It’s hard to do something new in the gaming industry once you’ve progressed beyond a certain size. Larger companies tend to be more risk-averse than smaller independent developers. And it doesn’t help that while players clamor for innovation, they continue to purchase larger mainstream titles in droves. In fact, according to Ubisoft’s North America executive director, that’s part of what’s wrong with critics and gamers. Detoc spoke with Gamasutra about the lukewarm reception to Rocksmith, the publisher’s new music that game that actually teaches players to play guitar.
"As much as they claim they want innovation, they don't," said Detoc. "What I see when I read the reviews is a lack of enthusiasm for something that is new. … We, as human beings, tend to like what we know. But more importantly, we call ourselves gamers. Are we gamers – or players?"
"I think the 'gamer' label has actually been hurting the industry. As our industry evolves, we need to be more mature and find a way to look at content and judge it as if we were real consumers instead of as gamers."
Detoc insists that certain genres cannot be compared to others and trying to apply a certain critical eye on one genre to a title from another is difficult for reviewers.
"[Review sites] are a part of this industry," he says. "We need to judge the products for what they are. You can't compare, say, a Just Dance to an Assassin's Creed. We can't expect critics to be experts at everything."
Detoc also notes that with the rise of smartphone and social games, some gamers feel threatened and attempt to compare those titles to AAA experiences.
"There are different types of entertainment experiences for different people and different appetites for quality," he says. "For example, today when you watch 'The Price is Right' on TV, it's free and supported by advertising. The actors in that show are mainly people like you and I, and the cost is somewhat low."
"Compare that to wanting to go see, say, 'Tintin' with your wife on date night. You're going to pay for the movie tickets and parking. Maybe there's a babysitter involved. You may want to go to dinner. By the time it's done, it's a $200 night -- but it's a different entertainment experience. That, to me, is like what's happening with consoles versus other types of play. It depends on what you want to do as an entertainment experience."
I think most of Detoc’s argument is correct, but I’d remind him that more people want to fake playing guitar than actually want to play guitar. Perhaps, that and Rocksmith’s high price tag are leading to its lukewarm reception.
