How do you feel about Amnesia putting the spotlight on Frictional?

**Duskofdead** · 04-28-2011, 06:18 PM

(04-28-2011, 06:07 PM)Darkchef Wrote: Well the popularity can only be a good thing as it will allow them to get publishers/distributors a lot easier and the increased cash flow can only mean better games.

Frictional games don't seem like the kinda of company to sell out so easily so I wouldn't worry too much, would be nice if amnesia could be on xbox 360 though, would certainly get them more coverage. I disagree that cross platform is a bad idea, seems a bit backward to just dismiss it.

Keep it going strong Frictional Games!

I would honestly say that I think any PC gamer who played a series or played games by a dev before it got into xbox crossplatforming, and then played after, would tell you that absolutely it is a bad thing. If you are yourself a primarily console gamer or a younger gamer, I wouldn't expect you to know that... but play any big series that suddenly went crossplatform. Ask people who played Elder Scrolls: Morrowind first what they thought of Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. (I'll save you time, it dropped like 50 IQ points and was massively dumbed down so that it could sell to the xbox userbase, and the story went from novel quality to saturday morning King Arthur cartoon quality.)

Here, let me tell you about what would happen if Frictional went mainstream crossplatform (my friend and I were joking about this):

AMNESIA 2: RELOADED

You reprise the role of Daniel and you have amnesia... again. Only this time, you're armed, and you're angry, and back for vengeance.

Seriously, tell me you can't see that. It's only SLIGHT parody of what happens when games go bawkz.

**NGW** · 04-28-2011, 06:21 PM

Epic, Bioware :[

**dph314** · 04-28-2011, 06:25 PM

It may not be a good idea, but I think if there was one company that could do it well, it'd be Frictional. Done the right way, without taking the wrong route and appealing to the masses with 'Amnesia: Reloaded', I could definately see a successful PS3/360 if Frictional stuck to their guns and hung on to what's worked for them so far.

Not sayin' it's a good idea, but I think they'd be capable of pulling it off.

**Duskofdead** · 04-28-2011, 06:32 PM

(04-28-2011, 06:25 PM)dph314 Wrote: It may not be a good idea, but I think if there was one company that could do it well, it'd be Frictional. Done the right way, without taking the wrong route and appealing to the masses with 'Amnesia: Reloaded', I could definately see a successful PS3/360 if Frictional stuck to their guns and hung on to what's worked for them so far.

Not sayin' it's a good idea, but I think they'd be capable of pulling it off.

I think anything's possible. I just think you haven't seen a SINGLE dev do this once they enter into "making things for the very largescale market", not a single one has stuck to doing truly unique things that stick to a creative vision, if they risk the exposure and liability of flopping on the huge market, they tend to stick to what works and what is guaranteed to sell a lot. And bluntly, when you start looking at crossplatform, that means really stupid games with virtually no story, no immersion, and just "hurry up and tell me what to shoot next."

I think Frictional "could" do a game just like/just as well as/ Amnesia for crossplatform, and I believe it would flop in its xbox sales. And I think if they listened to what would make games that would sell more on xbox, they'd all involve guns and no story... maybe throw in some achievement farming and oooh let's even do co-op and PvP, those sell!

Basically long story short is this, every bit of evidence based on what's happened with *every* dev is that if they do get into mainstream crossplatform releases, their games are going to get stupid and watered down. There is, sadly, nothing but blind faith to believe that the financial and industry pressures would allow 1 indie house to slide in and do it differently than everyone else. Valve was a small indie house once, so was Blizzard... at one time.

**gandalf91** · 04-28-2011, 07:00 PM

I am glad to see them achieving such success. It offers some reassurance that they'll probably be around for quite some time, rather than releasing a couple hits and vanishing into the ether. I also hope the success of an Amnesia-esque game brings a fresh direction to subsequent horror games, not only by Frictional, but other developers as well.

**dph314** · 04-29-2011, 04:57 AM

I'm not sure I can picture it, so I'm bringing it up just for discussion purposes. Frictional is obviously a master of single-player first-person suspense. What if they did do some type of console title (or even another PC title), and wanted to do something multi-player? What would a game of theirs like that be like? I was thinking something along the lines of what they've already done, but having a co-op story mode? Players either being together, or in separate places but in the similar area, their travels being somehow related. Might be interesting.

**SquigPie** · 04-29-2011, 08:02 AM

Honestly guys? Honestly? Frictional finally get some bucks, finally they don't have to live on dry bread and water anymore, and you guys get mad and think they'll suddenly turn into Bioware 2.0? Seriously?! I for one, am happy that I talk about their games with people actually knowing what I'm talking about. Instead of this hipster "we're just a small club and we are so special" shit.

**ThePaSch** · 04-29-2011, 09:45 AM

I'm probably in no position to say anything about this, as I only found Amnesia after checking Steam for good new games myself, but after playing Amnesia, I also bought Penumbra (and played it).
And it is really sad that people go all nuts for Amnesia, saying that it's the best horror game ever. And when I ask those people "what about Penumbra", they tilt their faces and go all "Gesundheit?".

But I am really happy for Frictional. They deserve this and nothing less, to be honest. They are people who make HORROR GAMES, not FPS games with a tidbit of horror.

**Tanshaydar** · 04-29-2011, 12:24 PM

I think every Frictional Fan has a right to express their thoughts.
I myself found out Penumbra series after Steam release. Only thing I'm proud of that I pre-ordered Amnesia in March.

And nobody makes Frictional Bioware 2.0 here. It's just, we lost too many things to mainstream that was precious to us. We don't want to lose Frictional too. A little sensitive and emotional maybe, but this is it for me.

**Frost** · 04-29-2011, 03:35 PM

I didn't find out about Amnesia/Frictional Games until about a month ago, when I saw this image somewhere:

Spoiler below!

It made me super curious, so I did some research, discovered Frictional Games, found out about Amnesia and Penumbra, and played them both.

I am kinda upset that I didn't find out about them earlier, but I don't think that would change anything for me. A fan is a fan is a fan. I've never even played horror games before, so I think it's awesome how they've snagged someone who's normally a pansy RPG gamer, haha.

I'm rooting for them to get more popular, but like what others are saying, I don't want them to change for the worse.