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Monkey Island Director Will No Longer Post About the Game Due to Online Abuse

43 points by LeoPanthera 4y ago

norwalkbear 4y ago
Well it looks horrendous, I had my doubts when I saw devolver digital, but it's worse. Alot of the criticism is valid, the art direction is objectively awful. I work on video games for a living, and the backgrounds are too busy, the character animations too shitty. Ron Gilbert needs to get an opinion that doesn't suck up to him. Of course fans are upset with it, any competent art director could see this coming from a mile away.
- Teever 4y ago
  I agree that the animations aren't the best, but I'm flabbergasted at the outrage that people have for this. How much of this is just subjective and in 10-20 years people will be saying that this Monkey Island is the best of them all and that the art is amazing?
  - jimmygrapes 4y ago
    I couldn't find any scholarly references, but in many of the informal gaming circles I frequented in my youth this was known as "The Zelda Effect" - the newest game is always the worst one, graphically and/or gameplay-wise, and the game before that (which was previously the worst) suddenly becomes the best one of the series. As a long time fan of click and point adventure games, I can attest to this happening here. For a long time, people hated Curse of Monkey Island because it was too cartoonish, the voice acting didn't match what anybody had in their minds, and so on. Then Escape from Monkey Island came out, and suddenly the same people loved Curse of Monkey Island, while Escape from Monkey Island was clunky, ugly, poor puzzle design, not true to the series, and so on. Then Tales of Monkey Island came out, and fans of the series hated how Telltale Games had ruined the series, it didn't have the same spirit, the controls were a mess, the graphics were somehow worse than the previous generation, and so on. And now here we are. I'm curious whether the trend will hold up and people who dislike this new style (which, tangentially, seems very similar to Broken Age[0], a fairly modern adventure game by Tim Schafer, another Monkey Island alumni) will suddenly claim Tales of Monkey Island was the pinnacle of the series. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Age https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Age
- whateveracct 4y ago
  My favorite thing is when gamers and gamedevs act like you can say something like this is "objectively awful" lmao
- hollandheese 4y ago
  >Well it looks horrendous, I had my doubts when I saw devolver digital, but it's worse. You know the first thing my wife said when she saw the trailer. She said, "That looks gorgeous and fun." Which is what I imagine that Gilbert is going for. I also really like the look. It's like a modern children's story book come to life. And why the hell does it matter that it's PUBLISHED by Devolver Digital? I doubt they had say on the look of the game. My bet is that this is just the absurd Wind Waker hate that anything cartoony and joyful looking gets initially and 20 years from now people will say this is the best game in the series like tons of people do for Wind Waker.
halfnormalform 4y ago
The game looks just fine and I can’t wait to play it.
- seanhunter 4y ago
  Exactly. This game looks like a lot of fun and the art direction looks like a logical step forward from the original games. I’m probably going to buy it and I’ll probably enjoy playing it. On the other hand, if you don’t think you’ll like it, don’t buy it. This entitlement and outrage pile-on effect in gaming is really strange. I remember The Witcher 3 (widely acclaimed now as one of the best-looking games of its era) being greeted on release by frame-by-frame “takedowns” with people complaining that certain assets had changed from the original gameplay reveal to the eventual release and calling it a graphical downgrade even though the gameplay reveal had been a completely different engine from the final game.
lostgame 4y ago
Unfortunately, the art direction is literally borderline offensive to those who grew up with the game; and is just, subjectively, brutally ugly. It’s difficult to fake a positive response when you take something with such charm and turn it into…whatever the hell we’re looking at here.
- mpalmer 4y ago
  No one's forcing you or the people hounding this guy off the web to comment publicly on anything.
  - fortyseven 4y ago
    Only positive comments. Negative comments will be punished by 30 days in the cooler.
AnIdiotOnTheNet 4y ago
Gamers sure are an entitled bunch. Ron Gilbert is finally making a new Monkey Island game and their panties are in a twist because the art isn't stylized in a way that appeals to them? Alright, fine, don't buy the game. But no, instead they go harass a legend who shaped the entire genre. Honestly, if I were Ron and I somehow wasn't under contract to do otherwise, I'd just cancel the whole thing.
whateveracct 4y ago
Capital-G Gamers are the worst
steveo66 4y ago
Style shift angers people because its a violation of what they liked about the series. The first two games have a very consistent Disney-like style that was common Lucasarts adventure games of the era and earlier. The third game is flashier and more stylized take on the same thing, but ultimately still looks fairly mainstream American animation, a bit more stylized, just more like Don Bluth having a very bad day or Nickelodeon with a huge budget than Disney. The fourth game is essentially the same style as Curse, just in 3D - and it was clearly a bad decision, aesthetically, to go 3D - the tech wasn’t there. Tales, which isn’t exactly a sequel (specifically my understanding is Gilbert regards this as Monkey Island 5, not Tales), is a more successful attempt at essentially the same look as the fourth game. Ron Gilbert really underestimated the artwork direction Steven purcell(Sam and max) brought. This is probably the George Lucas star wars prequel effect in action. Some people NEED editors and feedback. After playing Thimbleweed Park, Im convinced Gilbert is one of them. I have no doubt the backlash against him will only get worse as people actually play the game ala the star wars prequels.
- legitster 4y ago
  I don't think the art direction is bad. But to my eyes it looks cheap and/or lazy. Like a phone game (or, honestly a decent Flash animation from 2010). I think you hit the nail on the head. Gilbert has grumped for 20+ years about finally making the game he wants. But some of the magic looks to be missing. Still, I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I am definitely going to buy the game.
- georgebarnett 4y ago
  > I have no doubt the backlash against him will only get worse as people actually play the game I’m reminded of a jingle I heard years ago.. It’s ok to not like things, but don’t be a dick about the things you don’t like.
  - techdragon 4y ago
    I’m really trying to set this to a few bars of music in my head to make this a “jingle” but it’s such a long sentence for a jingle it just seems so weird. I would love to see/listen to the original you heard. It’s a great piece of advice to live by though.
anothernewdude 4y ago
Art looks fine. People are being way too precious about this.

