"Gears of War has Zero Innovation"

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I think this guy should maybe look at his own company then actually play the game before making these statements!

I don't think Gears of War is very innovative. It does take a lot of good ideas that haven't all been put together before, and does them all very well, but really the only thing I've never seen before is "active reload."

Oh my god. No innovation? Could it be that the game is just FUN to play and that is the reason why all the imperfections were overlooked?

No, GoW isn't very innovative. But it's very refined and fun so far.

What gets me is this guy's claims that he prefers games that utilize creativity. Is he referring to stuff like NBA Live 07, where EA was so creative they came up with entirely original teleportation physics for dribbling?

Synthesising all the invented good into a cocktail of brilliant is the mark of the true genius.

LobsterMobster wrote:

I don't think Gears of War is very innovative. It does take a lot of good ideas that haven't all been put together before, and does them all very well, but really the only thing I've never seen before is "active reload."

I think it does a better job then any other shooter at giving you that "adrenaline rush" feel as your playing. They did this with a combination of camera angling, sound, and visual queues. It also feels like it was designed for co-op and didn't just insert a co-op clone into the game when you play with a friend. I have not played another shooter where this was the case.

As far as shooters go, I think it is well above average in innovation and EA of all companies is in no position to make comments like this.

No innovation? Wow. How about the fact that you can co-operatively jump in and play with someone else in their singleplayer game? How about the chainsaw bayonnet and the ability to saw someone into a pile of gibs in SP and MP? How about the ability to curb stomp someone's head into the cement? How about the ability to revive teammates in MP? How about the active reload?

Granted, it's not a completely innovative game but it sure as hell takes a lot of features from the shooter genre and damn near perfects them as well as adds the innovative elements that I've mentioned above.

How about the chainsaw bayonnet and the ability to saw someone into a pile of gibs in SP and MP?

Um... Doom of all games already featured a chainsaw.

Anyway, these statements surely sound like a case of 'pot calling the kettle black'.

Spunior wrote:
How about the chainsaw bayonnet and the ability to saw someone into a pile of gibs in SP and MP?

Um... Doom of all games already featured a chainsaw.

Hmmm...I never got into the Doom multiplayer but was it done anywhere near the level that GoW does?

93_confirmed wrote:

No innovation? Wow. How about the fact that you can co-operatively jump in and play with someone else in their singleplayer game? How about the chainsaw bayonnet and the ability to saw someone into a pile of gibs in SP and MP? How about the ability to curb stomp someone's head into the cement? How about the ability to revive teammates in MP? How about the active reload?

1) that's new, and awesome
2) chainsaws have been in a multitude of games
3) curb stomping is another variation on "fatality" type moves in various games, somewhat new to the fps genre
4) somewhat new; medics have been in a variety of fps games, but throwing in a "near-death" state a la D&D is a great mechanic
5) active reload is truly awesome

No, most of these ideas aren't original or necessarily hugely innovative, but they're all great examples of Epic taking a whole mess of great ideas and smushing them together while refining them.

Farscry wrote:
93_confirmed wrote:

No innovation? Wow. How about the fact that you can co-operatively jump in and play with someone else in their singleplayer game? How about the chainsaw bayonnet and the ability to saw someone into a pile of gibs in SP and MP? How about the ability to curb stomp someone's head into the cement? How about the ability to revive teammates in MP? How about the active reload?

1) that's new, and awesome
2) chainsaws have been in a multitude of games
3) curb stomping is another variation on "fatality" type moves in various games, somewhat new to the fps genre
4) somewhat new; medics have been in a variety of fps games, but throwing in a "near-death" state a la D&D is a great mechanic
5) active reload is truly awesome

No, most of these ideas aren't original or necessarily hugely innovative, but they're all great examples of Epic taking a whole mess of great ideas and smushing them together while refining them. :D

Ok, ok...chainsaws were done before. My bad...I didn't have my morning coffee before the post.

