ZylonBane on 12/12/2012 at 20:16
My theory is that the Bioshock games are optimized for the family-room gamer. That is, the gamer lounged on a couch, with sun shining on the screen, noise in the background, kids running in front of the TV, etc. So they take their originally conceived, uniquely nuanced aesthetic, then crank everything up, up, up -- bloom everywhere, oversaturated colors, hyperactive animations, huge cartoonish character designs, obnoxious sound effects -- so that even the most distracted gamer catches everything. It's the artistic equivalent of a large print book.
june gloom on 12/12/2012 at 20:49
It's threads like this that are why I have to go to places like this one Metal Gear fan forum I found the other day to remind myself just how lucky I am to post here.
SubJeff on 12/12/2012 at 23:48
How odd. I was thinking the same(ish) things about the art direction. I can't put my finger on it but something is just not right about it. Its not that its bad, per se, its just a little jarring. Of course this may be the point and upon playing it the true genius will be revealed...
faetal on 12/12/2012 at 23:59
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
My theory is that the Bioshock games are optimized for the family-room gamer. That is, the gamer lounged on a couch, with sun shining on the screen, noise in the background, kids running in front of the TV, etc. So they take their originally conceived, uniquely nuanced aesthetic, then crank everything up, up, up -- bloom everywhere, oversaturated colors, hyperactive animations, huge cartoonish character designs, obnoxious sound effects -- so that even the most distracted gamer catches everything. It's the artistic equivalent of a large print book.
That actually doesn't sound too far-fetched.
Muzman on 13/12/2012 at 14:36
Ahh Ken. He'll never let my opinion on him settle. Riding that line between writer of great games, champion of artful imagination and total Lucasine sell-out forever.
After the whole cover art farrago (which I'm fascinated actually took place, more than anything), Ken has said they'll make the game with reversable art (should you buy a boxed version of course) and has put up a selection to vote on. Several of them very artful and thematic indeed and my two faves are winning. Good taste, internet.
(
http://irrationalgames.com/insider/poll/)
EvaUnit02 on 13/12/2012 at 15:03
The cover with the action man pose in front of the American flag is pretty ironic, since the ugliness of Manifest Destiny taken to its extremes is one of the game's central themes.
As part of their market research, they did a tour of frathouses apparently. ROFL.
Quote:
(
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/ken-levine-responds-to-reactions-to-bioshock-infinites-cover-art/)
“I understand that some of the fans are disappointed. We expected it. I know that may be hard to hear, but let me explain the thinking.”
“We went and did a tour… around to a bunch of, like, frathouses and places like that. People who were gamers. Not people who read IGN. And [we] said, so, have you guys heard of BioShock? Not a single one of them had heard of it.”
“I looked at the cover art for BioShock 1, which I was heavily involved with and love, I adored. And I tried to step back and say, if I’m just some guy, some frat guy, I love games but don’t pay attention to them… if I saw the cover of that box, what would I think? And I would think, this is a game about a robot and a little girl. That’s what I would think. I was trying to be honest with myself. Trust me, I was heavily involved with the creation of those characters and I love them.”
“Would I buy that game if I had 60 bucks and I bought three games a year… would I even pick up the box? I went back to the box for System Shock 1, which was obviously incredibly important — that game was incredibly influential on me, System Shock 2 was the first game I ever made. I remember I picked it up… looked at it and I said, I have no idea what this game is. And I didn’t have a lot of money back then. So, back on the shelf. And I was a gamer.”
“We had to make that tradeoff in terms of where we were spending our marketing dollars. By the time you get to the store, or see an ad, the BioShock fan knows about the game. The money we’re spending on PR, the conversations with games journalists — that’s for the fans. For the people who aren’t informed, that’s who the box art is for.”
Muzman on 13/12/2012 at 15:21
Yeah, that's one of the more disturbing aspects. During the whole Bioshock Apologism days it was supposed to be a matter of sneaking through an immersive sim into the mainstream, that putting it infront of fratboys who only play Madden and can't find the door is going to help that scene grow.
Of course, Bioshock was mostly just a shooter in a Half-Life sort of mold at best, not a secret immersive sim. But now the question arises; if the goal was to left-field the triple A world into playing something smart(er) and you succeeded why are you going back to that well as if you're still at square one?
The truth, to me, appears that since it's considered that Bioshock 'worked', then its formula must be adhered to and was (one of the big turn offs for Bioshock 2 for me is it aint going to fix the gameplay and combat because as far as they are concerned the audience liked it. I'm not the audience). So I'm not one to expect a heck of a lot from Infinite. (and now the like of Red Dead Redemption, Far Cry 3 and Dishonoured are stomping poor old Irrational and its caution)
It does make me wish I bitched a bit harder about the Bioshock cover art. He disparages that even, and it was a corny compromised piece of crap of no worth (it should have been something thematic like options 4 and 6 in the poll). There are lower rungs on the ladder of artistic irrelevance apparently.
Ah well. This gesture is nice.
ZylonBane on 13/12/2012 at 18:40
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
The cover with the action man pose in front of the American flag is pretty ironic, since the ugliness of Manifest Destiny taken to its extremes is one of the game's central themes.
The cover of the game exemplifying the themes of the game is ironic? Buh? That's like... the exact opposite of irony. The cover shows a guy with a gun in front of a US flag. In the game you are that guy, wielding a gun, very often running around in front of US flags. It's not ironic, it's accurate.
catbarf on 13/12/2012 at 20:03
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
The cover of the game exemplifying the themes of the game is ironic? Buh? That's like... the exact opposite of irony. The cover shows a guy with a gun in front of a US flag. In the game you are that guy, wielding a gun, very often running around in front of US flags. It's not ironic, it's accurate.
I get what Eva's saying. A grizzled guy posing with a gun in front of an American flag is, I think, an intrinsically pro-American image. The flag is being associated with the character, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that this character represents America in the game. This is contrasted with the actual gameplay, where what you're fighting is (an extreme form of) American patriotism and jingoism.
ZylonBane on 13/12/2012 at 20:14
Ehh... if that's what he meant, it's a bit of a stretch. From the recent trailers it doesn't seem like you're explicitly fighting against it so much as fighting against anyone who happens to get in your way, regardless of their philosophy.