43 points by LeoPanthera 4y ago

Well it looks horrendous, I had my doubts when I saw devolver digital, but it's worse. Alot of the criticism is valid, the art direction is objectively awful. I work on video games for a living, and the backgrounds are too busy, the character animations too shitty. Ron Gilbert needs to get an opinion that doesn't suck up to him. Of course fans are upset with it, any competent art director could see this coming from a mile away.

Teever 4y ago
I agree that the animations aren't the best, but I'm flabbergasted at the outrage that people have for this. How much of this is just subjective and in 10-20 years people will be saying that this Monkey Island is the best of them all and that the art is amazing?
- jimmygrapes 4y ago
  I couldn't find any scholarly references, but in many of the informal gaming circles I frequented in my youth this was known as "The Zelda Effect" - the newest game is always the worst one, graphically and/or gameplay-wise, and the game before that (which was previously the worst) suddenly becomes the best one of the series. As a long time fan of click and point adventure games, I can attest to this happening here. For a long time, people hated Curse of Monkey Island because it was too cartoonish, the voice acting didn't match what anybody had in their minds, and so on. Then Escape from Monkey Island came out, and suddenly the same people loved Curse of Monkey Island, while Escape from Monkey Island was clunky, ugly, poor puzzle design, not true to the series, and so on. Then Tales of Monkey Island came out, and fans of the series hated how Telltale Games had ruined the series, it didn't have the same spirit, the controls were a mess, the graphics were somehow worse than the previous generation, and so on. And now here we are. I'm curious whether the trend will hold up and people who dislike this new style (which, tangentially, seems very similar to Broken Age[0], a fairly modern adventure game by Tim Schafer, another Monkey Island alumni) will suddenly claim Tales of Monkey Island was the pinnacle of the series. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Age https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Age
whateveracct 4y ago
My favorite thing is when gamers and gamedevs act like you can say something like this is "objectively awful" lmao
hollandheese 4y ago
>Well it looks horrendous, I had my doubts when I saw devolver digital, but it's worse. You know the first thing my wife said when she saw the trailer. She said, "That looks gorgeous and fun." Which is what I imagine that Gilbert is going for. I also really like the look. It's like a modern children's story book come to life. And why the hell does it matter that it's PUBLISHED by Devolver Digital? I doubt they had say on the look of the game. My bet is that this is just the absurd Wind Waker hate that anything cartoony and joyful looking gets initially and 20 years from now people will say this is the best game in the series like tons of people do for Wind Waker.

