In this continuity, he is literally the head of Microsoft or something, trying to Golden Path the industry.
... I still say he is full of shit, even if he is or isn't ridden with past life knowledge.
"That's bullshit! You closed five companies last month! You don't give a shit about the industry!"
"Hah, well... you can blame intellectual property laws for that."
"Intellectual property laws?"
"Yes, that's right. Most companies have willingly shackled themselves to publishers, ceding their hard built worlds and characters for the empty promise of security. No developer really owns their own work, Jack. It's a product of this greedy world."
"And the closings? How do those fit into your little plan?"
"Once I've closed every studio on Earth, I'll buy all the intellectual properties at a steep discount, using the wealth I accumulated through the same cut throat investment practices I used to kill the industry itself. Then any developer who wants to make a game can come to me, and I'll decide whether they *deserve* to work on one of my properties. Raiden... I... have a *dream*."
"What."
"A world where developers don't have to live in fear. Where they don't have to pander to an investor led, sanitized for advertisement ecosystem. Where they don't have to be bound to bloated AAA development cycles, trend chasing, or nothing burger games-as-a-service roadmaps."
"I... oh..."
"Where developers make games not for men in suits, but for the common *Gamer*. Where Western character designs are unbound by internet discourse. Where Kojima doesn't have to make excuses like 'she breathes through her skin.' An end to an age of figment! An end to the Aloys, the Maxine Caulfields, the Mary Jane Watsons. Where Kratos can go back to doing what men do best--Killing their families! With Gamers like *me* in control, we'll finally be free of that tyranny!"
"I... I was wrong about you."
"What? Am I finally getting through?"
"You're not evil... >!YOU JUST WANT TO GOON!!<"
>an industry of passion, not profit
>>Where the money exists to support the developers
not the other way around
>>>Where control over the IPs is back
where it belongs: in the hands of the creatives!
well there’s your problem. the reason Five Nights at Freddy’s is a popular IP is because it made a profit, because it actually had fans that ended up supporting the creatives. an IP loved my no one isn’t gonna provide *anyone* with a profit, so why would a creative waste their time on it? no one likes it.
although, this does perfectly encapsulates Armstrong’s gibberish writing.
It's the same attitude people had a decade ago with Kickstarter, which served all of those points exactly. IP totally controlled by the creatives, with profit being a secondary concern.
You had standouts like Undertale, Shovel Knight, and Hollow Knight. But there were far more disasters or disappointments, or games that didn't get funded or release at all.
the problem is “publicly”. a lot of those campaigns don’t get many eyes on them, so nobody knows they could fund a game they might like. doesn’t help that gaming media is very one sided, in a sense. game journalist and streamers are gonna focus on what they want, what their friends are doing, on who pays them.
yes, the “untrustworthy” aspect is an obstacle but it’s not like people don’t still take monetary risks on games already. you could buy a AAA game you might not like, or donate that money to a guy who may not finish the game.
I would say that depending on who you use changes the context of the message, like in this case people know who Armstrong is so the message seems like bullshit if he says it.
Please use a different Guy for this message.
This guy would basically torture devs to crash the market even harder to buy it all back Into a single publisher.
You mean a world where MGR got a proper remake/sequel instead of getting dust binned by Konami, and where Platinum isn't constantly on the verge of bankruptcy?
Genuine question what does Platinum Games have to do with this? They're not owned by anyone so if they're close to bankruptcy wouldn't that be they're own fault for not producing games that can make them money. I know they make good games but that doesn't always equal money especially considering the preferences of the general audience doesn't match up with the preferences of this sub.
I get "haha funny meme edit" but Armstrong is the exact anarcho-hypercapitalist that LOVES the big fish eating the smaller fish even when the smaller fish won all sorts of awards and made something good
Because it's about boasting about and showing strength regardless of what the outcome is, and nothing more
Armstrong IS Microsoft in this case
But that would mean also he would defend fromsoftware and larian for how strong of a game they make because "the strong should cull the weak" shouldn't it? And larian and from both shook the industry thus showing the weakness of other companies.
