Another list to read

I skimmed the text and just picked up on what games these guys made. Yeah, the Levine stuff was a bit juvenile. I guess they’re aiming these pieces at the console crowd.

Oh, and I only made it through number 24 before bailing on the article. Fifty is just too many.

On the other hand, the Japanese developers who were treated so politely are exclusively console developers.

I think it’s rather that they aren’t so sure about what level of familiarity they can risk with Japanese (foreign culture and all), so they decided to play it safe.

Really, you should play some good console games some day. Especially Japanese ones. :)

That list was a complete sausage party. I expected to see at least one MMORPG designer in there too.

I just skimmed it looking for my name. Since my name apparently isn’t in there, I’ve decided that lists like this one are juvenile, and not worth paying attention to.

Really, you should play some good console games some day. Especially Japanese ones.

Like Dark Cloud 2, the fishing sim?

Hey, I played Halo! I’m currently playing The Simpsons Hit and Run. I plan on playing Halo 2. I’m a console dude!

Instead of a useless list like this, I’d like to see a list of the-most-promising-projects-that-haven’t-been-green-lit-yet. There is some absolutely fabulous stuff in the design conception phase right now. Some of which will never see the light of day, but would be fascinating to read about anyway. A list like that would give us a true feel for where game development is headed.

Dreaming on…

Who’d be dumb enough to cooperate with such an article? Someone could read it and say, “Hey, that’s a good idea” and make your game.

With a number as large as 50, it seems like they have little choice but to name “everybody in gaming that is remotely charismatic and John Carmack”.

The only thing that annoys me more than reading interviews with Sam Houser where he shows how “down” he is are pithy console/PC debates. I would feel a great loss if I didn’t have both PC and console games.

I just want to point out that Spector has a disturbing resume of good things.

I would feel a great loss if I didn’t have both PC and console games.

I don’t have enough time to play the PC games. Who needs the consoles?

See, you aren’t a designer, though. Either change your job or start honing your rock star personality. :wink:

I see there’s no need to “watch for” Brian Reynolds. Or Sid Meier, for that matter. Is Miyamoto on that list?

Ok, but watch for that “Carmack”, because nobody ever has any idea what’s HE’S up to… he’s such a sneak.

That’s a good way to put a list without even a single woman on it.

I expected to see at least one MMORPG designer in there too.

It does include Taek-Jin Kim, CEO of NCSoft. I disagree with the implication that all MMO revelations are going to come out of Asia, though.

Disregarding our Sparky, that’s a fairly accurate reflection of the industry, though…

Nah, there are quite a few women out there. I don’t think that article was an accurate reflection of the industry (not that it was ever intended to be).

Nah, there are quite a few women out there. I don’t think that article was an accurate reflection of the industry (not that it was ever intended to be).[/quote]

Name a bunch off the top of your head…that are head designers, not just programmers, etc.

I wasn’t talking about “only head designers” – and neither was the list, which included CEOs and programmers. Yeah, women in the game industry are generally producers. And producers aren’t s00per k00l enough to write “Top 50 To Watch” puff pieces about, so you don’t hear about them. But to answer your question (off the top of my head, I could look up a few more, and I’m not counting ones who I don’t think are in the biz at all anymore like Anne Westfall and Roberta Williams):

Jane Jensen
Linda Currie (Jagged Alliance, etc. don’t know what she’s doing now, though)
Amy Hennig (Legacy of Kain)
Qt3er Laralyn (Full Spectrum Warrior)

I find this really hard to argue because then it boils down to where I say “well I like console games better” and the PC person says “I like PC games better”.

There is a wealth of game genres that only exist on consoles and some that are better on consoles than they are on PC, either because of lack of development or the focus doesn’t fit the market, not necessarily because they couldn’t be better on PC.

For starters the PC scene misses out on quite a lot of the more typically Japanese style games which I won’t debate is better than Western style games, but offers a great dimension to my game catalog.

If you don’t have a console, you have no chance to play: Resident Evil, Shenmue, Ikaruga, Rez, Amplitude/Frequency, Devil May Cry, Ico, Mark of Kri, Panzer Dragoon, Mad Maestro, Dark Cloud 1/2, Ratchet and Clank, Soul Calibur… the list goes on and on and on. Most of these games I think are so enjoyable that they redeem the price of a console many times over. In fact most of my favorite games in my lifetime: Symphony of the Night, Super Mario Brothers 3, Metal Gear Solid, Super Metroid… were only released on consoles.

This is of course where the subject of emulators can be brought into the equation. But in most circumstances I don’t feel that emulators can compare to the fluidity of the control of the console game. If you do, then I guess you win, but I didn’t come into my game habits saying to myself “okay I’m going to be a mostly console game player” - it just developed that way.

I do admit that almost nothing can compare to playing a great first person shooter online in an ideal server, where you’re just absolutely on target, and everyone thinks you’re the biggest cheater in the whole world - and you’re almost inclined to believe them because you’re so on… or when you’ve got a group of about 50 people fighting another 50 people in some place you’ve never seen before and your nerves have you on the edge of your seat. Almost nothing.

But my experiences with online PC games, they get worse as I meet more of the kinds of people that are out there. And for some reason (probably my game genre preferences) I prefer single player games on console. Having either a PC or a console wouldn’t allow for all of my gaming interests - so I’ve come to really enjoy and abuse the fact that I have both (all).

Qt3er Jessica Mulligan. Executive Producer on Asheron’s Call 2, last I remember.

Qt3er Jessica Mulligan. Executive Producer on Asheron’s Call 2, last I remember.[/quote]
Oh, I didn’t forget about her – but Sharp specified only “head designers” for some reason, so I didn’t want to bend his rules. :roll: