There was a recent, rather interesting blog post on Entertainment Weekly’s website that asked: “What film directors would you follow anywhere?” Basically, the post talked about how important adirectoris when choosing what movie you want to see. Being a huge movie fan, I had a bunch of quick answers:Alfonso Cuarón,Danny Boyle, andGuillermo del Toro, to name a few — the mere mention of their names alone is enough to get me to see a movie.
But when thinking aboutgame designers, my answer wasn’t so easy.
Sure, there are many game designers I adore, but would I follow themanywhere? Would I blindly buy a game just because a certain game designer is attached?
The more I thought about it, the less sure I was.
In my hyperbole-filled, completely optimistic world of puppies and rainbows, I would say the answer to this question isyes(in boldanditalics!)! Of course I would follow my favorite game designers anywhere. I want to have Shigeru Miyamoto’s babies, so I would buyanythinghe is selling.
But, wait. Maybe I need to calm down for a second Maybe I need to put my shirt back on, and really think about this for a second.
As much as I adore the legendary designer (seriously, LET ME HAVE HIS BABIES!), I never purchasedWii Music(a game Miyamoto designed). It just didn’t interest me. And this is coming from the biggest Miyamoto fan on the planet!
So, in answering the question “Is there a game designer you would follow anywhere?” with Miyamoto in mind, the answer is sadly (and surprisingly!)no. Notanywhere. (Although Iwouldbuy aPikmindating sim, no questions asked.)
I can say the same thing about other designers I love with a passion:Hironobu Sakaguchi,Hideo Kojima, orMichel Ancel.
I love all three of these designers, but I can’t say with certainty that I would buy any game they created based onnothingbut their names alone.
Conversely, though, I had little to no interest in recent Xbox Live Arcade gameCostume Questthe first time I laid eyes on it. It looked pleasant enough, but nothing about the game’s initial impressions excited me enough to buy the game the day it was released.
But then I found out the adorable RPG was created by Tim Schafer’s Double Fine studios.
And that was all I needed. I bought it right away.
In fact, looking back, I realized that I have actually purchasedevery single oneof Tim Schafer’s games. All of them.
Are they all good? No — I was ultimately disappointed inBrütal Legend, for example — but that’s not the question. The question is not whether the designers’ games are good … it’s whether you would follow those designersanywhere.
And, with Tim Schafer, I guess I would (and have!).
So, in conclusion: I GUESS I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO ANSWER MY OWN QUESTION!
That’s where I need your help! Do you think a game designer’s name is enough to get you to follow them anywhere? If so, who are some designers you would blindly follow, no matter what?
Here is a good scenario to get the conversation started: IfFumito Ueda— the genius and arguably universally loved creator ofICO,Shadow of the Colossus, and the upcomingThe Last Guardian— decided to make a game in a genre you normally care nothing about … would you still buy it?
If the answer is yes than a game designer’s name reallydoesmatter. If the answer is no … well, maybe you have other priorities outside of a designer’s prestigious moniker. Maybegameplayis most important. Orgraphics. Orstory. Maybe a great game designer’s name is just icing on the cake.
What do you think? The answer is more difficult (and surprising!) than you may think.