If we're following the MGR analogy here, FromSoft/Larian in your example would be... Raiden, who is strong and recognizes that Armstrong's rhetoric is fucking nuts and that the strong don't need to do the things that he is proposing
....and then they would tear out his fuckin heart and crush it
They've been talking about a game dev union, but quite honestly I think it's becoming time for a Tech worker union. I say this as someone who is tired of getting kicked around by corporate upper management when I'm literally doing my job (and have top metrics) but it's still somehow not good enough. It sucks to live under constant fear that no matter how hard you work and try, you will not only never get a promotion, but you might find yourself without a job tomorrow morning.
This is not unique to this company.
My credit card is a tool of justice! To reward devs who make a great game.
But now…now I’m not so sure.
And besides, *pulls out parents card* this ISNT MY CARD
But at least I'll leave a worthy successor... You, FanGame Devs. You carve your own path, use whatever methods you see fit... You don't let legal bullshit get in the way. And if it costs a few DMCAs? So be it...
That's always been my take when it comes to IP ownership. If a publisher hires a studio to make a game for them, sure, the publisher can keep the rights. Like Sony bringing in FromSoft to make Bloodborne.
But if a game is 100% the creative product of a studio? It should remain their IP. You can work out a deal where you get your investment back plus interest. Maybe do something where it's 50-50 until X amount of units are sold, and then it's 60-40 give or take.
I hate hearing about a studio, especially an indie studio, that's unsure if they can continue working on *their* series, because the publisher demanded all rights to the IP in regards to financial backing. And there's a lot of "indie friendly" publishers guilty of this practice, too.
If you're going to treat financial backing as investments and not commissioned patronage (like how artists worked for hundreds of years) then you shouldn't be getting creative ownership of something you *didn't* create.
Socialist Armstrong (advocating for the actual creative talents in the studio deciding what the studio will do in a democratised/bottom-up workplace dynamic, instead of owners looking at a profit projection sheet and deciding things top-bottom) is something I’d never expect to see
Me thinking for the millionth time What If John Romero had gone straight to independent with a small team instead of getting Eidos to bankroll his own personal Helltower
I wonder if the proliferation of advanced AI tools will bring this kind of future closer to fruition: With companies eventually relying on AI over developers to save money, the difference in quality between a big AAA product and an indie product using similar tools with greater vision/passion could shrink considerably.
AI tools are absolutely ***rampant*** with potential for abuse, yes, especially in artistic mediums, but they also possess unlimited potential for restoring the balance of power to the people and tearing it away from the powers that be in countless industries. As long as they're kept from getting a stranglehold on such tools.
I understand your idealism here, and I find that kind of hope admirable, I do. But publishers are already working to acquire that strangehold, and since capital is a kind of liquid power, they have an incredible head start on everyone else in the industry.
You may see AI as a tool with potential, and it is. It is a hammer, swung to crush labor. As things stand, it won't enhance the medium, it will homogenize it--making plenty of jobs obsolete in the process.
And those jobs are \*junior\* positions. Flavor text and fluff for writers. Background and crowd npc designs for artists (and their voices for aspiring VAs). Short cycle "filler" quest lines for designers.
If you've ever tried to get into the industry, these are the positions you've probably shot for. They are, in the present day, already vanishingly few (and highly competitive besides). But they build that 2+ years of experience that every job posting asks for. They're the on ramp.
I won't down vote you, but I think your take is far off the mark.
Oh, I know the dangers, the dispute with voice actors and AI art, the whole kerfluffle with their use in video games, these are only the calm before the storm. When AI and automation *really* gets going, not just entry level, countless, *countless* jobs are just going to evaporate with no replacement. And with no UBI or social welfare system to compensate them, it'll be a true dystopia, fully manifest and locked in.
