Should Developers Be Familiar With The Competition?

Jarhead0331 · November 12, 2012, 05:12:22 PM

I recently read a comment from a developer in a different forum that made me wonder about the above question. Basically, a forum thread was started asking what is different about a newly released game and another popular game based upon the same subject matter.

The lead developer responded that he could not say because he had never played the other game. I find this to be sort of an unusual and disappointing response. I think any good developer designing a game should be familiar with other games in the same genre dealing with the same subject matter. The developer should know what worked, what didn't work, what fans liked, what they did not like, what appealed to players and what did not. What did fans suggest be changed, added or subtracted? These are all critical questions that I think are hard for a developer to answer when they haven't even played the other games in the market place.

Does this mean the newly released game cannot be good? Hardly, but I think it makes me a little more cautious in buying.

Grim.Reaper · November 12, 2012, 05:19:16 PM

I believe I know what thread your speaking of....

When I first read, honestly my first thought was the developer likely wouldn't tell us honestly if he had really played the game since it then might paint him as being judgmental of other products, which I can understand. Not that I would call the developer a liar, but certainly surprised me on the answer. I personally would be stunned that developers have not reviewed/played competing games.

LongBlade · November 12, 2012, 05:32:03 PM

I can see it happening. I rarely get outside of this site to look at what other independent review sites are doing. When your head is down concentrating on what you're doing, it can be difficult to look up.

Also, if he's never seen a competing product, it will be difficult to prove he "stole" a similar idea.

Sure it's good to know what developments are in the industry, but it's not automatically a bad thing.

Also (and I do not know about the thread in question) is there only one other competing game? What if he had played other games in the genre but not that one specific game? Just asking.

Jarhead0331 · November 12, 2012, 05:43:00 PM

^You've basically got three or four modern PC games dealing with the subject material. I think a developer designing games for our niche should be familiar with them all. Not with one, or two, but with them all. Even if that familiarity is not based upon research for the development cycle, but gameplay from the perspective of a gamer. I think gamers make better developers. I don't want some HVAC mechanic who does not play games making the next grand strategy title. I want a developer who loves the source material...a historian and a gamer. When a developer tells me he has not played one of the few leading titles in the genre, it seems like grounds for concern. Especially when that particular title is the one that will most likely be the closest comparison to the newly developed game.

While I think it is apples and oranges, I'm somewhat surprised that you, as a writer, do not read what other reviewers are saying about the same games you are reviewing and playing. I'm a writer too, and I always read what the other guys are writing, at the very least, so I know not only to add my own specific opinions, but so I can reveal any details that were left out by others, making my product better and more complete/thorough than theirs.

Grim.Reaper · November 12, 2012, 05:50:42 PM

I tend to agree with JH on this one...company I work for puts out software/web products and as part of my business partner's due diligence, they do competitive analysis. There are some features you just have to do in order to be even with the competition and then you add your own uniqueness which will hopefully be able to separate your product. Honestly, our executives wouldn't even consider a business case for building a new product if the analysis did not include reviewing what others were doing in this space.

LongBlade · November 12, 2012, 06:21:50 PM

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 12, 2012, 05:43:00 PM
^You've basically got three or four modern PC games dealing with the subject material. I think a developer designing games for our niche should be familiar with them all. Not with one, or two, but with them all. Even if that familiarity is not based upon research for the development cycle, but gameplay from the perspective of a gamer. I think gamers make better developers. I don't want some HVAC mechanic who does not play games making the next grand strategy title. I want a developer who loves the source material...a historian and a gamer. When a developer tells me he has not played one of the few leading titles in the genre, it seems like grounds for concern. Especially when that particular title is the one that will most likely be the closest comparison to the newly developed game.

While I think it is apples and oranges, I'm somewhat surprised that you, as a writer, do not read what other reviewers are saying about the same games you are reviewing and playing. I'm a writer too, and I always read what the other guys are writing, at the very least, so I know not only to add my own specific opinions, but so I can reveal any details that were left out by others, making my product better and more complete/thorough than theirs.

