Ninja Theory Boss: Current AAA-Driven Market Is Unhealthy
Enslaved: Odyssey to the WestMany have noted that innovation and creativity is often found on smaller scales (i.e., digital offerings from modest studios), but many big-budget blockbusters tend to recycle tried-and-true formulas.
Ninja Theory creative boss Tameem Antoniades believes this is due to the current "dominant AAA retail model," which just so happens to be "stifling creativity." He also said that small-scale design can take more risks, simply because they don't have as much to lose.
These comments came in a recent GamesIndustry.biz interview, where Antoniades claims that "lower-risk digitally distributed titles" are absolutely essential for the progression of innovation.
"The high budget, high stakes retail model - the barriers to entry for that are so high, so difficult, that we seem to be getting, being offered, decent work in that area. It's hard to say no when you've got a team of 100 and you have to keep the payroll going. Another big project comes along, you tend to go for it.
There's always an opportunity between projects to explore things, a lot of team members are hobbyists, they create their own iPhone games and things like that so I can see us kind of taking a punt with that. It can't come soon enough. The whole digital revolution is happening now and it can't come soon enough. The model we're under, the big retail model, is creaking."
Furthermore, on the consumer side of things, Antoniades said that if you're going to spend $60, you don't want to take any chances, either. "You want everything to be there, all the feature sets," he said. "You want it to be a known experience, guaranteed fun. That's not healthy." In some ways, we have to agree with that.
But the implication that we always want something with which we're familiar grates a little, although it's certainly true that gamers select their new purchases carefully. It's quite the conundrum, isn't it?
Tags: ninja theory, game innovation, gaming industry, game creativity
9/6/2011 3:04:39 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (33 posts)
oldmike
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 @ 1:20:50 AM
1 up, 3 down
Highlander
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 3:23:02 PM
Reply
2 up, 3 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 6:22:18 PM
1 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 @ 4:31:37 AM
he said he does not work on download only games because the revenue from them does not pay the bills for 100 employees!
hes right, until games become cheaper to make, and the only way thats going to happen is going digital games like heavy rain and LA Noire are only going to become rarer and rarer!
2 up, 1 down
Ultimadream
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 3:32:13 PM
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I am happy for developers to explore lowwer budget gaming, But I don't want them to appear on my PS3, Just look at Amy, it's looking to be a very well polished downloadable title, which I hope sets an example for others. I did not buy a PS3 to play phone games.
At least they appreciate the view of the public. I for one have to make sure I am confident I will enjoy a game before I buy it for full retail price, it is just very expensive. I very rarely do that nowadays to be honest, only if a new Final Fantasy or big AAA title comes along that interests me. I cannot just take risks on a game otherwise I will get something I am dissapointed with like Army of Two or Resident Evil 5 Where I had to argue for a refund the next day.
8 up, 1 down
ryu
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 3:37:46 PM
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same old gameplay mechanics like i've seen and play a thousand times already
0 up, 7 down
Ignitus
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 3:55:15 PM
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They truth is not every game is worth the $60 asking price. Hell, I rarely buy games with that launch price, most games I buy cost 50% less.
If they want their games to sell better they should adjust their price, return to $50 or even better, sell them for $40 at launch. Though they will make less money per game sold, they will sell more copies of the game to more gamers and will make more $$$ down the road.
My two cents.
BTW I agree with Ultima, I didn't buy my game consoles to play cellphone games either.
Last edited by Ignitus on 9/6/2011 3:57:07 PM
8 up, 1 down
BIGRED15
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 4:00:02 PM
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Cod is sad but true a prime example because four installments in and nothing is really changing. I hate that activision wont take more risks, but look at some of the other well established franchises assassins, resistance, are great examples because none of them are about reinventing the wheel, but more about giving fans more of what they love. Is that really a bad thing, in essence no, but too much can send the wrong message which is what cod has done. Yes they found a formula, yes its popular, is it making any real evolution in its franchise no. And because it has grossed so much its merely looked at as a cash cow. Cod has pushed a working formula too much and it insults other games that work at evolving but don't get the praise
1 up, 1 down
BlinkBoy
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 4:14:48 PM
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4 up, 0 down
Snaaaake
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 4:44:54 PM
Reply
2 up, 1 down
Crabba
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 5:17:35 PM
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Maybe if they went back to their exclusive agreement with Sony they could create great AAA-games again like Heavenly Sword...
7 up, 1 down
NoSmokingBandit
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 5:27:58 PM
Its possible to make an incredible game that is inventive and different, you just have to be *really* good at it.
The point is, get a better team of devs and you'll be able to make a great game that is fresh and new.
