

I believe the closest thing SR had to Rampages were strongholds and gang territories.

I did like the levels where you had to physically injure yourself for cash in the first Saints Row

 

[White Devil]

I did like the levels where you had to physically injure yourself for cash in the first Saints Row

Oh god those were fun as hell.