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In between conceited guffaws and outstanding fits of mockery divided between “serial entrepreneur”, “significant online gaming presence” and “expert speak” for so little as a coffee mug associated with FX Labs, I came upon this misshapen fool’s gold nugget. Hm. Quaint. If you bother to actually go through all of brotha Reddi’s drivel, chances are you’ll come up with much less subtle and infinitely more scathing remarks on what is ultimately an opinion on what constitutes a selling game in India (undertones of “And we know how to do it, beetches” included).
Apparently, games like Gears of War and Grand Theft Auto IV, hell even gems like Half-Life 2 and Bioshock don’t sell well in India (relevant source and statistics say “fuck you” from their vacation in Narnia) because they don’t appeal to the aam insaan ahimsa Indian gamer. Fair enough — language barriers and other prejudices fit for first world nations to employ on the negotiating table for nuclear states gone rogue aside, the chap has a (starting) point. His solution to this national crisis? Oh, not quality marketing or strengthening the presence of developers in the country or even pissing to the PM to introduce and immediately quadrapule the gaming budget, but Bollywood. Yes, Bollywood. Bollywood is the route to delivering quality games to the masses and ensuring they sell.
I’m not going to go by his article word by word and refute every little observation Reddi’s made. Based on what I tolerated, since “reading” is something I associate quality copy with, I’d just like my own questions answered. Firstly, a game’s quality or it’s advertising campaign is not the deciding factor for it’s sales but a Bollywood celebrity is? The no-shows of Dhoom 2.5 and Agni (coincidently, both developed by FX Labs) state otherwise, and the international response has been less than stellar for the latter (highly due to major suckage, for the less nobly inclined). Secondly, once Bollywood games show the way, other titles will an easier time selling? So, Counter-Strike absolutely had no market in India prior to the Indian gaming industry’s recent resurgence? Cute. Well, so is the fact that “some games barely sell a few hundred copies” — and India’s pirated games market is worth more than 20 million US$. Of course, hard facts have no place here, so like FX Labs’ last attempt to hood-wink gamers, we’ll just put it to the side.
By the time he states that not just Bollywood, but local Indian content like mythology and sports stars can be utilized, the argument has veered a little too clearly into some exotic wish land straight out of a sick little schoolgirl’s novel. All these amazing developments will some how leverage Bollywood to gain some initial acceptance from the Indian consumer? I think I speak for every red-blooded gamer when I say gaming companies should stick to definites, and not peddle some endearing inspirational fantasia meant to promote some small-time inspirational irrationality masquerading as an expert opinion.
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May 20th, 2008 at 9:38 am
OMG! Will you guys stop with the ‘angry-boy-gamer’ routine!!
I find your site useful, specially with the GTA IV updates, but your content does have readability issues..
The one above is just 2 big paragraphs, which are really difficult to read.
The article itself is all over the place, and the only thing I get from it is ..anger. But not “I’m a keen industry observer and I’m here to advance the cause of gaming and report on it anger”… no no.. that’s blown…
this is “Cyber cafe CS match” anger.. You know.. little kids shouting cause their monitor refresh rate is 70 instead of 75.. blah blah.
Look, I’ve avoided commenting too often, because frankly, I remember what happened when I wrote to Skoar with genuine feedback. They reacted like a bunch of rabid dung flingin monkeys.
So, here’s to hoping my constructive criticism gets through alright. I really would love to see some better formatting and content flow.
-Tubadoor
May 20th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Ok.. reread last comment. Came across a lot more vitriolic than I realised.
Not my intention, but it’s easier to be angry and smart ass… very ‘cracked.com’esque, yes?
Cheers,
Tubadoor
May 20th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Relax. If it wasn’t from the last year of operation, this isn’t SKOAR, never will be SKOAR and unless the bosses start abusing some very potent drugs, this couldn’t become SKOAR. So you’re entitled to a free opinion.
To be clear, I am the angry writer of TAP (and this opinion is solely mine). Issues like this and Agni just don’t fly with me due to being as utterly retarded as they can get. To be frank, not a single one of the issues I raise to counter-act any of the issues Sashi Reddi raises has been refuted by you. So, I think maybe more than the opinion, it’s the overall tone you perceived that’s bothered you–in which case, I can’t help you, it’s your opinion.
Developer proclaiming the development of exclusive Indian gaming content (from a foreign developer or otherwise) and outlining a solid plan for the future to make it happen? Good. Developer stating that somehow (how?) developments in the next two years (who will make them happen?) will help Bollywood in the next few years? Lame. That’s the article in a nutshell. And it’s sad that these people see themselves as representatives of the gaming industry.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Exactly Ravi,
Infact it’s not the content I have a problem with. Sure I disagree with some of your opinions on this, but then again.. that’s what I come here for. Your opinion, and to an extent, if possible just true coverage of an issue, as unbiased as possible.
