7 replies to this topic

[Curiosity Inc.]

Over at another board where I frequent, a poster was complaining about how the character of "Pyramid Head" was re-named "Red Pyramid" in the Silent Hill movie. Yes, this comment was random and unwelcome. However, the poster got around to talking about how "Pyramid Head" was a name conjured by fans and "Red Pyramid" was a name suggested by the creators of Silent Hill during consultations for the movie.

Thus, in an odd and unwelcome way, this poster raised a very important question: Who has more control over how a work, the creator or the fans? Sure, there was a time when the creator had full control over a work, but the power of the fans has grown exponentially in the era of the internet. Exploring holes, swapping interpretations and debating has never been easier or more widespread. The fans have more power than ever before to determine the course of a property.

I feel that this question is especially important to NiGHTS, since interpretation is such a big part of the fandom and the property. But the creators of NiGHTS designed the game to be open-ended. So, by offering our interpretations, are we just following their designs?

Anyway, in the other thread, I offered this conclusion: "Anything established in canon by the creators cannot be disputed, unless the creators contradict themselves in canon or do not adequately explain something in canon. In either of the two latter cases, the fans are free to establish their own interpretations."

How do you feel about this? Does the creator of a property really have more control over it than the fans? Discuss.

[Huruyami]

I think creators. While fans do have a big imput, the creators can just say "well, i dont care about what the fans say, I'm gonna do this."

[Windowlicker]

Fans make stupid and dumb decisions all the time, with little to no consequences. If creators make a stupid and dumb decision, it usually results in consequences (either a loss of money and/or job). So, yes, creators have absolute control, just because they have to reign in their stupidity to do a competent job.

[Kori]

I would have to say the creators, ultimately. Their creation is precisely that, their creation, and are thus the ones calling the shots.

However, I have to agree with you about the internet giving the fans a bit more influence. Think of the online polls on official sites which give the fans a voice regarding what they want! Still, in the end, it's completely up to the creator what is done with the final product.

In regards to NiGHTS, I think the folks at Sega are keeping an eye on the fans. Maybe moreso on TRiPPY and DiGi, but hey, they've gotten their attention! LOL

[Louis]

Sega following what fans want for the next game scares me a lot. The fanbase want some pretty stupid things, but that's a debate for another time.

When it boils down to it though, it's not the creators nor the fans who have the control. It's the marketers. When making something, a company needs to know that it will sell. The established fanbase, unless it's a firm one (in games like Final Fantasy, who want lots of magic, a love story and lots of fights, the end), then the fanbase is likely to be pushed aside a bit so as to apeal to the widest audience possible. With NiGHTS, the fanbase is far too small and flimsy to amount to good, sales, so what is a company to do? Obviously the creative team gets their input, lovely. The fans? The fans at the very least are a slight source of income, so not alienating them too much should be a priority, though giving in to stupid fan requests like BLiGHTS playable only ever nine blue moons is out of the question. Now, marketing. Marketing, marketing, marketing. Segasammy so love their marketing, don't they? While Sega have never really been altruistic entertainers (the existance of these altogether is a moot point), the Sammy takeover has lead to a much keener focus on 'getting a product out at the best time and for as many people as possible'. Sonic 06 suffered from this, a lot. The game itself was released unfinished in time for the holiday season in countless ways. The storyline was missing key scenes/levels, the debugging staff were fired, so as to skip this part of dvelopment and get the game out quicker, items and characters were cut etc. With NiGHTS, the short development time hints at a similar problem.

While the fans and the creators may want to push their ideas, it is and always will be marketing who get the final say.

[KiloTango]

Agreeing with Louis, both on the marketing and terror of Sega listening to its fans.

[Huruyami]

True louis, true.

[Sairus]

Yar, Louis raises a fairly rock solid, discussion killing argument there.
It is true though that fans have had an increased involvement in recent years compared to ye olde days... but we're talking an increase from zero to a slight whisper you can barely hear when the wind is in the right direction. Look at Snakes on a Plane for instance... they were going to change the title for that movie, but because the internet fanbase had gotten so ridiculously loud, they kept it. Hell, even Smash Bros. Brawl's character roster might be the result of fan input, since Nintendo did look for suggestions on who to put in. These were suggestions, however, and the truth will probably boil down to Louis' outline.