The Fly in Halo 4's Ointment

Like many independent twenty-somethings in America, my disposable liquid income dries up fairly quickly. Lucky enough for me, my close friend/roommate doesn't have the same issue; he works as an animator for the Adult Swim cartoon Super Jail, and does pretty OK. So whenever a new game is released, he tends to pick it up, which means I get a chance to play it. Last week he came home with a copy of Halo 4, the latest installment in the very title that sealed our friendship 11 years ago (really, we met playing halo at a LAN party). Naturally, last weekend we held a mini LAN reunion party, invited a couple of good friends over (whom i also met at that LAN party) and we played well into the early morning. I even spent a little time with the campaign.

I already get a sense that this installment of the series is going to be one of my favorites, and I'm almost sure it's not simply because it's the newest, shiniest one (although that doesn't hurt). The campaign, from what I've played, is a breath of fresh air for the series. I'm finally interested in Master Chief as a character, something i lost after playing through the disappointing Halo 2 campaign. The multiplayer is well balanced, and the ability to customize my load outs is a very welcome addition to the series. All of my favorite playlists are still available with new tweaks, such as the ability to throw the oddball, (in oddball and in grifball) infected mode being populated by the flood, etc. There's a lot to love about Halo 4, especially if you've been a fan of the series but have been losing interest (such as myself). There is, however, this ugly thing about Halo 4 that kind of vexes me; and I suppose it's just the face of modern console shooters, yet i still dislike it.

The unlock system is obnoxious, always in my face, constantly reminding me how many kills i need with X gun to get Y experience, and how I'm halfway through this or that daily challenge. I'll level up, and a popup centers itself on my screen telling all of the armor pieces I've "unlocked". When I check my armor inventory though, my new items are only viewable, and I have to complete some commendation to actually use it. I may be the only one who doesn't particularly like this system, but i personally feel that it's the worst sort of gameplay lengthening scheme, creating an extrinsic motivation for playing the game (playing simply to beat the challenges, earn the unlocks, etc) as opposed to an intrinsic one (playing simply because I want to). Earning unlocks isn't a bad thing; I just feel that 343 has completely overdone it. The sheer amount of commendations is overwhelming, and so many armor pieces are locked until you spend a ridiculous amount of time playing - hence the gameplay lengthening scheme. I don't think it'd be the worst thing in the world if the next installment in 343's new trilogy eased up on that kind of stuff.

You finally did it! But now what?

 



The moment of truth has come, everything you have worked so hard for. Those countless hours working all nighters, guzzling two liter bottles of Mountain Dew, telling friends, "nah sorry guys, can't come out tonight", and putting up with a very annoyed significant other. It's time for the big payoff! After all, you just made an amazing mobile gaming app! So the game is done. It's time for all the money to come rolling in right? All those fantasies you had about skiing down mountains of gold coins a la Scrooge McDuck are going to come to fruition.

Well, not so fast, because having the game ready is only one small piece of the puzzle. Five years ago, it was easy to develop and self-publish a mobile gaming app with relative success. While I'm not saying this is no longer possible, utilizing the services a publishing company like Chillingo could be the better bet. Today, app stores across multiple platforms are flooded with games upon games. What's going to make yours stand out? Do you alone possess the knowledge to market the game? No? What about within your entire development team, if you have one? Do you fully understand how fragmentation of the market works? Can you, in a sufficient manner, identify the differences between all the mobile carrier markets? The questions can go on and on and the real point is, no one person is a master at everything.

Here's where a publisher comes in. A publisher has resources and connections that you do not. They take a look at your work and see what they can do to monetize and get the most life out of your game. They understand how to make your gaming app work on multiple platforms and across a plethora of carriers worldwide. Input on issues that you or your dev team may have never thought of can be offered. Publishers understand changing markets, differences in consumer attitudes, and most importantly, they have the experience. In the growing world of mobile gaming, more and more developers are churning out mobile gaming apps. Brilliant titles can be self-published, no doubt about it, but are they truly realizing their full potential? Probably not.

Now, on the other hand, a diamond in the rough mobile game could be submitted to a publisher, who can then offer their input and let you revisit the drawing board. After opening your eyes to things that hadn't occurred to you during your nights burning the midnight oil, sleep deprived and depressed, the final product should have improved significantly. That extra month or two of work could make all the difference. This leads us to the most important point of all. The mobile gaming marketplace has zero room for lackluster games. As Chief Operating Officer Ed Rumley of Chillingo put it: "it's a ruthless platform and there's just no room for anything except perfection".

So, young padawan developer, think about that for a minute. Let it soak in, but don't let it discourage you. Take a step backward. Now breathe. Deep breath. Take another one. Grab a six pack. No, grab that bottle of vodka. Yes, there you go. It's going to be a long night ahead of you. There's work to be done but when it's REALLY done, you're only about half way. After that, maybe you should get in touch with some publishers.

 Source: Gamesindustry.biz