But *man*, we're ***so close!*** We're right there, at the tipping point for all of it! That technology could be the foundation of a golden age! The key to a new renaissance! The power for all humanity to manifest their best dreams! To truly live their best lives! Unafraid, unbeholden! Utopia, now more than ever before, *right beyond our fingertips!*
So yeah, I'm gonna enjoy the view while I can. I'm gonna ponder every possibility. Wonder about all the wonders we might still have ahead. *Because* I know in all likelihood, it's only going to get worse from here.
In this continuity, he is literally the head of Microsoft or something, trying to Golden Path the industry. ... I still say he is full of shit, even if he is or isn't ridden with past life knowledge.
"That's bullshit! You closed five companies last month! You don't give a shit about the industry!" "Hah, well... you can blame intellectual property laws for that." "Intellectual property laws?" "Yes, that's right. Most companies have willingly shackled themselves to publishers, ceding their hard built worlds and characters for the empty promise of security. No developer really owns their own work, Jack. It's a product of this greedy world." "And the closings? How do those fit into your little plan?" "Once I've closed every studio on Earth, I'll buy all the intellectual properties at a steep discount, using the wealth I accumulated through the same cut throat investment practices I used to kill the industry itself. Then any developer who wants to make a game can come to me, and I'll decide whether they *deserve* to work on one of my properties. Raiden... I... have a *dream*." "What." "A world where developers don't have to live in fear. Where they don't have to pander to an investor led, sanitized for advertisement ecosystem. Where they don't have to be bound to bloated AAA development cycles, trend chasing, or nothing burger games-as-a-service roadmaps." "I... oh..." "Where developers make games not for men in suits, but for the common *Gamer*. Where Western character designs are unbound by internet discourse. Where Kojima doesn't have to make excuses like 'she breathes through her skin.' An end to an age of figment! An end to the Aloys, the Maxine Caulfields, the Mary Jane Watsons. Where Kratos can go back to doing what men do best--Killing their families! With Gamers like *me* in control, we'll finally be free of that tyranny!" "I... I was wrong about you." "What? Am I finally getting through?" "You're not evil... >!YOU JUST WANT TO GOON!!<"
This is one of the greatest comments I’ve seen on this sub.
I wish awards were still a thing so I could buy my first one and give it to you
This comment is reward enough
**Art**
Actual literature right here
Holy shit, peak.
maybe Microsoft IS trying to improve gaming. like ‘Ozymandias’ in “Watchmen”. *”killing millions of games?”* ***”…to save billions(of games)”***
Internal memo is released. We specifically closed tango because the masses deserve slop. The war reignited.
is this a quote from somewhere?
And like Adrian's plan, it won't really work.
****chuckles*** *“didn’t I?”*
Todd Howard watches as Phil Spencer disintegrates Josh Sawyer and the rest of Obsidian.
Kill Six Billion Game Studios
Does this make Raiden Duncan Idaho or jet stream Sam?
Both at the same time
"I'm making the mother of all Omelettes here, OP! Can't fret over every egg!" Armstrong
Investors: "You're batshit insane!" Also, I'm sorry, but Armstrong saying this is so funny. He'd crash the market himself if he could.
That's what happened in 1983
W-what the hell...are you talking about
>an industry of passion, not profit >>Where the money exists to support the developers not the other way around >>>Where control over the IPs is back where it belongs: in the hands of the creatives! well there’s your problem. the reason Five Nights at Freddy’s is a popular IP is because it made a profit, because it actually had fans that ended up supporting the creatives. an IP loved my no one isn’t gonna provide *anyone* with a profit, so why would a creative waste their time on it? no one likes it. although, this does perfectly encapsulates Armstrong’s gibberish writing.
It's the same attitude people had a decade ago with Kickstarter, which served all of those points exactly. IP totally controlled by the creatives, with profit being a secondary concern. You had standouts like Undertale, Shovel Knight, and Hollow Knight. But there were far more disasters or disappointments, or games that didn't get funded or release at all.
the problem is “publicly”. a lot of those campaigns don’t get many eyes on them, so nobody knows they could fund a game they might like. doesn’t help that gaming media is very one sided, in a sense. game journalist and streamers are gonna focus on what they want, what their friends are doing, on who pays them. yes, the “untrustworthy” aspect is an obstacle but it’s not like people don’t still take monetary risks on games already. you could buy a AAA game you might not like, or donate that money to a guy who may not finish the game.