I actually don't care what they say. What's important to me is that I craft my own views without prejudice.

tgb · November 12, 2012, 06:46:06 PM

I feel obliged to respond since I was the one that posted the question that Jarhead refers to, and I was taken aback by the developer's response. I also agree completely with what Jarhead said. I don't expect a developer of FPS to have played every single FPS ever released, but I would expect a working knowledge of at least the big AAA titles.

In this case, we're talking about a genre that has had three titles released (that I know of) in the last 5 years. I don't think it's too much to ask that a developer at least check out three titles that he/she is going to compete with.

eyebiter · November 12, 2012, 07:18:23 PM

The developer might feign ignorance to avoid claims of "stealing ideas" or "copying features" from a competitors product.

Jarhead0331 · November 12, 2012, 07:50:54 PM

Quote from: eyebiter on November 12, 2012, 07:18:23 PM
The developer might feign ignorance to avoid claims of "stealing ideas" or "copying features" from a competitors product.

In that case, I don't think lying in direct response to a question is any better.

son_of_montfort · November 12, 2012, 10:39:28 PM

I tend to agree with Jarhead as well. As a gaming journalist, it is very difficult to write a review on a game without having played games similar to that game. And in this particular instance, I've played almost all of the games mentioned and because of that I feel like I can offer a useful comparison when discussing the newly released game. I would almost expect a developer to do the same, because you need to know if your game fills a new niche or retreads old ground. At the very least you need to make sure you haven't outright copied the other games unintentionally.

In my line of work, reading and responding to other academics is required. If you don't and you make a claim that you think is innovative that someone else already found, then you look uninformed and foolish (and that can end a career). I sort of expect the same type of rigor in other lines of work based on intellectual property and creative development. It seems par for the course to me.

Lord Zimoa · November 13, 2012, 03:38:24 AM

QuoteThe lead developer

You refer to me Jarhead, just pro forma, our main designers look at many games, but we don`t comment on other fellow developer`s products in public as we know how hard this industry already is. But be sure our main game designers know and look at what is on the market.

I post here as CEO of an Indie Game Development company and not on a personal basis, so I find it indecent as such to comment about colleagues or products made by colleagues that will have cost blood, sweat and tears to produce. Good or bad, I keep this to myself and only talk about games or products I`me responsible for.

And in this particular case, I`me not even the main designer on CTGW. I`me just a useless CEO.

I leave the judgement of our products and that of my fellow developers to be judged by the end consumers and that is you all.

Cheers,

Tim aka LZ

tgb · November 13, 2012, 05:23:27 AM

I think it's possible to compare one product to another similar product without knocking either. When you're only answer to the question as to how your game differs from another in the same genre is "It's a different game", that insults my intelligence.

Lord Zimoa · November 13, 2012, 05:31:25 AM

Never wanted to insult you, if I did, I honestly apologize, but I have played their WW2 game, not the WW1 game, so I cannot compare really, also I`me no game designer. So I posted exactly as I would again.

And I added in that original reply, that I would leave any comparison to Beta-testers or new players as it is not my job and indecent in my opinion to judge products of fellow developers, especially when you haven`t played the product you asked comparison about.

Anguille · November 13, 2012, 05:32:43 AM

I agree with JH. I don't think that a developer must have played all the similar games, but he must have a certain amount of knowledge about these other games, especially in order to avoid doing the same mistakes.

Zulu1966 · November 13, 2012, 05:35:27 AM

Quote from: Lord Zimoa on November 13, 2012, 05:31:25 AM
Never wanted to insult you, if I did, I honestly apologize, but I have played their WW2 game, not the WW1 game, so I cannot compare really, also I`me no game designer. So I posted exactly as I would again.

Well I think you could have just said - "Yes of course we looked at it - but we dont comment on fellow developers products". Rather than saying you hadnt looked at it at all - which I think was Jarheads point.

Personally - I dont see a need for you to comment if you dont want to - plenty of others to do that and I understand your position on that - as however you say it someone will read into it what they want.

I dont see that approach as insulting anyones intelligence - not sure how someone can be "insulted" by that.