In all seriousness I understand how it may not be right to just slap your name on a product and become more and more driven away from your original fan base. You also have to remember that Mr. Clancy probably doesn’t make as much money off of his branded video games as he does off publication. Tom Clancy doesn’t care about gamers. Tom Clancy spends his nights rubbing his body with the millions of dollars he’s making off of his books and uses the money he gets from video games to wipe his ass. In other words this is just business as usual for Mr. Clancy.

Trust me I couldn’t agree with you more that it’s not ok to put out mediocre games and put a big name on it but the economy is in the shitter. If Gillette has to put out a gamer razor why can’t Clancy come out with his own version of Crash Bandicoot?

nuff said
Jones

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9899543-52.html

I’ll will backtrack and apologize for insinuating that his name is losing value over EndWar and HAWX, but these games don’t FEEL quite like they have the same qaulity of Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and Splinter Cell from what we’ve played. I suppose one of us is going to have to get the full version of HAWX and just see if it has that same political and combat intrigue that is so special to Clancy games, because I just didn’t get that feeling from HAWX.

Again, we’ve only had access to the demo, but that’s always been something I’ve harped on about those things. The masses now have access to demos that used to be only available from buying a magazine or reserving a game, which means any asshole can give his opinion. We’re no exception.

Going forward I don’t think this will happen anymore. Turns out Tom SOLD HIS NAME to Ubisoft for anything video game related.

As far as not having to qualify opinions as such because this is a blog…. yeah I’ll give you that. But, that opinion is to me questionable when you say his brand loses value when his name ends up on something that mose gamers who play it enjoy.

If you would look at my comment again, this isn’t JUST about Ubisoft sticking a name on there. This is about any company that milks a franchise by just putting a name on there. And yes, this even applies to my beloved Resident Evil series with such tragedies as Survivor, Dead Aim, and Outbreak 1 & 2.

I’d be interested to hear about your reseach on how much Mr. Clancy actually contributes to the development of any game with his name on it.

To your point that you don’t give a damn about Metacritic’s 77. Fair enough. I agree that because a consistent portion of reviewers think a game has something to offer doesn’t always translate to our own personal taste. What I would take issue with is that you didn’t properly convey that this was your own personal opinion and not what the majority of people who have played and enjoyed it believe. I think, with an above average score from Meta and a VERY good score from users that your point that Clancy’s name is being soiled on a mediocre product is null because the majority of gamers would disagree. In the end his name went on a game that people appear to have mostly enjoyed.

To your question “Why put his name on there?” Well for one, he DOES have influence on these games which anyone who has ever overpayed for a R6 or Splinter Cell collector’s edition would know. Besides, this is the nature of marketing. Why does Michael Jordan or LeBron James name get put on a pair of shoes? Why is some dumb celebritiy’s face constantly adorning a box of Wheaties? More specific to video games, why do millions of gamers care who is put on the cover of Madden every year? Hopefully you have the answer because I don’t. However, in the case of Clancy games I don’t mind too much seeing as how, again, he DOES do work on the actual project whereas I doubt Michael Phelps has any input whatsoever on how a Wheatie should taste.

I will preface this next statement by saying I don’t know this to be fact but rest assured the proper research will be completed. Each time Ubisoft approaches Tom Clancy to lend his (arguably) effective writing and story crafting to a project, he agrees with the condition that he can put his name on the box. This is the very definition of effective cross promoting. People see a well respected author on the box of a video game and might check it out. Conversely, they LIKE the video game and go out and check out Clancy’s books. I have no problem with this I scratch your back you scratch mine philosophy. Lastly to this point, are you at ALL sympathetic to anyone who buys a video game, that they may turn out not to enjoy, because an author’s name appears on it? I would be about as sympathetic to this social miscreant as I would to someone whose Jordan’s ripped apart at the seems.

How is HAWX different from Ace Combat? Computer assisted optimal flight and interception paths that can be turned on or off. Trust me this was extremely helpful to someone as terrible as I am at Ace Combat. It will remain to be seen whether the story is more engaging. Mr. Clancy will have played a role in that.

Lastly, good ole’ Resident Evil….. we’re back to this again huh? Fine, ok, pull my arm. Look, yes I judged RE5 on a demo, I’ll admit it. But what was I judging? One thing that absolutely, unabashedly will not change from the demo to the finished prduct in both RE5 and HAWX is the controls. I like the controls (minus the first level) in HAWX, and cannot stand them in RE5. Now those who will tolerate the RE5 control scheme will, I’m sure, get treated to a great continuation of the story that all the fans love. I, however, cannot tolerate them, even for two levels of a demo. Thus, I have the right to judge the game. My personal opinion of the game that is.

As for HAWX, I admit that I’m passing judgement on a demo, but you are one to talk… cough cough… RE5… cough cough… That point aside, I fail to see what HAWX is doing any different from say an Ace Combat besides the ablility fly around in an uncontrollable cinematic view.

Lastly… I <3 Jeff 4E

Gamers aren’t stupid though. Just because Clancy’s name is on the box doesn’t mean people are going to buy in. Does anyone remember The Sum of All Fears on GameCube? Hopefully you don’t because it was attrocious. To gamer’s credit, they didn’t buy it. Also, to Ubisoft’s credit, they’re floating demos for these new, non-established properties because they’re not relying on Tom Clancy alone to sell it.

Tom does not develop games. We know this. What he does is help with the stories and give Ubisoft access to his established military connections.

James, I do recall you saying that EndWar was fun. Now its mediocre? Is that you talking or the 77 metacritic score (which falls under their generally favorable reviews)? Arguably more important, I believe, is the users score on Metacritic of 8.7 out of 10. When gamers like a game that much who is Mr. Clancy doing a disservice to?

As far as HAWX is concerned, sir you are calling this a mediocre game before the proverbial chicken is even hatched.