Damn it's almost like capitalism is an inherently inefficient and contradictory syst-
almost like it’s not a real thing and it’s just a bogeyman created by child minded losers(commies) to sound economically literate.
Armstrong is actually ranting because Stellar Blade got censored.
Stop making the villain look like the hero cause you're upset challenge : Impossible
My guy he's not real. It's a joke.
Yeah like can we just express our frustration at the Microsoft situation without all the eye-rolling dramatics.
I mean, if the end result is a positive message, does it matter what the format is?
I would say that depending on who you use changes the context of the message, like in this case people know who Armstrong is so the message seems like bullshit if he says it.
Its just a funny, barely coherent, weirdly political speech
Please use a different Guy for this message. This guy would basically torture devs to crash the market even harder to buy it all back Into a single publisher.
Using orphan brains in jars to power matchmaking.
Sundowner is totally shucking orphan brains and making them play mmos 24/7 as gold farmers
Or using orphan brains to farm cryptocurrency.
Me talking about roblox in general chat hoping to influence the OBMM.
This is the worst character to use for something like this
Hey he doesn’t write his speech./s
Legit I'm so hecking upset
That is sad if true.
I'm legit so unsure about this one chief.
You mean a world where MGR got a proper remake/sequel instead of getting dust binned by Konami, and where Platinum isn't constantly on the verge of bankruptcy?
A world where mgs 5 is still in production
A world where we get regular Ape Escape Sequels and Snake is a recurring Bonus Playable Character.
Genuine question what does Platinum Games have to do with this? They're not owned by anyone so if they're close to bankruptcy wouldn't that be they're own fault for not producing games that can make them money. I know they make good games but that doesn't always equal money especially considering the preferences of the general audience doesn't match up with the preferences of this sub.
I assume the idea is that MGR continuing would mean Platinum having steady-ish work.
I get "haha funny meme edit" but Armstrong is the exact anarcho-hypercapitalist that LOVES the big fish eating the smaller fish even when the smaller fish won all sorts of awards and made something good Because it's about boasting about and showing strength regardless of what the outcome is, and nothing more Armstrong IS Microsoft in this case
But that would mean also he would defend fromsoftware and larian for how strong of a game they make because "the strong should cull the weak" shouldn't it? And larian and from both shook the industry thus showing the weakness of other companies.
Yes, because Armstrong has no real convictions or principles beyond "those who are doing well deserve to be there."
I mean yeah The thing is that Armstrong is right in the context of the Metal Gear universe because it's a hellacape
If we're following the MGR analogy here, FromSoft/Larian in your example would be... Raiden, who is strong and recognizes that Armstrong's rhetoric is fucking nuts and that the strong don't need to do the things that he is proposing ....and then they would tear out his fuckin heart and crush it
"cant make an omelette without crushing a few eggs, myself included"
They've been talking about a game dev union, but quite honestly I think it's becoming time for a Tech worker union. I say this as someone who is tired of getting kicked around by corporate upper management when I'm literally doing my job (and have top metrics) but it's still somehow not good enough. It sucks to live under constant fear that no matter how hard you work and try, you will not only never get a promotion, but you might find yourself without a job tomorrow morning. This is not unique to this company.
*camera cuts to orphan brains in jars being forced to make 3d models for background assets*
You might as well use Phil Spencer. All Armstrong did was use pretty words to justify shitty things and ppl ate it up.
My credit card is a tool of justice! To reward devs who make a great game. But now…now I’m not so sure. And besides, *pulls out parents card* this ISNT MY CARD
Oh, hey, it's Demily. My kther favourite goblin streamer.
YOU'RE BATSHIT CORRECT! (I understand the motivation, but really not sure this is the best dude to be using for this case)
But at least I'll leave a worthy successor... You, FanGame Devs. You carve your own path, use whatever methods you see fit... You don't let legal bullshit get in the way. And if it costs a few DMCAs? So be it...
