- Recon Number 54
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- Master Forum Ninja
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.
I think that any developer/studio with instant name recognition and that is still in business is "doing something right" (at least in the eyes of a significant number of fans, gamers, consumers).
Name recognition and reputation alone is hard to come by. Most people who game, buy games, enjoy games probably can count the number of studios they know by name on their fingers, usually on one hand.
And even then, being "known" and being known for producing quality (or popular) material is no guarantee of continued existence. Just look at all of the AAA and/or well-known studios/divisions/teams/developers who have shut down, closed, dissolved, or been absorbed over the years.
So, there aren't that many devs out there who have name recognition and survivability/longevity. To then say that any dev on that (now very short) list is "over-rated" is to ignore the fact that they have done what others (who were similarly talented) failed to do. Continue to exist and continue to produce.
Over-rated? Perhaps. Depends on how a person decides to rate. If it is the "what have you done for ME lately?" criteria? Then there will always be those who haven't liked recent offerings or what they percieve as trends away from what is "good" (to them).
Fair enough.
But if you consider the industry to be a very competitive and unforgiving environment, then there are only a couple of entities that are the sharks and cockroaches of that world. Beings that are so perfect for their niche that they continue to exist, unchanged and still recognizable after eons have passed.
Bungie is one such entity. Now, do YOU classify them as cockroach or shark? Your call. But you can't deny their accomplishment(s).
Edit: grammar cleanup. Call me obsessive. It's true.
[Edited on 12.01.2011 10:11 AM PST]