Days Gone will not receive a sequel. But why not? Is it because of Sony, who finally shot down the developer's proposals? Or the stingy gamer who doesn't want to support the oh-so-poor developer? Or even he is a very bad pirate and uses torrents to get his gaming experience ... The developer is sure; it's not his fault.
Big excitement around developer Bend Games, the studio behind the open-world zombie game Days Gone. It all started when a sequel to the game was cancelled by Sony. They obviously didn't see a future for this IP, which was probably also due to the lack of revenue from sales. And that seems to particularly annoy the director of the studio, Josh Garvin. Because the messed up launch would have been "entirely" the player's fault. Those damned stingy armchair poopers who are too fine to spend 70 euros on a title, but then show great disappointment when there's no sequel. Quote:
Very interesting. This quote comes from a YouTube interview with David Jaffe (video game designer and co-creator of older God of Wars and Twisted Metal), who does harp on this statement, after all the player can't know if they like the game before they buy it, but Garvin doesn't like that at all and goes full out. Quote:
He goes on to lament that Days Gone has been illegally downloaded far too often and that too little is being done about this kind of theft.
That such a statement is quickly followed by angry reactions on Reddit and Twitter, you don't need to be a fortune teller to guess that. Of course, the gaming community sees itself put in a bad light, unfairly and without clues. They also see where the real problems lie. Not at their stinginess, but at the developer, who is obviously either unaware of any fault, or at least admits none.
What was the state of Days Gone at the critical time of its release, when most of the revenue is generated thanks to full price? Not a good one, that's for sure. Bad reviews, massive bugs and a messed-up release were not unique to Days Gone, but have characterized the gaming industry for years. Releasing half-finished games and improving them later. Gamers no longer take a leap of faith in developers, they hesitate, especially when the studio is called Bend Games. Not because the name stands for quantity instead of quality, but for nothing at all. Unknown name, high ambitions, it sounds familiar, so people hesitate before buying.
It seems all the more mindless to compare to the God of Wars reboot, whose release was a true success for Sony. However, the game received massive amounts of good reviews before and after release, looked gorgeous, was very well optimized and, probably most crucially, Santa Monica Studio has a very good reputation for its God of War series and a 22-year history.
Of course, this game sells very well. Of course people are willing to pay full price. Full price, by the way, for many people means choosing between buying for a whole week or a potentially disappointing gaming experience. I live below the poverty line, officially, and can only feed my family thanks to a great mother and grandma to my son. I can afford a game once in a while, no question, but if Days Gone were released today, and if I read the reviews and conclusions about the game, I would turn it down, because I need 70 € for something else. If then the game is on sale for 10 €, then I would rather strike, but oh dear, now I'm the bogeyman in the world of Garvin and Bend Studios, because how dare I not buy the game at full price.
On Reddit, one user finds even more fitting words on the subject:
Big excitement around developer Bend Games, the studio behind the open-world zombie game Days Gone. It all started when a sequel to the game was cancelled by Sony. They obviously didn't see a future for this IP, which was probably also due to the lack of revenue from sales. And that seems to particularly annoy the director of the studio, Josh Garvin. Because the messed up launch would have been "entirely" the player's fault. Those damned stingy armchair poopers who are too fine to spend 70 euros on a title, but then show great disappointment when there's no sequel. Quote:
"I have an opinion on something that viewers may find interesting and it will probably upset some. If you love a game, buy it at full freaking price. I can't even list how many times I've heard from gamers "Yeah, I got that on sale or through PS Plus, whatever.""
Very interesting. This quote comes from a YouTube interview with David Jaffe (video game designer and co-creator of older God of Wars and Twisted Metal), who does harp on this statement, after all the player can't know if they like the game before they buy it, but Garvin doesn't like that at all and goes full out. Quote:
"I'm just saying, you don't know, but don't complain when a game doesn't get a sequel if it wasn't supported at launch. God of War hit however many millions in sales at launch and Days Gone didn't. (...) So I don't think a boost in interest in the game is as important as: Did you buy the game at full price? Because if you did, then you directly supported the developers."
He goes on to lament that Days Gone has been illegally downloaded far too often and that too little is being done about this kind of theft.
That such a statement is quickly followed by angry reactions on Reddit and Twitter, you don't need to be a fortune teller to guess that. Of course, the gaming community sees itself put in a bad light, unfairly and without clues. They also see where the real problems lie. Not at their stinginess, but at the developer, who is obviously either unaware of any fault, or at least admits none.
What was the state of Days Gone at the critical time of its release, when most of the revenue is generated thanks to full price? Not a good one, that's for sure. Bad reviews, massive bugs and a messed-up release were not unique to Days Gone, but have characterized the gaming industry for years. Releasing half-finished games and improving them later. Gamers no longer take a leap of faith in developers, they hesitate, especially when the studio is called Bend Games. Not because the name stands for quantity instead of quality, but for nothing at all. Unknown name, high ambitions, it sounds familiar, so people hesitate before buying.
It seems all the more mindless to compare to the God of Wars reboot, whose release was a true success for Sony. However, the game received massive amounts of good reviews before and after release, looked gorgeous, was very well optimized and, probably most crucially, Santa Monica Studio has a very good reputation for its God of War series and a 22-year history.
Of course, this game sells very well. Of course people are willing to pay full price. Full price, by the way, for many people means choosing between buying for a whole week or a potentially disappointing gaming experience. I live below the poverty line, officially, and can only feed my family thanks to a great mother and grandma to my son. I can afford a game once in a while, no question, but if Days Gone were released today, and if I read the reviews and conclusions about the game, I would turn it down, because I need 70 € for something else. If then the game is on sale for 10 €, then I would rather strike, but oh dear, now I'm the bogeyman in the world of Garvin and Bend Studios, because how dare I not buy the game at full price.
On Reddit, one user finds even more fitting words on the subject:
"Like everyone else says, people don't buy it right after release when the reviews say it's full of technical issues. And I certainly won't roll the dice and pre-order. I'll gladly pay full price for a new release that deserves it. I just bought It Takes Two for $40 (...), so I'll gladly vote with my wallet. And you know what? It's a completely finished and optimized game."
