Deus Ex: MD - Series in Jeopardy?

I didn't compare the budget. Chien said, there is no interest in DX. I said there is an measurable interest in that kind of games and topic. Just not in the CoD/GTA category.

Actually, the point was that the japanese purchase of the IP was an indicator the IP had not much juice left in it. If it had juice enough, it would have fallen into other hands.

Cyberpunk is one feature in DX. It does not mean other cyberpunk products compare.
DX has its own specificities that makes the IP a thing of the past. It deals with different elements in a different way.

DX leans toward the anticipation side while Shadowrun is fantasy.

I'd say Square Enix was more interested in Tomb Raider and Hitman, and in that package DX was just another promising concept with its critcal acclaim in the past. Also, I didn't have the impression DXHR was thought to be unsuccessful. At least during the fiscal year report of DXHR's realease it was said to be a reason that Square Enix didn't suffer that much from the disappointment of the Final Fantasy franchise at that time. It wasn't only a number thing, but also outstanding in art direction and how to concept a large game franchise. Last but not least Square Enix used it to connect their Japanese facilities with western game development know how.

DX is cyberpunk stealth action. You can find successful titles in both areas during the last years (e.g. Metal Gear Solid and Dishonored in the stealth action area). I also don't think the dev team failed on the premise but in the execution (gameplay variability like shooter mechanics, main story). On top of that, 2016 was a bad year not only for DX but most AAA productions from different publishers as well. My personal guess is, SE thought it could leverage DX into sales ranks of a bigger mainstream audience, just like Capcom thought with Resident Evil. But these type of games do not scale that simply to a mass market appeal without losing their inherent DNA. That's a problem they could not solve and Square Enix like every stock listed publisher is looking for big sellers, not sophisticated reviews. At this time, Avengers is definitely bigger than DX.

If they resurrect this series one day, let us design our own main character. No more forced to play as a dorky hipster, please… and If it must be voiced, then better to have 3 different voice sets to choose from also..for me, if a character's voice is a turn off (referring to a main character here), it can ruin the whole damn game.

Avantenor said:

I'd say Square Enix was more interested in Tomb Raider and Hitman, and in that package DX was just another promising concept with its critcal acclaim in the past. Also, I didn't have the impression DXHR was thought to be unsuccessful.

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Or it was simply the item put in a stiffed package so it was sold. On its own, it would not have sold.

DX is cyberpunk stealth action. You can find successful titles in both areas during the last years (e.g. Metal Gear Solid and Dishonored in the stealth action area). I also don't think the dev team failed on the premise but in the execution (gameplay variability like shooter mechanics, main story).

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That is dismissing the part of an IP as a sale booster. Between several cyberpunk stealth titles, the IP is one feature expected to attract customers.
Beside, if DX IP was out of breath, it was also a bad idea to associate good gameplay mechanics to it. Better to keep good gameplay mechanics for strong IPs.


The main issue with DX IP is that, when it first released, it was cool PC ness.
Right now, the topics, the way they are dealt with are more and more un PC.
It turned toxic.

ChienAboyeur said:

The main issue with DX IP is that, when it first released, it was cool PC ness.
Right now, the topics, the way they are dealt with are more and more un PC.
It turned toxic.

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errr...yes, except that topics weren't the problem were they?

Do we even knew if the cancellation of the series is a fact or are we just speculating?

I liked DX:HR well enough, haven't played the sequel (yet) and I assumed it would to have enough mainstream appeal to be successful enough to keep the series alive. A shame if it didn't.

zahratustra said:

errr…yes, except that topics weren't the problem were they?

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The topics, the way they were dealt with.

Sorry, I can't follow. Please explain and give examples. Which "topics"? Where is the problem about the handling of them? What's PCness and unPC?

tomasp3n said:

Do we even knew if the cancellation of the series is a fact or are we just speculating.

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Nothing's for sure, but rumours like these don't appear from nothing.

tomasp3n said:

Do we even knew if the cancellation of the series is a fact or are we just speculating?

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Edios Montréal team was moved to another project (another Tomb Raider if I remember correctly). This doesn't mean cancelled as much as postponed though.

tomasp3n said:

I liked DX:HR well enough, haven't played the sequel (yet) and I assumed it would to have enough mainstream appeal to be successful enough to keep the series alive. A shame if it didn't.

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DX has a lots of mainstream appeal, Square failed at marketing the game though and forced a bunch of dubious things over it that negatively painted the game in the social media. Which is very sad, because it has pretty awesome quests and gameplay. I personally rate it higher than Dishonored 2.

azarhal said:

I personally rate it higher than Dishonored 2.

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Now I know exactly what to do with your opinions about games...

I don't know that, all I know is that Dishonored 2 doesn't contain bloatware phonegame(s).

zahratustra said:

Now I know exactly what to do with your opinions about games…

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I don't see how someone can rate Dishonored 2 higher than DX:MD.

Dishonored 2 has only 9 and barely any side quests and no hub, it's a way shorter game than DX:MD. The non-lethal approach is limited to the same melee attack that doesn't work on enemies that aren't walking around and super rare sleeping crossbow dart or "Chloroform" bottles which aren't inventory item and super hard to aim. Voice acting is worst than DX:MD. The story is less of a story than what DX:MD has. Every missions is the same: kill dude or find the optional way of taking him down without killing him (aka repetitive narrative). On top of it, the PC version was a unplayable on release, I had to wait for beta patches (took 3 weeks) to be able to play it.

The only thing Dishonored 2 has over DX:MD is 2 amazing levels (Clockwork Mansion and A Crack in the Slab) and smooth melee combat that isn't cutscene takedowns.

I was planning a detailed answer and then decided not to bother… But, to cut to the chase, saying that you liked DX:MD is like saying that you've been mugged but you liked the way in which they robbed you. For a gamer, it's simply unethical.

zahratustra said:

I was planning a detailed answer and then decided not to bother… But, to cut to the chase, saying that you liked DX:MD is like saying that you've been mugged but you liked the way in which they robbed you. For a gamer, it's simply unethical.

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Nah I rate both Dishonored 2 & Deus Ex: MD as bland average garbage.

It amazes me how developers like movie makers always ruin sequels.

The point is that, even if what you say is true, Beth's offering was a finished product and not a fully priced intro to the games that would follow.

Avantenor said:

Sorry, I can't follow. Please explain and give examples. Which "topics"? Where is the problem about the handling of them? What's PCness and unPC?

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The topics in general.
As to PCness, things devs self censor in fear of spooking customers.
Major changes to come in vid products.