Memorable Icons

[Squall Leonhart]

Originally Posted by Raiden

[...]Who else would they stick in?

that's exactly my point. They don't have enough characters to make it intresting.

Unless they made all third parties to make a big clash, I find it extremly hard for either company to make a similar game.

Edit: Now this is what I'm talking about!

[Lockeownzj00]

I honestly...think it's good that we don't have as many mascots anymore. Besides nostalgia, right now, what do mascots really do? What purpose do they serve? Don't we recognise that they're a paper-thin marketing ploy to attract more customers? That they're the most 1-dimensional, predictable, over-used, over-sold, over-whored "characters," if you can call them that, in the business? That they have no depth, and there are millions of them being created a second for the sole purposes of being mascots, not characters? That their whole existence is a paradox, engineered to implant themselves in your mind at youth so you can be nostalgic about them later? And what are we reminiscing about? The fact that in our youth, we were bombarded with their image, mercilessly, through countless, horrible products, ranging from the pointless to the obsolete to the offensively irrelevant?

I personally am glad we're starting to shed our lesser-versions of Mao personality cults. They just represent the corporate, faceless side of video-games for me. Sure, I love Mario. Sure, all the other mascots kind of suck. And sure, even though Super Smash Brothers was a lucky leak over to the US of what the Japanese have been making for years; cheap, badly made for-profit-only group fighting games based around several well-known mascots, it was fun. But I could do without them. And I don't think I'd be missin' too hard.

Edit: oh my god, I hadn't even clicked the link in the previous post, and I hit it dead-on. Money-making group fighting game. Hoo-boy, Japan never ceases to fill their "Superficial" quota for the day. In fact, I think they've gone beyond the capacities of conventional measuring methods.

[Jagos]

Heh, let's look at Dante that's been in more fill-ins than actual games. Three made but he was in an RPG, Action (Viewtiful, wasn't it?) and basically had more action than a hooker at a 99 cent store. Do I need to see him everywhere or does he really need to be in more games for the "cool" factor?

Super Smash Bros was good. Jump Superstars looks like it can go all the way. But so long as the respective companies don't go the Lara Croft Route (more merchandising, horrible gameplay for all) I think we'll all be more happy.

That, and making unique characters. One day I WILL play Beyond Good and Evil and see what the fuss is about. But that's on my time not the corporate!

[Raiden]

What RPG was he in?

[Jagos]

Shin Megami Tensei

[Astral Harmony]

Well, there is Onimusha Blade Warriors that sort of tried to be like Super Smash Brothers but that didn't quite work out.

Mascots are all right, but I don't think we really need 'em anymore. They don't really serve any purpose these days, it seems. Besides, I'm sure your average gamer knows which console to turn to if they want certain characters or their games. If they want Mario, Samus, Link, and all the people a lot of us gamers grew up with, they'll stick with Nintendo. If people like Halo, Dead or Alive, or Splinter Cell, then they'll choose XBox. If they want Devil May Cry, Tomb Raider, or more RPGs then they know what to do with (Nintendo and XBox have some good ones, but PS2 dominates that genre), then they can pick up a Playstation 2.

[Djstriker]

The lack of mascots comes down to the same thing that is making new RPG's suck its all Graphics Driven and the NEWEST technology that runs the market. So why make games with characters everyone loves when we can use the new Graphics standard to create more blood more shiny weapons *though as any 8bit theater fan knows SHINY is good* and the like instead of good storyline, better playability and over all fun factor. Which why stepping away from consoles for a sec I love World of Warcraft its not all about the graphics the story is fun and I actually enjoy questing thank god Blizzard has stuck to there original thesis on game design. Just my opinion but *shrug* ya'll can decide heh.

[Lockeownzj00]

I disagree. Wouldn't more graphics, a la Killer 7, allow for even *more* memorable icons? Isn't it when video-games approach the likeness of other aesthetically-appealing genres of mediums like comics and paintings and movies that it becomes even more impressive? Don't graphics fucknig rock the hizouse?

No...graphics, if anything, fuel potential character cults.

The decline is a positive thing but due to a negative catalyst, I believe--the industry floundering like a fish out of water.

[MFD]

But, if I LIKE a character, such as Luigi, or Link, then why is that a bad thing, just beause they're in one of Nintendo's flagship series? I want to play the games for the character, whether it's the one I made up, or the one the game develops.

I would say that, while mascots are not inherently evil, it is a good thing that the game companies are expanding their horizons. Perhaps they'll stumble on a new character or universe that people will enjoy.

Hell, Nintendo plans to add a new franchise in their Revo generation.

[Fifthfiend]

The PS2 Mascot is Tommy Vercetti, it is so.