LostWinds dev: Don't treat download services as a 'dumping ground'

Frontier Developments has used the WiiWare platform to deliver two small, but high-quality games: the LostWinds series. However, according to David Braben (and a quick look at the offerings on any console download service) not everyone has taken the same approach. "One of the things that really annoys me," Braben told Develop, "is when people see XBLA, PSN and WiiWare as a dumping ground, in terms of 'you don't need to put the same amount of effort in.'"

Instead of a place for shallow games, Braben described the download space as the "short story" of game design. "It's a way to try out a radical idea," he said, "It's a way to try out a radical idea, and quite often a lot of those do become novels later on. What I don't like is the idea that people can scratch one out at the bus stop, which I've overheard at conferences." More CUBELLO, less Frogger 2. Of course, the real takeaway from Braben's article is that you should look around at conferences to see if David Braben is nearby.

Reader Comments (23)

Seems to me that the trash-to-treasure ratio on services like XBLA parallels that of other distribution channels. Crap software is inevitable, sadly.

Meh I think your more likely to get more innovative games on services like XBLA than in regular retail stores. Games like Braid, Geometry Wars, Trials HD and Shadow Complex are just to name a few. If you average XBLA ratings against retail store games you'll get higher ratiing all together on the XBLA games...

From your lips to Mommy, Daddy, Sarah & Billy's ears.

Can't argue with this. I agree 100% and it seems Frontier has a grasp on how to develop bitesized quality downloadable titles. Their latest entry in the LostWinds franchise, Winter of the Melodias, has been garnering some high praise from reviewers. It's currently sitting at a 90% average.

The internet is not a big truck. The internet is not something that you just dump something on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cZC67wXUTs

the PSN takes some calculated risks, yet still has a pretty good handle on things; there's some garbage out there, but then there's titles that are truly innovative like Flower or Noby Noby Boy.

And yet, games like Flower don't have a demo and expect you to plop down $15 out of blind faith.

I agree, there are some truly ingenious games on the PSN store. Echochrome, Pixeljunk series, Noby noby boy, The Chosen one- all of which I still play.

Then there are some pretentious pieces of garbage that aren't even worth $3.

I'm looking at you, Linger in Shadows.

Still, not a bad ratio.

All of Braben's full games have suffered from being buggy messes upon release. He finally found a medium where he can release completed games and the first opportunity he gets he's blasting other devs pursuing exactly the same path he has for the last 15 years. What a putz.

I'm sure that his games have indeed been buggy (although the last one I played, excluding Lost Winds, was Frontier)... but he's criticising developers for putting out games that only took ten minutes to make, not for putting out games that took years to make but weren't quite finished. Different criticism.

I think it's not all about the development budget though (and maybe that's not quite what he meant either). There are games which probably took a lot less work to develop than Lost Winds, but are still awesome (article mentioned Cubello, case in point).

Personally I don't care how many crap games get released, only how many good games. On Wii the answer is 'quite a lot in total but they're still infrequent'. I do wish there were more reliable and prompt reviews of downloadable games (again, on Wii this is partly Nintendo's fault, because they don't give journalists advance access). Short-form reviews - two paragraphs, rating - would be fine, but usually there isn't any kind of review from the major sites.

I think the tide is starting to change in this regard.
Sure at the birth of DLC there were a lot of sub-par games being released, but as downloadable content becomes more mainstream we're seeing titles such as Shadow Complex which are pushing the quality of downloadable games.

I agree with him. That and the Lostwinds series was one of the best games, despite it's length, that I ever played on my Wii when I had it. In fact, it's one of the only games I truly miss. I wish more games had as much attention to detail as theirs, on any platform.

Downloadable titles are great tho i like PSN Exclusives more then the XBLA stuff i played. none of them should be called that .. unless theirs someone who keeps making Shoddy games and throwing it out and cluttering the place of " Bad Games " then i may call it a Dumping Ground but this isn't the case.

He's wrong, of course... Otherwise, those crap titles wouldn't sell.

Wow. That was so poorly worded that I just had to upvote it. Sorry...

While yes it was good but fail to see how Shadow Complex a direct Metroid clone is "innovative".

In any case while throwing great games out there,don't forget Orbient and Icarian/Nyxquest.

I ended up with herpes! Thanks TallConnect.com!

I've actually found a lot more satisfaction on the downloadable services than I have the retail channels as of late.

I just wish I could get my stupid Wii to go online again. I think it might be broken...

I'm having a problem going online too, I can't even update the thing (I don't want to though, it would block the HBC). Maybe is something on the cnsole itself or the last update?

Lost Winds is awesome, I don't have the latest one yet, because i can't connect to the internet on the wii (see above), but the first one is excellent.

I recommend getting Contra ReBirth once you get your Wii online again. It's worth the 1,000 Wii points.

And the second LostWinds is out already? Crap, better get that soon.

"What I don't like is the idea that people can scratch one out at the bus stop, which I've overheard at conferences."

Ha ha! Innuendos.

i don't know man - i mean lost winds is what put me off of the wiiware for quite some time. i think it controls horribly, although i've wondered if it's something with firmware in the remote, one is a launch unit and another when wii play came out.

it sure controls like poorly. wasted ten bucks.

Not exactly sure how it controlled horribly. It did exactly what it was supposed to do.

Did your wiimote stall or something?

LostWinds dev: Don't treat download services as a 'dumping ground'

Reader Comments (23)

Posted: Oct 14th 2009 11:51AM darkinchworm said

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