There's no real innovation in sex (unless it's with household pets,) but who is complaining about that?

Mills wrote:

There's no real innovation in sex (unless it's with household pets,) but who is complaining about that?

O_o

**calling SPCA as we speak**

93_confirmed wrote:

Ok, ok...chainsaws were done before. My bad...I didn't have my morning coffee before the post.

Bad 93! Bad! No posting before coffee!

The Hammer of Dawn is pure ants-with-a-magnifying-glass sadism. Is that new? I've never played a game with that kind of weapon. (Goldeneye doesn't count)

Danjo Olivaw wrote:

The Hammer of Dawn is pure ants-with-a-magnifying-glass sadism. Is that new? I've never played a game with that kind of weapon. (Goldeneye doesn't count)

...How about the fact that you can use a freakin orbital laser beam to annihilate people? *redeems self from chainsaw post*

Thanks for the ammo Danjo! Forgot all about that one.

It sounds like the interview was posted in effort to lend credence for that website's review of GoW which gave the game an 80/100. They didn't even include the multiplayer part of the game in the write up.

I particularly love how the guy from EA goes on about how it's not innovative and calls it a Quake clone, then follows the statement up with, "I can't wait to play it."

I don't know, you think maybe you should put some time into a game before you start labeling it?

Edit:

Danjo wrote:

The Hammer of Dawn is pure ants-with-a-magnifying-glass sadism. Is that new? I've never played a game with that kind of weapon.

Didn't UT2K4 have something like that?

93_confirmed wrote:

...How about the fact that you can use a freakin orbital laser beam to annihilate people? *redeems self from chainsaw post*

Ok, gotta grant you that one.

My personal favorite crazy FPS weapons were from the Turok games: the Cerebral Bore and the Chestburster Gun.

Bru wrote:

Didn't UT2K4 have something like that?

Yes it did, it's called the ion painter. But the ion painter is different in that you can only target a single point, and you can't drag the orbital beam around once it's been fired like you can in Gears.

Mills wrote:

There's no real innovation in sex (unless it's with household pets,) but who is complaining about that?

What innovation is left with pets? I mean after doggy style what is there?

Seriously, I could do with the info; my pooch seems to be getting bored with me just going through usual stuff. I think he may leave me for a younger owner.

I just thought about where I posted this - so I'd just like to state I was aiming for humourous: I do not want any links or images regarding this to enter my field of knowledge.

Baggz wrote:
Mills wrote:

There's no real innovation in sex (unless it's with household pets,) but who is complaining about that?

What innovation is left with pets? I mean after doggy style what is there?

Seriously, I could do with the info; my pooch seems to be getting bored with me just going through usual stuff. I think he may leave me for a younger owner.

*puts SPCA hotline on speed dial*

93_confirmed wrote:
Baggz wrote:
Mills wrote:

There's no real innovation in sex (unless it's with household pets,) but who is complaining about that?

What innovation is left with pets? I mean after doggy style what is there?

Seriously, I could do with the info; my pooch seems to be getting bored with me just going through usual stuff. I think he may leave me for a younger owner.

*puts SPCA hotline on speed dial*

Hmm, hold that thought, let me email Larry Flint. He'd know...
IMAGE(http://planetsmilies.net/vomit-smiley-31.gif)

I never thought about it, but I guess it's not a terribly innovative game. It's about as innovative as could be...being a FPS-hybrid'n all. I mean, the FPS genre has several 100 games doing the same thing, and there are but so many things that can be done by a man with a gun.

WING wrote:

I never thought about it, but I guess it's not a terribly innovative game. It's about as innovative as could be...being a FPS-hybrid'n all. I mean, the FPS genre has several 100 games doing the same thing, and there are but so many things that can be done by a man with a gun.

Not to nitpick or flame but it's not an FPS and it seems like a large majority of people are grouping game with FPSs like Halo, Halo 2, etc.

