Comments on: The tyranny of the epic http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/ Video game design tips from the creator of Prince of Persia, plus news and information about his projects. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:30:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Cherilyn Nicoletti http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/#comment-17168 Cherilyn Nicoletti Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:31:47 +0000 http://jordanmechner.com/?p=1978#comment-17168 This is such a great post you have shared. I really like reading post like this because its fruitful and helpful by many people like me. I know its not that easy to make a great post but once you've get use to it, you'll be able to make it easier and more qualified. I'm noting it for future reference. I wish to read more of your ideas soon. Please put me in your list, so that I will be inform of your new post. Just in case your not earning money with your blog, there's a good ebook you must have to learn how to maximize your earning potential through blogging. I can see your blog needs a little improvement, I highly recommend that you take time on reading Darren's book, its full of secret information of how you can earn more money out of a blog. I recommend that you visit this site called ez-dollar-income (you can find it on google - its top in the search engine) - a friend recommend it to me and indeed had help me a lot on making money on my blog. Be sure to subscribe so that you'll be notified for new blog money opportunities. I now made 30-50$ per day, its not that enough but will soon make more. You take care and hope to read more post when I come back. This is such a great post you have shared. I really like reading post like this because its fruitful and helpful by many people like me. I know its not that easy to make a great post but once you’ve get use to it, you’ll be able to make it easier and more qualified. I’m noting it for future reference. I wish to read more of your ideas soon. Please put me in your list, so that I will be inform of your new post.

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]]> By: Mark http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/#comment-1668 Mark Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:55:30 +0000 http://jordanmechner.com/?p=1978#comment-1668 Very intriguing post and something I have considered often. I agree that the younger population consumes more media in general so the media mostly appeals to them. And when you are 13 or 14, the romance, the excitement of rapidly approaching adulthood, the promise of exposed mysteries, and risk that comes from being an adult and being able to start defining yourself dovetail easily into the giant action stories along with the overwhelming physical sensation of sitting in a theater with a 120 foot screen and surround sound. But it does all seem the same to me now as well. I think it's a byproduct of getting older that the focus changes a bit. I'm not saying it's for the better, but what you want to consume, what you need to nourish you changes. Very intriguing post and something I have considered often. I agree that the younger population consumes more media in general so the media mostly appeals to them. And when you are 13 or 14, the romance, the excitement of rapidly approaching adulthood, the promise of exposed mysteries, and risk that comes from being an adult and being able to start defining yourself dovetail easily into the giant action stories along with the overwhelming physical sensation of sitting in a theater with a 120 foot screen and surround sound.
But it does all seem the same to me now as well. I think it’s a byproduct of getting older that the focus changes a bit. I’m not saying it’s for the better, but what you want to consume, what you need to nourish you changes.

]]> By: Oscar http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/#comment-1042 Oscar Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:34:20 +0000 http://jordanmechner.com/?p=1978#comment-1042 Over on the "why epic" note, my guess it's a deep fantasy of ours to be masters of the world. We would all like to be the alpha male, so when a movie shows you a small number against a bigger one, you're left wanting to live that. (epic is pretty much large scale in which you must unbalance the good side to make the exploit look more impressive, it's lost most of it's tragicness nowdays). In games, it's different, I would ask you, which one is the most epic game you played ? I'm not sure but I'd bet Diablo 2 would take the lead, because you had the land in your palm and could crush everything. And even if you were not allowed to do anything in town, you knew that you could kill everyone if you wanted. So there's something to think about in my opinion about what makes games special : they don't leave you wanting to do the same thing as in your game, why, because you just did ! You accomplished what happened on the screen. So as most game designers leave us with dull stories and mechanics, they have to rely on other things to make us play games, that's the epic part. Being the alpha male is reason enough, in and out of itself, you barely need a story to tell you why you're crushing the world. Epic is a good way to not have to write a complex story. And tell me what you want, Diablo 2 had a pretty linear and dull storyline (although, for no apparent reason, I love it). Over on the “why epic” note, my guess it’s a deep fantasy of ours to be masters of the world. We would all like to be the alpha male, so when a movie shows you a small number against a bigger one, you’re left wanting to live that.
(epic is pretty much large scale in which you must unbalance the good side to make the exploit look more impressive, it’s lost most of it’s tragicness nowdays).

In games, it’s different, I would ask you, which one is the most epic game you played ? I’m not sure but I’d bet Diablo 2 would take the lead, because you had the land in your palm and could crush everything. And even if you were not allowed to do anything in town, you knew that you could kill everyone if you wanted. So there’s something to think about in my opinion about what makes games special : they don’t leave you wanting to do the same thing as in your game, why, because you just did ! You accomplished what happened on the screen.
So as most game designers leave us with dull stories and mechanics, they have to rely on other things to make us play games, that’s the epic part.
Being the alpha male is reason enough, in and out of itself, you barely need a story to tell you why you’re crushing the world. Epic is a good way to not have to write a complex story. And tell me what you want, Diablo 2 had a pretty linear and dull storyline (although, for no apparent reason, I love it).

