"With no demand, there’s no incentive for anyone to even try to make something vaguely similar to Tom Clancy’s The Division ever again."
Oh I don't know about that. With the smash hit that is Helldivers 2, I can see that formula being applied to a Division-like IP. I mean for sure don't name it The Division and don't have Ubisoft build it, but instead of dropping into planets to eradicate bugs, why not drop into sections of some huge metropolis to eradicate thugs? Add some lore to explain how things got there. Maybe even add RNG style loot which Helldivers does not have. That would be a differentiator right there.
Anyway, I think the idea has legs, they just need to repackage it in a way that's different enough from the original that it doesn't carry any baggage associated with The Division which I personally loved.
Played both Div 1 and Div 2 and Div 1 just felt like an all around better game. I really enjoyed some of the alternate game modes they had available. The feel of the post-apocalyptic New York felt great and immersive. Hope they find their way with Div 2 or the next game.
"With no demand, there’s no incentive for anyone to even try to make something vaguely similar to Tom Clancy’s The Division ever again."
Oh I don't know about that. With the smash hit that is Helldivers 2, I can see that formula being applied to a Division-like IP. I mean for sure don't name it The Division and don't have Ubisoft build it, but instead of dropping into planets to eradicate bugs, why not drop into sections of some huge metropolis to eradicate thugs? Add some lore to explain how things got there. Maybe even add RNG style loot which Helldivers does not have. That would be a differentiator right there.
Anyway, I think the idea has legs, they just need to repackage it in a way that's different enough from the original that it doesn't carry any baggage associated with The Division which I personally loved.
Here is what makes helldivers 2 better than the division impaired.
In helldivers 2, I spend 99% of the time running and gunning and enjoying the action of the game.
In division impaired, I spent 80% of the time sorting through all the FUCKING USELESS LOOT.
Burdening players with tedious loot hoarding inventory management is NOT a wining strategy, no matter how many of the tiny loud obnoxious minority say so.
Yeah it's called loot filters. Several of the current ARPG's have them, and it solves that whole problem. That's if you want to go the route of having ARPG's style loot. Helldiver's system of unlocks works as well. No reason you couldn't do the same in a post apocalyptical near future urban setting.
Pretty sure your butthurtness over loot is largely a you thing, not something that applies to gamers in general. Otherwise the whole ARPG genre wouldn't exist.
I guess I never knew that either The Divsion 1 or 2 were failures. I had so much fun playing both of them... Then again when people were telling me how bad of a launch Cyberpunk 2077 had... I was putting in hundreds of hours playing.
What could have been? I'd have loved to read what the OP thought could have been possible with the looter-shooter genre. Instead, it was mostly just picking apart an 8 year old game. Calling it a failure, yet it was obviously successful enough to spawn 2 sequels.
I'll also add my standard complaints to faulty articles like this:
1) The Division was not an MMO
Like, not even close. Not even in the same ballpark. It was just standard multiplayer.
2) The Division was not an RPG
Like, not even close. There were no roles - so no roleplaying.
3) There were a bunch of other games that followed the model
Whilst I am only aware of 3 MMO shooters, there are a whole bunch of looter-shooters, not to mention the wider genre of "looters". Destiny is the closest to The Division and seems to have been successful. Borderlands has a whole series, and they're all looter-shooters.
4) Innovative Ideas don't come from AAA Studios
They never have done. Polish is what AAA studios provide. Innovation starts with indie / small studios who have the freedom to experiment. The good ideas then make it to the mid-tier developers, who add a whole lot of flesh to the ideas. Then, and only then, will a AAA studio take that idea and polish it for the masses.
Currently Playing: WAR RoR - Spitt rr7X Black Orc | Scrotling rr6X Squig Herder | Scabrous rr4X Shaman
"With no demand, there’s no incentive for anyone to even try to make something vaguely similar to Tom Clancy’s The Division ever again."
Oh I don't know about that. With the smash hit that is Helldivers 2, I can see that formula being applied to a Division-like IP. I mean for sure don't name it The Division and don't have Ubisoft build it, but instead of dropping into planets to eradicate bugs, why not drop into sections of some huge metropolis to eradicate thugs? Add some lore to explain how things got there. Maybe even add RNG style loot which Helldivers does not have. That would be a differentiator right there.
Anyway, I think the idea has legs, they just need to repackage it in a way that's different enough from the original that it doesn't carry any baggage associated with The Division which I personally loved.