Like I said, as a reader, I’ll read what you’ve written, take in what I agree with, reject what I don’t and move on. If I feel really really strongly, I’ll put down where I disagree with you.
I’m sure you’ll agree, your site isn’t a forum. In a forum, just anyone will comment on something, without any research or knowledge of the issue. It’s mostly just opinions flying around, and us common people disagreeing with each other. That’s what a forum is for, it’s not news, it’s just opinions and community.
A gaming site, such as your however, well, I come to you for the content. You do the research, keep your ears to the ground, be as honest as possible etc etc.
So, I’m here to actually know your “insider’s” opinion on the issues that affect us. You tell me what’s happening, and then give me your opinion/perspective on it.
BUT all I want is for it to Flow nicely, with proper formatting. The anger too.. it just hid the issue. All I could read was a lot of ranting, and very little content. This too is a content flow issue.
Cracked.com is something that comes to mind when talking about this style of writing, very well done.
This is not a personal attack, it isn’t me disagreeing with you… this is customer feedback
May 20th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I agree with Tubadoor on the formatting issue. We have had problems with the text size and the space between paras ever since we changed to this theme. The earlier theme was much more readable.
I will try to get this fixed asap!
May 20th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
But hey! We have a forum too!
Critics are always welcome at theAngrypixel. It just makes everyone angrier and stupider. Wait….is that a real word..? Nevermind.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:19 am
I agree with Tubadoor on the angry circuitous ranting, but I guess there are times when we just see red and want to commit virtual arson of sorts – for example, me and the whole copy protection issue where I make little sense and fly completely off the handle.
And you don’t ever have to worry about The ANGRY Pixel ending up like SKOAR! We’re all ex-SKOAR! guys who left the place after having one too many constructive criticisms thrown right back in our face. So the more vitriolic a comment, especially an intelligent one, we definitely listen to it. Whether we change or not is something that’s debatable. I, for one, think I keep doing the exact same things I always do. But that could also be from the bump I suffered in my infancy when my Mom dropped me on my head.
But I digress. Coming back to the issue at hand, I am not too enthusiastic (quite the opposite, actually) about marrying Bollywood to games with a ball and a chain, but the idea about using Indian mythology as a source for games is actually something that really interests me, considering how many godawesome stories we can weave from our epics and myths. If we can have an Age of Mythology woven from Greek mythology, why not an RTS or an RPG involving our own culture and legacy, instead of simply running around controlling unique units in The Asian Dynasties? There’s so much potential here that could work worldwide, if only someone does it right.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Aye Aye! I hear ya.. An Indian mythology game, with all the depth, weave and beauty of our true culture.
Now all we need is someone with the balls to take on the culture+religion police in our country.
when I say “police” I mean.. angry mobs with ACTUAL torches and pitchforks and SWORDs and gunsandbazookasandbombs…” etc.
Anyway, thats my long term plan.. (the game, not the pitchforks).
You guys up for it,.. sometime in say.. 4 years?
May 31st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Whats wrong with Bollywood ? Most great gaming content abroad has come out of the comic / book / folklore world. I agree that the current crop of games on Bollywood were unplayable but thats a different matter altogether. The main reasons for those debacles are poor technology and zero game design.
“I think I speak for every red-blooded gamer when I say gaming companies should stick to definites, and not peddle some endearing inspirational fantasia…” … what “definites” are you talking about. Isnt “inspirational fantasia” the cornerstone of game content?
Gabe Newel got all his inspiration from Stephen King who inturn used standard Freudian horror to deliver great characters and story arcs in HL. Onimusha draws from Japanese folklore. Bioshock draws from Ann Ryand / 1930s depression … well you get the point. Games dont exist in a vacuum but are deeply rooted in existing literature / /culture. In India this could be Bollywood or Mythology.
The writer seems to be a CS freak who spends his time in a dingy cyber cafe mindlessly blasting away at anything that moves. He represents a tiny insignificant piece of the $40 billion gaming industry. I would not be saying this if this article had some real substance but all I can get out of it is white noise - dont waste your time reformatting it.
May 31st, 2008 at 8:01 pm
“Well, you sure took your sweet time coming here! Who do you think you are, Venom?”
You started off on three right phrases: “Poor technology”, “Zero Game Design” and “Abroad”. If only you continued on that. But no. Hence you will be dissected.
Do you know what I mean about definites? Do you know what I mean by inspirational fantasia? No, you don’t. I’m talking about concrete game designs, where a designer does research and prepares, studys and analyzes the essentials necessary to run or develop an engine, testing their system of gameplay for performance issues, balance, fun factor and what not. That’s how you get Bioshock and Half-Life. You, however, lack these definites, stating, without any concrete plan, how Bollywood-inspired and mythology-based games would become a success. Remember The Legend of Bhagat Singh for the PC? Remember Chakravyuh? Remember Dhoom 2.5? Inspirational fantasy for your kind of romantic unrealists reads simply as: “Somehow we’ll make it work”. And those crap you call games are the result.