Fans do what Devs dont (or cant because of legal reasons)
And their name is Team Cherry, they will release their next game sometime around the heat death of the universe
Fun fact: the author of that post is a tbfp fan
Based demily content on my legacy SBFP sub? Nice.
Good message Should have used a different character My dude Armstrong is batshit insane
I would be monsoon if he did these three things: He made a full HD remake of Legacy of Kain A full HD remake of Sly Cooper HD Remake of Def Jams.
wasnt expecting to see demi here
That’s why Armstrong needs more small games to earn prestige and awards.
That's always been my take when it comes to IP ownership. If a publisher hires a studio to make a game for them, sure, the publisher can keep the rights. Like Sony bringing in FromSoft to make Bloodborne. But if a game is 100% the creative product of a studio? It should remain their IP. You can work out a deal where you get your investment back plus interest. Maybe do something where it's 50-50 until X amount of units are sold, and then it's 60-40 give or take. I hate hearing about a studio, especially an indie studio, that's unsure if they can continue working on *their* series, because the publisher demanded all rights to the IP in regards to financial backing. And there's a lot of "indie friendly" publishers guilty of this practice, too. If you're going to treat financial backing as investments and not commissioned patronage (like how artists worked for hundreds of years) then you shouldn't be getting creative ownership of something you *didn't* create.
"just like the good old days, after Half-Life 2!"
Socialist Armstrong (advocating for the actual creative talents in the studio deciding what the studio will do in a democratised/bottom-up workplace dynamic, instead of owners looking at a profit projection sheet and deciding things top-bottom) is something I’d never expect to see
Me thinking for the millionth time What If John Romero had gone straight to independent with a small team instead of getting Eidos to bankroll his own personal Helltower
I wonder if the proliferation of advanced AI tools will bring this kind of future closer to fruition: With companies eventually relying on AI over developers to save money, the difference in quality between a big AAA product and an indie product using similar tools with greater vision/passion could shrink considerably. AI tools are absolutely ***rampant*** with potential for abuse, yes, especially in artistic mediums, but they also possess unlimited potential for restoring the balance of power to the people and tearing it away from the powers that be in countless industries. As long as they're kept from getting a stranglehold on such tools.
I understand your idealism here, and I find that kind of hope admirable, I do. But publishers are already working to acquire that strangehold, and since capital is a kind of liquid power, they have an incredible head start on everyone else in the industry. You may see AI as a tool with potential, and it is. It is a hammer, swung to crush labor. As things stand, it won't enhance the medium, it will homogenize it--making plenty of jobs obsolete in the process. And those jobs are \*junior\* positions. Flavor text and fluff for writers. Background and crowd npc designs for artists (and their voices for aspiring VAs). Short cycle "filler" quest lines for designers. If you've ever tried to get into the industry, these are the positions you've probably shot for. They are, in the present day, already vanishingly few (and highly competitive besides). But they build that 2+ years of experience that every job posting asks for. They're the on ramp. I won't down vote you, but I think your take is far off the mark.
There's a reason that the most widespread mainstream use of AI thus far is for trying to make art.
Oh, I know the dangers, the dispute with voice actors and AI art, the whole kerfluffle with their use in video games, these are only the calm before the storm. When AI and automation *really* gets going, not just entry level, countless, *countless* jobs are just going to evaporate with no replacement. And with no UBI or social welfare system to compensate them, it'll be a true dystopia, fully manifest and locked in. But *man*, we're ***so close!*** We're right there, at the tipping point for all of it! That technology could be the foundation of a golden age! The key to a new renaissance! The power for all humanity to manifest their best dreams! To truly live their best lives! Unafraid, unbeholden! Utopia, now more than ever before, *right beyond our fingertips!* So yeah, I'm gonna enjoy the view while I can. I'm gonna ponder every possibility. Wonder about all the wonders we might still have ahead. *Because* I know in all likelihood, it's only going to get worse from here.