I keep previewing my piece for next week, but there doesn't have to be "innovation." Ansel Adams didn't innovate anything -- people had been doing high-perspective black and white landscapes for ages. Good ol' Leo didn't innovate anything, after all, there were a zillion painters doing romantic/realist portraits with insane brushwork. And that guy, wasisname, oh yeah, Ghandi? Cmon, the American romantics were preaching the gospel of passive resistance and all that ages before he decided to trot it out as some kind of political movements. Hacks all of 'em.

GoW may or may not be innovative -- who gives a crap, really. It's as close to a perfect game as I've ever played.

Spunior wrote:
How about the chainsaw bayonnet and the ability to saw someone into a pile of gibs in SP and MP?

Um... Doom of all games already featured a chainsaw.

Ah, but that chainsaw was a distinct weapon, not something you switched to in the middle of a fight. As for curb stomping, well, Soul Calibur's Nightmare character has a similar move. But then you are playing as a human during the campaign, just how creative can you be (especially wearing that much armor).

93_confirmed wrote:
WING wrote:

I never thought about it, but I guess it's not a terribly innovative game. It's about as innovative as could be...being a FPS-hybrid'n all. I mean, the FPS genre has several 100 games doing the same thing, and there are but so many things that can be done by a man with a gun.

Not to nitpick or flame but it's not an FPS and it seems like a large majority of people are grouping game with FPSs like Halo, Halo 2, etc.

That's why he called is an "FPS-hybrid". It mixes stealth-ish 3rd person perspective and gameplay with FPS-ish controls and gameplay. Quite well, at that.

You know what, Gears of War is a great game but it's like what Quake was a few years ago.

Absolutely. Did I mention I loved that game?

I'm really not sure about that news item. It seems as though the man was trying to make some point about form over function that either got totally skewered by Eurogamer's otherwise solid coverage, or that was just poorly thought-out in the first place.

93_confirmed wrote:
WING wrote:

I never thought about it, but I guess it's not a terribly innovative game. It's about as innovative as could be...being a FPS-hybrid'n all. I mean, the FPS genre has several 100 games doing the same thing, and there are but so many things that can be done by a man with a gun.

Not to nitpick or flame but it's not an FPS and it seems like a large majority of people are grouping game with FPSs like Halo, Halo 2, etc.

I bet you're one of those 'TPS reports' kinda guys, aren't you? Well, I did say 'FPS-hybrid'...meaning it's a modified FPS (Third Person Shooter if you will).

WING wrote:
93_confirmed wrote:
WING wrote:

I never thought about it, but I guess it's not a terribly innovative game. It's about as innovative as could be...being a FPS-hybrid'n all. I mean, the FPS genre has several 100 games doing the same thing, and there are but so many things that can be done by a man with a gun.

Not to nitpick or flame but it's not an FPS and it seems like a large majority of people are grouping game with FPSs like Halo, Halo 2, etc.

I bet you're one of those 'TPS reports' kinda guys, aren't you? Well, I did say 'FPS-hybrid'...meaning it's a modified FPS (Third Person Shooter if you will).

Fair enough but I'd consider R6: Vegas to be more of a hybrid as the game is in first-person with the third person view only in cover while GoW is always in the third person and should be in the third person shooter genre.

And no I'm not a TPS report guy but I am too analytical sometimes.

rabbit wrote:

I keep previewing my piece for next week, but there doesn't have to be "innovation." Ansel Adams didn't innovate anything -- people had been doing high-perspective black and white landscapes for ages. Good ol' Leo didn't innovate anything, after all, there were a zillion painters doing romantic/realist portraits with insane brushwork. And that guy, wasisname, oh yeah, Ghandi? Cmon, the American romantics were preaching the gospel of passive resistance and all that ages before he decided to trot it out as some kind of political movements. Hacks all of 'em.

GoW may or may not be innovative -- who gives a crap, really. It's as close to a perfect game as I've ever played.

True.. "He just photographed mountains, and the wilderness, and trees and stuff like that."

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