Oh, and just because I mentioned Counter-strike, doesn’t mean I like it. I could replace CS with Need for Speed and FIFA, other games I don’t like but were still a success when you were running around getting funding for your bug-infested, Bollywood-cested ventures. If you actually took the time to know about gamers, or about actual gaming, you wouldn’t have to display, in full public view, and twice in the same month, your complete and utter lack of sensibility. You write like crap, just you know.
June 1st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I didnt know that the phrase “inspirational fantasia” could mean engine development or gameplay testing. But then again are we talking about tech here ? No, the subject of this article is finding the relevant content - Bollywood or otherwise and not engine development.
“…designer does research and prepares, studys and analyzes the essentials necessary to run or develop an engine, testing their system of gameplay for performance issues, balance, fun factor and what not..” is a much later stage in the game dev cycle. You first need to find compelling RELEVANT content consisting of a world, characters and story arcs which could be derived from books or comics. You are putting the cart before the horse my friend !
And on which planet does a “designer” fiddle around with engine and performance issues ?? Most designers work at a very high level and define a structure for the gameplay in a game design document. Whether the Unreal engine is used used or Flash is irrelevant as long as that doc is faithfully converted into a playable executable suitable for the target audience - thats mostly a business decision.
NFS / FIFA are successes in India ? Official sales are in the order of just a few thousand. You and your cohorts may like them but you cannot build an industry on such figures. In a country of 1 billion you need to find content that performs much better.
As to what our plan is and how we plan to succeed commercially, well, all I can say that we arent making another Chakravyuh or a Bhagat Singh or something with that business model. We have a launch coming up soon and a press conf will clear up things. I am sure more dissections will follow as well
June 5th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Tell you what I’ll do, since it seems you’ll be announcing details of your first game, from your inexperienced, untested some time next week, I’ll withhold all judgment on your competence as a designer, much less a debater. If and when your game comes out, perhaps some time around the movie’s release, I’ll still withhold judgment on your ability, along with your rationalization that I who speak out against Bollywood games, leave aside Indian-developed games in general, that have been awful play no part in the $40 Billion gaming industry.
And the very second your lame excuse of a barren landscape sculpted, deserted refuge of blankness and dull textures marred with a story that rips off more sci-fi movies that it can capably render, produced by the same man responsible for The Rock clone, Qayamat and I Am Sam clone, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, and starring a Hrithik Roshan lookalike nobody falls apart because people don’t believe in partaking of mass produced shovelware to feel the void occupied by entertainment, I will not be the one to say I told you so.
Why? Because I’m telling you now, and you know for a fact that a game like yours doesn’t have a hope in hell of selling well.
So genius designer, you still haven’t answered the most vital question that I posed to both you and FX Labs CEO and all those other wannabe silicon coaster crafters: What’s your plan?
June 5th, 2008 at 7:19 am
Also, before I forget…a stealth fighter, a definition on ’stealth’ culled from your local dictionary and the words ‘rocking pixels’ at the bottom…
Yep. If I was an Indian gamer, part of a $40 bn dollar gaming industry, than your home page would definitely assure me that my money is being well-spent.
Honestly, is there no limit to your budget cutting?
June 6th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I don’t go much for the rampant mud slinging going on here, but I had to butt in and say something about how the system works here and elsewhere. Yes, the first HL was loosely (and I mean, very loosely) inspired by The Mist novella, but that was long before Marc Laidlaw stepped in and expanded the series to what we saw in the finished product and the later sequels and episodes. Yes, Bioshock in turn drew from the objectivist outlook of Ayn Rand’s works. As far as the western gamedev scene is concerned, yes, inspiration for games comes from a lot of sources. But as far as movies themselves are concerned, very few movies from Hollywood have successfully entered the mainstream gaming market and for every Star Wars, The Chronicles of Riddick and STALKER, there have been tons of “inspired” games that have fallen flat on their sorry faces.
Now you mentioned that the reason for these debacles are poor technology and game design. Now in my opinion the biggest blocks that any game dev working off content based on movies has to be that the rights are still owned by the original studios, who will retain and shape all content based on their script. In the end, every game based on a movie ends up going through enough cuts by the movie’s team who, instead of sticking their faces into the camera lens, end up going through playtests and concepts that they backfire on them when it enters a gamer’s hands.
Yes, as far as the game development / plot and storyboard aspects are concerned, India has a lot of source material in the form of mythology and folklore, but Bollywood isn’t the answer, especially when the movie industry (at least the majority of it) suffers from an acute lack of originality and sex, fast cars and faster beats and insane Matrixy stunts form the cornerstone of most regional content, which, in its own right, should be the perfect recipe for a great game, except that somewhere down the line, the story, the vision and ultimately, its execution, become fatally flawed, leading to what we have been seeing all these years from any movie-turned-game or vice versa.