4 ms·

New AAA games feel like what you get when you digest a previously popular title through "What did you like?" focus groups, generate a list of checkbox features,

by ethbr0 5y ago

New AAA games feel like what you get when you digest a previously popular title through "What did you like?" focus groups, generate a list of checkbox features, write a game spec from that list, and then make that game. And at no point is anyone in the room asking "Is it fun?"

bob1029 5y ago
> And at no point is anyone in the room asking "Is it fun?" Would it be economically infeasible or otherwise unattractive to investors to propose a new game development business where "Is it fun?" is the only question that matters? Presumably, you have access to this entire marketplace of exiled ubisoft/blizzard/et.al. employees, so maybe the formal business plan starts with acquiring some of this talent and determining what projects they might want to work on.
- ethbr0 5y ago
  Essentially, that's Nintendo's first-party business model (or at least as close as it gets in the industry). But the "acquiring some of this talent and determining what projects they might want to work on" is the standard bloodletting that happened every few decades in the game industry. Usually, this resulted in the next Blizzard, Westwood, Dynamix, etc. being founded, growing, and then dissolving into the next wave of smaller companies. But it's been screwed up the past cycle though, as the investment required to make AAA-level games was only available from large publishers, who set terms that generally resulted in development studio bankruptcy and subsequent buyout-by and incorporation-into the publisher. Which is how you got your Activision Blizzard, EA, Take-Two, Ubisoft arrangement.
- brendoelfrendo 5y ago
  Nintendo is that company, so it seems like the concept can exist and satisfy investors. Satoru Iwata was big on this mindset. I guess he’s been gone for 6 years now (good lord, how could it be so long ago?), but I think they still do a good job in this area.
- ranger207 5y ago
  > ...acquiring some of this talent and determining what projects they might want to work on. That's largely what Valve does, and their games (when they make games...) are usually regarded as some of the best in the industry
  - ethbr0 5y ago
    Valve, a division of Steam Inc

by ethbr0 5y ago

bob1029 5y ago

> And at no point is anyone in the room asking "Is it fun?" Would it be economically infeasible or otherwise unattractive to investors to propose a new game development business where "Is it fun?" is the only question that matters? Presumably, you have access to this entire marketplace of exiled ubisoft/blizzard/et.al. employees, so maybe the formal business plan starts with acquiring some of this talent and determining what projects they might want to work on.

ethbr0 5y ago
Essentially, that's Nintendo's first-party business model (or at least as close as it gets in the industry). But the "acquiring some of this talent and determining what projects they might want to work on" is the standard bloodletting that happened every few decades in the game industry. Usually, this resulted in the next Blizzard, Westwood, Dynamix, etc. being founded, growing, and then dissolving into the next wave of smaller companies. But it's been screwed up the past cycle though, as the investment required to make AAA-level games was only available from large publishers, who set terms that generally resulted in development studio bankruptcy and subsequent buyout-by and incorporation-into the publisher. Which is how you got your Activision Blizzard, EA, Take-Two, Ubisoft arrangement.
brendoelfrendo 5y ago
Nintendo is that company, so it seems like the concept can exist and satisfy investors. Satoru Iwata was big on this mindset. I guess he’s been gone for 6 years now (good lord, how could it be so long ago?), but I think they still do a good job in this area.
ranger207 5y ago
> ...acquiring some of this talent and determining what projects they might want to work on. That's largely what Valve does, and their games (when they make games...) are usually regarded as some of the best in the industry
- ethbr0 5y ago
  Valve, a division of Steam Inc