The long-standing battle cry of game devs: "They wanted to make a game that they wanted to play themselves; They made it because it hadn't been made before." This only works if: game devs= target audience. And then they do everything else mentioned in this clip correctly. And then some. With all due respect to Swen Vincke and Larian, it is not simple. Lots of super talented AAA devs, especially in declining or plateauing genres such as MMO, RTS, and PvP shooters have done this recently and failed. The great thing about the gaming industry is there's always been a level of enthusiasm, community, and can-do spirit: gamers making games for gamers. But in the shadow of massive layoffs, this battle cry seems to perpetrate a false narrative: If you're dedicated enough, you'll succeed. Sadly, that is not the reality. And for those that are suffering in the wake of layoffs, it seems terribly mean-spirited. #thegameawards #videogames #layoffs #videogamedevelopment
How to make a game that's successful and wins game of the year? Well, at the The Game Awards last night, a guy whose led a team to do it (Swen Vincke) told you... and it's gold... My favorite highlights in case you missed it... 1. Make a game you want to play that hasn't been made before. 2. Don't treat devs like numbers on a spreadsheet or your users as something to exploit. Put the game and the team first. 3. Care about your game, because you love games.
I agree, Robin, and had similar misgivings about this speech. It comes from a position of extreme privilege. So many developers do EXACTLY as described and don't find market success. While many cheered his statement, I found it to be quite tone deaf.
YES! It's not that you didn't care. Making games is hard and it's a tiny miracle when one gets published.
Yeah, lovely words for the stage but not for the real world. It is not just that simple. And making a game you want to play yourself being the main factor is terrible advice. And one that has no ground in reality unless you = single developer. In what team everyone is making a game they want to play, which means your dream game?
🎮 Co-founder/producer/researcher at Raftur Games - Revolutionizing the Future of Game Development 🎮
4moWhat happened in 1983? - too many games - Asian games took over the market What is happening now? Different countries, same story