Dante Vs. Dante: The Economics of Video Game Demand

Now that's how a demon slayer's suppose to look like.

Just the other day, as I browse the latest issue of the official playstation magazine, I saw as one of the monthly "Big 10" articles one which detailed one of the more recent outcomes of Ninja Theory's reboot of the Devil May Cry series dubbed "DmC". Death threat's to the developers in the form of not only letters, but also comics and death metal songs.

Now, let me put this straight. Ever since I saw the very first trailer of Ninja Theory's DmC, I was not pleased by how far the design had come from the silver-haired demon hunter and paranormal "investigator" that many fans have fallen for ever since the son of Sparda premiered back in 2001 or what many would refer to as "The Naughties" with the exemption of the first sequel "Devil May Cry 2". Ninja Theory should have used that game as a lesson in how NOT to do a Devil May Cry game. The story was just not up to par with later games and its then immediate predecessor, but the most important thing was that the new team behind Devil May Cry 2 had done was remove the fun-loving trickster personality that so characterized Dante, citing that he has "Matured" from such antics that many fans found enduring. So much so that subsequent games didn't just take place in the time period before Devil May Cry 2 took place, but also to remove nearly all references to the game beyond certain gameplay mechanics. From what I can see so far from the videos and developer commentary so far is that Ninja Theory is doing the exact same thing with the DmC reboot. This version of Dante looked too punkish, too emo. Did we not learn the lesson of Spiderman 3 that emo does not make a character endearing of the anti-hero persona to the fans, but rather that it was an opposite effect which potentially was one of the factors that lead to the reboot of the film franchise?

However, that's not what I wanted to talk about. You see, these fellow fans who have spent their free time in the creation of such anti-DmC statements are actually doing an very improper reaction to the, dare I say "blasphemous", changes Ninja Theory had made upon our beloved demon slayer. But it is not the reason many of you may think.

The real reason is that these actions are actually giving Ninja Theory's DmC free publicity, much like how the media outcry of the many Grand Theft Auto games have given free publicity to Rockstar Games. It makes the uninformed curious of the game enough to look it up and potentially buy a copy of the game. That action equates to the executives and developers to continue with their game creation strategy due to the amount of profit each copy sold gave to them. Even a developer on Ninja Theory had stated that they appreciated the free publicity the fans have generated unknowingly.

If you don't like a product, don't just make an outcry that only draws free publicity to the product for the uninformed to purchase it. Rather organize and promote a boycott against it to show the executives that their decisions are not what the public wants. Those fans of the original Devil May Cry franchise, and by extension many game franchises in general, must adopt a tactic in which it will hit such corporations where it matters the most and where it will hurt the most dramatic: their coffers.

Video games, like many other consumer products, is a market demand item whose future lies in the wants of the individual consumer en mass. If there is no profit made in the item in questions, then changes are made or else dropped entirely. It's almost basic economics. Many internet reviewers of such interactive entertainment media have stated that the video game developers will continue to pursue the current video game trends as long as consumers purchase their products and the less they have to spend on advertisement in the form of the outcry of the media and the loyal franchise fans, the better. They will not change their stance and development decisions if they perceive that their choices, their gambles, were the correct ones and the only true indicator is the profit made in each copy sold. So if the fans of the original Dante, such as myself, dislike the changes then the easiest tactic is to simply get other people to not purchase DmC when it is released later this year. It would be best if such individuals were to utilize more "civil" approaches mind you. Still, the point stands that these game developers will not learn of the ire of the loyal franchise fans of the old Dante if the new DmC game generates high enough sales to cover the development costs. Say "No" by not buying a single copy is the best weapon an individual can ever have and it is time that people started using that weapon. We are more powerful together than we give ourselves credit.

On a side note, a picture above the magazine article featured both versions of Dante the demonslayer has a caption which stated "You've got to admit, his hair looks less like blond Justin Bieber now". Personally, I find that incredibly insulting.

Anyway, discuss if you wish.

Image courtesy of  the devil may cry wiki

 


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