spectrum48k

So sad.


Rising dev costs will kill innovation

Increasing costs and complexity in videogame development is forcing developers to focus on franchise sequels and cross-platform releases, according to a games analyst.

Ed Barton, a Screen Digest Analyst, called it the "risk reduction strategy", in a BBC article, which sees publishers maximising profits by releasing games "on as many platforms as possible", outsourcing technology and "making sequels to popular titles and producing games based on popular movies".

Unfortunately for hardcore gamers that like brand new, platform-exclusive games, Barton explains that "wonderful, innovative titles are sometimes ignored [by consumers], while some repetitive titles with minor improvements in game play and graphics provide much better returns to the games publishers."

He draws comparisons between games and music publishers, saying that while the music industry invests in fresh talent, they also have Madonna or Elvis Presley "to keep the home fires burning".

In the same article, Gerhard Florin, executive vice president at EA, states that publishers have to build strong brands to steady revenues in the increasingly "volatile" market.

He also talks about the complexity of development on the high-spec consoles. "You only learn what you can do with these platforms over time", he says, estimating that the current run of PS3 games only use 30-40 percent of the console's power.

"We haven't even started to see PS3's power, it will take the longest to exploit in full," he adds, pointing out that porting across platform - something EA does a lot of - is harder in the current generation because of the vast difference between the consoles. "Gamecube, the Xbox and PS2 were much more alike," he explained.

Is the concept of original games facing an end? Let's hope not.

BlkKnight

Be inclined to disagree with that - certainly from a PC gamers perspective.

Some of the new DX10 apps featuring very heavy physics engines & beautiful graphics are the way forward.

There are at least two of these games near completion.

The sense of immersion they offer surpasses anything we've seen before.

But I am inclined to agree there is very little in the way of Innovation - more improvement to a genre rather than creating a new one.

Many console games tend to be cross platform - due to the ease of porting - us PC gamers still have unique stuff (which console's copy a few years down the line)

Iain Young

To be honest, there's been very little in the way of innovation for several years (on any platform). With one or two exceptions, we've just been getting sequels, and refinements rather than anything truly special.

hail-hail

I would also disagree with this. Surely Nintendo have proven that innovation is alive and kicking with the DS and more recently the Wii.
The fact that I still cannot get my hands on one speaks volumes....

Nintendo dropped out of the graphics chase focing them to innovate......

Iain Young

I personally don't think even the wii is particularly innovative. The games (so far)are simplistic and offer nothing new, and to be honest I find it is a good party machine, but pretty useless for a decent single player experience (imo of course ). The only thing that makes the console stand out from the crowd is the controller.

GaryK

Agree Iain the real innovation is in the hardware but then this delivers a truly unique gaming experience and yes there is a lack of really good single player stuff but I'm sure that will change. I do feel that there is no innovation in the games themselves and just because something looks better and has more polygons doesn't mean its better. That's why I haven't fallen over myself to buy a PS3 or a 360. That said I could be tempted to get a 360 as the price is pretty reasonable but the wii gets alot of use mainly due to my 4 year old wanting to go on it!

What I have also done of late is use my PS2 more and more as there are plenty of cheap second hand games that are still very good, I mean I saw sonic for PS3 the other day and it was £50, I couldnt believe it!

Gary

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

the innovation is not just about the gfx in the games though is it. they add to the realism and the HD deal means you can actually see more ie trying to spot a sniper in the distance. With the improved gfx and high def displays you can spot the shooter where before they were a blob in the distance.

then there's the improved physics and interaction with the world your playing it. That's the main area of innovation for me. Real crash damage, buildings blowing apart instead of a few pixels in a block going missing.

GaryK

But thats just improving on what you already have not changing it. Innovation is about delivering something new and unique that people haven't seen. Technology will always bound along delivering more for less money like storage for instance grows and grows while the costs come down but there's nothing innovative about the progression.

MJW

These are only variations on a theme though, true innovation in games died when big developers took over from bedroom programmers. The only games we see these days are first-person / 3rd person shooters, real-time strategy games, racing / sports games and their various derivatives.
Graphics and features have got much better, but core gameplay elements have remained the same since Wolfenstein 3D came out ! Because development costs are so high due to having to employ a team of graphics specialists, developers need safe titles to recoup their outlay - hence a million incarnations of Fifa soccer, need for speed, battlefield etc.

spectrum48k

1. average game costs millions to develope

2. developers get their millions from the publisher - at a cost

3. cost is, the publisher completely dictates the game that gets developed

4. publisher tries to protect investment by playing safe - sticking to successful formulas that the stupid public keep buying (FIFA '09, Tiger Woods 2009, Gran Turismo IV)

5. developer seeks alternative funding methods to release pressure from publisher - EdCase walks in attempts tp save the day with in-game advertising. Indie developers proliferate and use Ed's funding model to help self-subsidise their games.

6. Its 2008 and consumers are bombarded with McDonalds, Google and Coca-Cola ads whilst playing their favourite games.

7. 2009 and EdCase's in-game ads are dynamically streamed into your online game, seamlessly as you play. Google ignores his competitors and buy Ed's company this time

messiah

lol - an EA bod bitching about lack of innovation when his company are the worst for having a new version of every game, every year - which is barely distinguishable from the last.

There's only so much that can be done these days - most things have been done before - at least Polyphony try to do something different with each iteration of Gran Turismo - just as well seeing we only get a new one every 3 years.

Never been a fan of EA Sports titles - they always have a mass produced feel about them.

mart360

It wont get that far,

The media will kill the games industry

Back in the early days, you waited a month with baited breath for the latest magazine for your chosen format. Reviews were digested with awe, and decisions made. Each month the poke,s / tips and tricks section was gleaned for the latest cheat... magazines rules...


then along came the BB's / net...


Magazines were in trouble... canny readers could avoid paying for magazines and glean plenty from the net, so they upped the anti.. free demo,s for your chosen format. (the advent of the CD helped no end) and then the ultimate .... the walkthru...

games could be completed in a weekend, and monday morning the tills were ringing with sales of new games awaiting the walkthru......

and the web played catchup, and the game was on...


magazines went for the kill, the 8 page indepth pre release playtest.... ... and the web did the same........

then the ultimate from the magazines... the walkthru before the game was released

and therin lies the problem, why buy a game?, the review and walkthru are out before the game is released, you may as well just look at both, and save the money


The media,s desire to stay ahead of the competition, has ultimately become its own worst enemy, copy is written aimed at 12 year olds, and if the gameplay isnt about the desired norm (carjacking, assasinations, etc) then its rated a 4 and gets about a quater page review...

Gone are the days of the steep learning curve, all games now have the obligatory easy mode, and can be completed in under 10 hours, (makes sense for the industry i suppose) and the rare games that have something different, usually dont get enough exposure to get the game where it needs to be.

Many software houses have come and gone, Ask ocean, they thought they were untouchable ( unfortunatly streethawk would say otherwise)


Unfortunatly the Industry is now in its own vicious circle, it needs games to survive, but needs toget them onto the shelves to generate profits, however the genre's get compressed, and the innovation gets squeezed.

And the media will report every dying breath


Mart

swiss scooby

100 % agree on the EA bit, I actually started to hate them.
But I strongly believe that there are no limits in developing games and that there always will be an innovative mind around for new gameplay.

spectrum48k

touch of teary-eyed 80's nostalgia anyone ? (well worth the watch if you haven't seen it)
Commercial Breaks - A documentary about the Imagine and Ocean Software - Google Video

DanPhillips

All staged though...apart from the liquidation

Cheers

Dan