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Games Entertainment

Exploiting Gaming Icons For Profit 25

The Escapist has up an article from the end of the week discussing the exploitation of favorite gaming icons from our past for modern day profit. From the article: "Every year, dozens of gaming legends are subjected to cruel and unusual treatment in the name of profit. Such animated icons as Mario are forced to perform tasks beneath their golden standards so their owners may earn a few extra dollars. Do you have a ridiculous game idea? Throw Donkey Kong in there and suddenly you're sitting on box-sales gold! I come to you today with a plea; a fervent hope for a cause that I hope many players will join: We need to stop the exploitation of gaming icons." Coincidentally, Gamespot has an article up entitled The History of Mario Sports Games. That's called synergy, folks.
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Exploiting Gaming Icons For Profit

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  • Such animated icons as Mario are forced to perform tasks beneath their golden standards so their owners may earn a few extra dollars.

    In other words, since the first game with Mario nothing has changed. Film at 11.
    • ...And people keep buying this stuff. We know they're exploiting Mario and friends, but it's the same thing they've been doing with every other character or logo in any other industry.
      Batman action figures, costumes, and clothing.
      Mario breakfast cereal, TV shows, and game spinoffs.
      Nascar logos on everything.

      It's all the same. It happens with everything, and it's been happening with everything.
      I mean, seriously, who here doesn't have mario sheets, cups, lunchboxes, and clothes?
  • by SpartanVII ( 838669 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @05:37PM (#13473011)
    At least Mario hasn't resorted to selling Peach for a couple hundred an hour, that just wouldn't be classy.
  • This just in (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 03, 2005 @05:38PM (#13473026)
    Copyright owners shouldn't do what they want with their property because it might seem "below standard" for some industry jackoffs
  • Right.... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by PhoenixFlare ( 319467 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @05:45PM (#13473068) Journal
    from the mostly-nintendo dept.

    And the other companies are minorities? With the GTA games, Halo, Street Fighter, Sonic, EA sports games, Final Fantasy, more Megaman games than I can even count, etc.?

    Between that and the actual article, it's just another example of people singling Nintendo out for something that everyone else does just as badly, if not worse.

    At least Nintendo's franchises remain fun to play (with a scant few exceptions) in each iteration, which is more than I can say for a lot of games.
    • It's the exploitation of their characters in non-standard games that they're talking about, there. Nintendo IS the one who does this the most (though you bring a valid point, considering how each of those franchises except GTA and arguably Final Fantasy has made a kart racer or other non-standard game), and they get the most scorn for it.

      On the other hand, how hard is it to make a non-(insert franchise here) game that will sell on its own merits, without tossing in the franchise elements? Although some genr
      • Final Fantasy made a bunch of chocobo spin-off games including a Chocobo Racing game. As for GTA, considering theres only 4 big hit games in its entire history 2 of which are arguably 'expansion packs' of GTA3 (GTA:VC and GTA:SA), GTA isn't a fair comparison considering how long short lived it is. (GTA1 came out in early '98, compared to Super Mario Bros 1 coming out in '85.)
      • How are things "getting out of hand"? Are gangs of kids dressing up as Mario and spray painting giant mushrooms all over buildings? Did Nintendo buy exclusive rights to NFL teams and then add yoshi to all of their logos?

        I've written about this before when people have crapped on Nintendo's use of their franchises, and I'll try to explain it again. Nintendo has developed an extensive and creative "mario universe" and it's one of their greatest assets for game design. Think of their games more as episodes in s
      • A Mario DDR game? I'd like to smack the person who thought of that around a few times...

        Now, if it was Lara Croft...
  • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @05:52PM (#13473102)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Believe it or not, slapping an already recognizable character on an unestablished game idea or franchise will ensure more people will at least give it a chance.

    Take for example Panel de Pon. Change all the characters to Yoshi's Island characters and call it Tetris Attack you have a moderately successful game. Further, throw out the Yoshi characters and crowbar in Pokémon characters and you have yet another decent seller.

    As an added bonus, some gamers get a pretty decent puzzle game they may not have ot
  • But they are good (Score:4, Insightful)

    by FidelCatsro ( 861135 ) <fidelcatsro@gmaDALIil.com minus painter> on Saturday September 03, 2005 @06:09PM (#13473190) Journal
    "Coincidentally, Gamespot has an article up entitled The History of Mario Sports Games. That's called synergy, folks"
    Mario sports games have in my experience been really top notch .
    This afternoon i was playing Mario Golf for the Gamecube and Mario golf :advanced tour on my GBA(Talking about synergy , the link cable provides a lot in these games) .
      Sure its for profit , but nintendo do not want to risk Mario's good name by putting him in crap (well these days at least ... though there were attempts at educational games that i would rather forget)

    Exploitation is not by definition always a bad thing.. Yes Nintendo exploit their licenses , it's good business sense to make the most out of your resources. I do not believe though that they are a perfect example of the other definition though as i don't think they are abusing the license ... The games have always generally been well liked and thoroughly enjoyable .
    Plus how do you think Mario keeps in shape between his Bowser stomping Koopa thwomping escapades
    1. They sell like hotcakes (at least in Mario's case) because they're consistently good games.
    2. Name one NES launch sports game that doesn't have Mario in it. Their list only goes back to the SNES.
  • Right... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Bogtha ( 906264 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @06:30PM (#13473292)

    As if they are created for any other purpose. The whole point of a brand is to confer a good reputation from other products onto your new one.

  • yeah... so? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Gogo0 ( 877020 ) on Saturday September 03, 2005 @06:39PM (#13473352)
    Do you have a ridiculous game idea? Throw Donkey Kong in there and suddenly you're sitting on box-sales gold!

    and this is bad because...? Nintendo doesnt usually put their big franchise characters on shitty games.
    Mario Golf? It was great.
    Donkey Konga? Original and very fun.
    Soul Calbur II? Link was an appropriate addition (as opposed to Heihachi (sp)).

    I will admit that Mario in EA sports games is pretty rediculous, but those are few and far between the numerous great games that get a supposely out of place franchise.
  • by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 04, 2005 @12:52AM (#13474766)
    - Wake up.
    - Read 1up.
    - Post first article read to slashdot.
    - Read theescapist.
    - Post first article read to slashdot.
    - Read gamasutra.
    - Post first article read to slashdot.
    - Read 1up.
    - Post second article read to slashdot.
    - Read 1up.
    - Repost first article read to slashdot.
    - Masturbate furiously.
    - Read 1up.
    - Post third article read to slashdot.
    - Blow load.
    - Sob softly into a hobo's buttcheeks.
    - Sleep. Sweet sleep.
  • This is completely ridiculous. It's one thing to criticize Nintendo on their many faults, but this is just plain Nintendo bashing, and nothing positive ever comes out of being biased or hateful.

    The key is that "whoring" out famous video games like Mario and Donkey Kong is perfectly fine, as long as their not stuck in crappy games. From the original Mario Golf all the way up to the brand new Super Mario Baseball, all those games just plain kick-ass. They bring a breath of fresh-air to the repetitive releas

  • I see the almost unanimous reponse is negative. It seems every linked Escapist article is, some for fair reasons. But, the artcle after is pretty good almost every time.

    Not usually journalism, but interesting none the less. I just thought the editors at the Escapist (if they still read slashdot after the last 2 posts) would like to hear something other than complaints about formatting/graphics.

    FTA:
    Morrowind was a blast. I never paid for it. World of Warcraft cost me $70, if you count the two months I pa

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