Helldivers is nothing more than a FPS. Not large story, or questing. Hard to add "rpg" to it. Great game none the less.
the Division (and Division 2) had a ton of content and entertainment. Social aspect was incredible, even in pug.
I believe there is PLENTY of room for same template(? if that is the right world). All for more (and in truth, anxious to see what further Division games continue to be developed).
I would love to see Divison on a much more global scale in game.
Not really sure what the author is talking about. The Division was one of UbiSofts highest selling titles... 20 million + copies sold? Game is still live and people still play it.
Division 2 is very much active and alive. Despite what the very confident commenters say about Division 2 not having "roles", there are tank and healer roles to play and are necessary for certain content. Just goes to show... lots of people on the internet talk about things they don't have a clue about. Strange behavior, honestly.
Alot of misinformation in the article and in these comments. That's gaming these days.
The genre is doing fine. People like shooty stuff. People love loot. That isn't going away.
In my opinion The Division is a good game. I don't like the Dark Zone and having the most interesting loot locked behind that game mode. So, it isn't for me, but it's still very good at what it does.
If anything, Helldivers 2 should be a good reminder that the genre is doing great. That game keeps hitting number 2 on the Steam charts and is consistently in the top 5.
In general, I prefer solo, coop, or small multiplayer though, not MMO/GAAS.
"The reasons for this are many, but what’s absolutely true is that games need constant and ongoing innovation— testing new ideas, building new subgenres, expanding the medium’s landscape. But it’s discouraging when the power to make such innovation is sequestered in the hands of the few powerful studios with the resources to execute."
I would say it is indie which is at the forefront of innovation, not AAA studios, so the idea that is in the hands of powerful studios is odd to me. Much of that indie innovation does not work that well, but when it does it is amazing. Indie cannot rely on franchises and remakes to make their coin so they have an incentive to innovate that AAA studios simply do not have.
I should make it clear that my experience with indie has been very mixed, I want all games to have triple AAA standards and the graphics in indie often puts me of. But lets give indie credit where it is due, innovation is their forte.
Comments
Oh I don't know about that. With the smash hit that is Helldivers 2, I can see that formula being applied to a Division-like IP. I mean for sure don't name it The Division and don't have Ubisoft build it, but instead of dropping into planets to eradicate bugs, why not drop into sections of some huge metropolis to eradicate thugs? Add some lore to explain how things got there. Maybe even add RNG style loot which Helldivers does not have. That would be a differentiator right there.
Anyway, I think the idea has legs, they just need to repackage it in a way that's different enough from the original that it doesn't carry any baggage associated with The Division which I personally loved.
Here is what makes helldivers 2 better than the division impaired.
In helldivers 2, I spend 99% of the time running and gunning and enjoying the action of the game.
In division impaired, I spent 80% of the time sorting through all the FUCKING USELESS LOOT.
Burdening players with tedious loot hoarding inventory management is NOT a wining strategy, no matter how many of the tiny loud obnoxious minority say so.
Pretty sure your butthurtness over loot is largely a you thing, not something that applies to gamers in general. Otherwise the whole ARPG genre wouldn't exist.
Helldivers is nothing more than a FPS. Not large story, or questing. Hard to add "rpg" to it. Great game none the less.
the Division (and Division 2) had a ton of content and entertainment. Social aspect was incredible, even in pug.
I believe there is PLENTY of room for same template(? if that is the right world). All for more (and in truth, anxious to see what further Division games continue to be developed).
I would love to see Divison on a much more global scale in game.
Division 2 is very much active and alive. Despite what the very confident commenters say about Division 2 not having "roles", there are tank and healer roles to play and are necessary for certain content. Just goes to show... lots of people on the internet talk about things they don't have a clue about. Strange behavior, honestly.
Alot of misinformation in the article and in these comments. That's gaming these days.
I would say it is indie which is at the forefront of innovation, not AAA studios, so the idea that is in the hands of powerful studios is odd to me. Much of that indie innovation does not work that well, but when it does it is amazing. Indie cannot rely on franchises and remakes to make their coin so they have an incentive to innovate that AAA studios simply do not have.
I should make it clear that my experience with indie has been very mixed, I want all games to have triple AAA standards and the graphics in indie often puts me of. But lets give indie credit where it is due, innovation is their forte.