Destructoid Checkpoint: Gamescom is coming

Gamescom is on the horizon, and we have plans! Our very own Andrej Barovic will be there, ready to report all the exciting goings on directly to you. Will he see a rare indie game, grazing peacefully? Will a new AAA game stampede through the event? Let’s see!

But first, a word from Andrej:

The GTA 6 on Netflix reveal isn’t as weird as you think

I am surprised to see a lot of folks feeling confused as to why Rockstar would show their first real look at GTA 6 on Netflix. For some reason, I find this surprising, but it’s definitely a good indicator of the dual mindsets that exist in the minds of gamers.

Many gamers still like to look at gaming as if it is not a massive phenomenon, and technically the most profitable entertainment venture on the planet. They still perceive it as some kind of niche hobby, something to be protected from the mainstream, which is mean and “others” them because of their interest in video games and other aspects of nerd culture. 

But they also delight in the financial side of things, in the potentially massive profits to be made, obsessing over sales figures that can hit millions in a matter of days and where the right releases can easily outstrip the biggest Hollywood movies or musical albums each year. 

GTA 6 is going to be the biggest game release of the decade, so every brand on the planet is going to be figuring out ways to get beside the game. Netflix is no different than Coca-Cola, Apple, or Guinness in that they are massive, world-renowned brands that spend billions of dollars each year to stay that way. 

One of the most misunderstood aspects of advertising is that you are not just paying to get in front of the audience, but you are also paying to deny the competition the chance to fill that slot. Clips of GTA are going to be the most shared things on the internet on August 27, and for about 6 hours, every one of them is going to have a little Netflix “N” logo in the corner of the screen. 

From Rockstar’s point of view, we are also in an era of strong video game to TV and movie adaptations, so would it really be surprising if we end up learning that they are working on their own edition  with one of the biggest streaming platforms on the planet?

Amazon has been building out an interesting blueprint for adaptations, showing what you shouldn’t and shouldn’t do, depending on the franchise. Wheel of Time and Rings of Power missed the mark due to a bit of a gulf between what the creatives thought that audience wanted and what the audience really wanted. 

On the other hand, Fallout, Bosch, and Reacher all landed well with fans who felt that the series were trying to offer them honest and loving renditions of the stories they loved.

I honestly don’t even know what a GTA 6 TV show might look like. Walking the line between providing characters you genuinely root for and emotionally invest in and the type of over-the-top satire the series is known for would be tough, but definitely doable. 

Is it even on the cards? I have no idea, but I wouldn’t be shocked if this reveal is designed to test the waters and give Netflix a litmus test of just how big a surge the GTA audience can create.

Speaking of Amazon…

Amazon is officially out of the MMO business. After investing pretty heavily in an attack on the market with New World, and later, New World: Aeternum, Amazon hung that up in October of last year, instead focusing on its publishing duties.

Now, the Western publishing rights for Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark have been handed off to SmileGate Games for the former and NC for the latter.

It’s an odd time for MMOs in general, with the market predicted to grow significantly over the coming years, although little agreement on how much it is worth right now, or what the value of that growth will be. The issue seems to boil down to exactly whose numbers we look at, as some companies will cast a wider net. What is a sure thing, however, is the current importance of mobile growth, and the continued importance of the Asian mobile market. 

Western publishers are always looking to strike gold by bringing the most recent hot product from China, Korea, or Japan to the English-speaking market, when the real trick might just be figuring out a superb, Western-focused MMO and then taking that abroad. 

I’ve never been a huge believer in the idea that people on the other side of the world are just not that interested in contemporary cultural offerings from companies like America. Look at the overt influence of hip-hop and the rave scene on K-Pop and J-Pop, or the insane success of the Fast and Furious movies in China. In much the same way that Western audiences tend to appreciate foreign media that is unapologetically grounded in its own cultural mores, Asian audiences tend to feel the same, being drawn to slices of life that feel genuine, even if they cannot quite put their finger on why. 

I’ll never entirely understand the dissonant approach the industry takes on this, but I am eager to see more success stories as companies move beyond it.

What’s happening, Destructoid?

Andrej Barovic went hands-on with 1666: Amsterdam and liked it. - “If you’ve played any Assassin’s Creed game from the first one up until Brotherhood, you will know that Patrice Désilets has a penchant for historical accuracy. I remember at 18 I visited Florence, Italy for the first time, and had an overwhelming sense of familiarity with the place, particularly its Santa Maria del Fiore church and plaza, precisely because of how devoted Ubisoft under his leadership was to faithfully recreating real-life locations.”

Scott Duwe feels that Overwatch's latest character, D.Mon, could use a couple of buffs. “The mech pilot and teammate Overwatch icon D.Va plays like a combination of her and Reinhardt at times (my two other favorite tanks), wielding a shield and energy sword with Armored Core-like mobility. As a tank main since the original game’s launch 10 years ago, I’ve been loving her so far. She’s the game’s most fun new tank in quite a while.”

And that’s it for this week!