halfnormalform 4y ago

The game looks just fine and I can’t wait to play it.

seanhunter 4y ago
Exactly. This game looks like a lot of fun and the art direction looks like a logical step forward from the original games. I’m probably going to buy it and I’ll probably enjoy playing it. On the other hand, if you don’t think you’ll like it, don’t buy it. This entitlement and outrage pile-on effect in gaming is really strange. I remember The Witcher 3 (widely acclaimed now as one of the best-looking games of its era) being greeted on release by frame-by-frame “takedowns” with people complaining that certain assets had changed from the original gameplay reveal to the eventual release and calling it a graphical downgrade even though the gameplay reveal had been a completely different engine from the final game.

lostgame 4y ago

Unfortunately, the art direction is literally borderline offensive to those who grew up with the game; and is just, subjectively, brutally ugly. It’s difficult to fake a positive response when you take something with such charm and turn it into…whatever the hell we’re looking at here.

mpalmer 4y ago
No one's forcing you or the people hounding this guy off the web to comment publicly on anything.
- fortyseven 4y ago
  Only positive comments. Negative comments will be punished by 30 days in the cooler.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 4y ago

Gamers sure are an entitled bunch. Ron Gilbert is finally making a new Monkey Island game and their panties are in a twist because the art isn't stylized in a way that appeals to them? Alright, fine, don't buy the game. But no, instead they go harass a legend who shaped the entire genre. Honestly, if I were Ron and I somehow wasn't under contract to do otherwise, I'd just cancel the whole thing.

whateveracct 4y ago

Capital-G Gamers are the worst

steveo66 4y ago

Style shift angers people because its a violation of what they liked about the series. The first two games have a very consistent Disney-like style that was common Lucasarts adventure games of the era and earlier. The third game is flashier and more stylized take on the same thing, but ultimately still looks fairly mainstream American animation, a bit more stylized, just more like Don Bluth having a very bad day or Nickelodeon with a huge budget than Disney. The fourth game is essentially the same style as Curse, just in 3D - and it was clearly a bad decision, aesthetically, to go 3D - the tech wasn’t there. Tales, which isn’t exactly a sequel (specifically my understanding is Gilbert regards this as Monkey Island 5, not Tales), is a more successful attempt at essentially the same look as the fourth game. Ron Gilbert really underestimated the artwork direction Steven purcell(Sam and max) brought. This is probably the George Lucas star wars prequel effect in action. Some people NEED editors and feedback. After playing Thimbleweed Park, Im convinced Gilbert is one of them. I have no doubt the backlash against him will only get worse as people actually play the game ala the star wars prequels.

legitster 4y ago
I don't think the art direction is bad. But to my eyes it looks cheap and/or lazy. Like a phone game (or, honestly a decent Flash animation from 2010). I think you hit the nail on the head. Gilbert has grumped for 20+ years about finally making the game he wants. But some of the magic looks to be missing. Still, I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I am definitely going to buy the game.
georgebarnett 4y ago
> I have no doubt the backlash against him will only get worse as people actually play the game I’m reminded of a jingle I heard years ago.. It’s ok to not like things, but don’t be a dick about the things you don’t like.
- techdragon 4y ago
  I’m really trying to set this to a few bars of music in my head to make this a “jingle” but it’s such a long sentence for a jingle it just seems so weird. I would love to see/listen to the original you heard. It’s a great piece of advice to live by though.

anothernewdude 4y ago

Art looks fine. People are being way too precious about this.