]]> By: David Anaxagoras http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/#comment-987 David Anaxagoras Sat, 30 May 2009 18:29:36 +0000 http://jordanmechner.com/?p=1978#comment-987 On the subject of "sameness", I have to say that art-house can be as guilty as any type of movie. I'll be happy if I never see another story about heroin addiction again. And while I think it's incredibly narrow-minded to claim two movies are the "same" because they both feature giant robots, this is a great send-up of two would-be summer tent-poles: <a href="http://black20.com/black20-trailer-park/transforminators" rel="nofollow">Transforminators</a> "They used to just shoot at us, now they turn into sweet cars..." On the subject of “sameness”, I have to say that art-house can be as guilty as any type of movie. I’ll be happy if I never see another story about heroin addiction again.

And while I think it’s incredibly narrow-minded to claim two movies are the “same” because they both feature giant robots, this is a great send-up of two would-be summer tent-poles:

Transforminators

“They used to just shoot at us, now they turn into sweet cars…”

]]> By: Joe Martin http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/#comment-954 Joe Martin Tue, 26 May 2009 17:01:46 +0000 http://jordanmechner.com/?p=1978#comment-954 I think the issue isn't that there's too much epic content though, more that everyone is making the SAME epic content. Harry Potter and GI Joe and so on are all the same kind of epic story and none of them are especially new in their formatting. Epic isn't a genre in itself; it's a recognition of scope. Nowadays everyone is making the same kind of epic action and fantasy films, so it's rare to see epic coming of age films like Bicentennial Man or epic love stories, like What Dreams May Come. And yes, it's probably coincidence that they both star Robin Williams. To me though, that's only a surface issue. The real problem is that as media plays an increasingly influential and prevalent role in society it becomes harder and harder for people to find unique perspectives or influences when creating projects of the kind of scope that films and commercial games ten to be. Everyone ends up citing the same tired references in comedy (Python, Milligan, Morecombe and Wise) while everyone in action does the same. Don't get me wrong, there are unique artists out there and there always will be - but as media becomes more prevalent then the market is swamped and it gets harder for people to stand out. That's the real issue; not that everything tends towards the epic, but that there's too much out there and that everyone has a very samey-idea of what an epic can be. I think the issue isn’t that there’s too much epic content though, more that everyone is making the SAME epic content. Harry Potter and GI Joe and so on are all the same kind of epic story and none of them are especially new in their formatting. Epic isn’t a genre in itself; it’s a recognition of scope. Nowadays everyone is making the same kind of epic action and fantasy films, so it’s rare to see epic coming of age films like Bicentennial Man or epic love stories, like What Dreams May Come. And yes, it’s probably coincidence that they both star Robin Williams.

To me though, that’s only a surface issue. The real problem is that as media plays an increasingly influential and prevalent role in society it becomes harder and harder for people to find unique perspectives or influences when creating projects of the kind of scope that films and commercial games ten to be. Everyone ends up citing the same tired references in comedy (Python, Milligan, Morecombe and Wise) while everyone in action does the same.

Don’t get me wrong, there are unique artists out there and there always will be – but as media becomes more prevalent then the market is swamped and it gets harder for people to stand out. That’s the real issue; not that everything tends towards the epic, but that there’s too much out there and that everyone has a very samey-idea of what an epic can be.

]]> By: Snorre Valen http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/#comment-933 Snorre Valen Sun, 24 May 2009 19:06:05 +0000 http://jordanmechner.com/?p=1978#comment-933 Good post! I wonder, however, about your own PoP film. The one man i associate witht he trends you describe is Jerry Bruckheimer - your producer, I think? Will PoP be a human film - and will it break free of the blockbuster formulas? Good post!

I wonder, however, about your own PoP film. The one man i associate witht he trends you describe is Jerry Bruckheimer – your producer, I think? Will PoP be a human film – and will it break free of the blockbuster formulas?

]]> By: jordan http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/#comment-918 jordan Sat, 23 May 2009 05:45:51 +0000 http://jordanmechner.com/?p=1978#comment-918 Yeah. They say Aeschylus wrote some great kitchen-sink comedies modeled on his mother-in-law's family, but they got lost when the library burned down in Alexandria. Yeah. They say Aeschylus wrote some great kitchen-sink comedies modeled on his mother-in-law’s family, but they got lost when the library burned down in Alexandria.

]]> By: David Anaxagoras http://jordanmechner.com/blog/2009/05/the-tyranny-of-the-epic/#comment-915 David Anaxagoras Sat, 23 May 2009 02:16:26 +0000 http://jordanmechner.com/?p=1978#comment-915 I have the same problem with the ancient Sumerians, Homer, Wu Cheng'en, Milton and bunch of other hacks. It's always Epic this and Epic that. I have the same problem with the ancient Sumerians, Homer, Wu Cheng’en, Milton and bunch of other hacks. It’s always Epic this and Epic that.

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