5 up, 0 down
Excelsior1
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 5:36:34 PM
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if they think this digital revolution is going make it easier for them they are just wrong. it will still be a market dominated by triple a titles on the consoles becuase that's why most people bought their consoles for in the first place.
i mean if the stakes are too high for them why not make a psn game then before whining about the all in market model? it's no wonder nt would say this as they have yet to produce a triple a title.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 9/6/2011 5:41:52 PM
8 up, 0 down
JackDillinger89
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 5:53:41 PM
Reply
6 up, 2 down
Crabba
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 9:36:19 PM
Heavenly Sword was an excellent game, too bad the multiplat "sequel" Enslaved wasn't nearly at the same level of polish.
Last edited by Crabba on 9/6/2011 9:37:29 PM
4 up, 0 down
ZettaiSeigi
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 6:07:33 PM
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I guess Tameem has not been keeping tack of the downloadable games on the PSN (or the XBL for that matter, just not really familiar with it). Hello Games made a huge and very successful splash with Joe Danger. Thatgamecompany has been wildly successful with Flower and I'm positive that Journey would just be as successful. As for the other smaller games that became successful this generation? He must have missed Braid, Limbo, Trine, and other downloadable games from the PSN and XBL.
If I were him, I'd rather make games that would be good. It's ridiculous that he complained about Heavenly Sword's "poor sales" given the PS3's install base at the time of its release. But then again, I guess he took quite a punch in the gut after Enslaved flopped big time even if it was multiplatform.
1 up, 0 down
gangan19
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 6:20:18 PM
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http://www.gamezone.com/editorials/item/the_ps3_is_going_to_need_more_than_a_price_drop_to_compete_with_the_360_thi
And about that being unhealthy that's just being lazy.
0 up, 5 down
ZettaiSeigi
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 7:07:56 PM
5 up, 1 down
gangan19
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 7:10:55 PM
1 up, 5 down
Excelsior1
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 7:16:20 PM
4 up, 1 down
thatguy6598
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 8:04:02 PM
0 up, 1 down
UbiEaActisuck
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 8:49:34 PM
2 up, 2 down
UbiEaActisuck
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 8:49:34 PM
0 up, 2 down
BikerSaint
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 9:30:04 PM
That isn't an article, that's some 20 something, going on 8 year old rabid fanboy, doing his usual 360 beats out PS3 tantrum. Shame he's not old enough to know how to use a fact-checker program yet.
And his mom's probably about to put him in "Time-out" on his naughty chair for the umpteenth time, for wasting everyone's bandwidth once again.
SuperNanny, triple-slap this lad on his knickers quick!
Last edited by BikerSaint on 9/6/2011 9:32:26 PM
2 up, 1 down
maxpontiac
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 @ 11:07:36 AM
0 up, 0 down
NoSmokingBandit
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 8:33:49 PM
Reply
Last edited by NoSmokingBandit on 9/6/2011 8:33:56 PM
0 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 @ 4:35:06 AM
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perfect example of this would be LA Noire.
in a interview team bondis lead designer said the team wanted to have more cases, a larger city, but simply couldnt because of time restraints.
they wanted to have every case a screw up case as in your presented with several witnesses, several pieces of evidence and you have to decide which piece of evidence is correct and which others may not be.
and not only that, but actually live with it.
if you get it right you progress and get a promotion, if you dont your back to beat.
they did not do that though obviously because it would of been seriously harsh on the players and it would of pissed allot of people off thus loosing them sales.
thus proving how such high budgets are making developers reluctant to take games into a new area, into the unknown.
simply because they spent so much money on making it they cant afford to go into the unknown because 99% of the time that means limiting your sales.
if you spent 20p making the game then who cares, but when your spending upwards of 50M on a game you want to make sure your including as many people as you possibly can!
sad reality is until games do go digital there only going to be more expensive to make, thus strangling the creativity even more.
theres a reason why games like heavy rain and LA Noire release so rarely, and games like COD release almost every week!
there the mainstream, developers and publishers know they will make a good profit on those types of games.
games like heavy rain though its always a big gamble, and when its a 50M dollar gamble betting on the wrong horse can mean the closure of your studio!
hell, LA Noire sold extremely well and team bondi still went down the shitter!
depressing truth is until games go download only which will cause budgets to plummet games like heavy rain will only get rarer and rarer.
:(
2 up, 2 down
Ignitus
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 @ 10:00:49 AM
I would like to know what their sales target was.
0 up, 0 down
Crabba
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 @ 2:27:30 PM
While I agree with some of your other points, digital distribution would hardly have that much effect on dropping game budgets, the big bucks are spent on development, not whether the game comes in a box.
1 up, 1 down
___________
Thursday, September 08, 2011 @ 9:53:20 AM
plus LA Noire was not a cheap game, in fact R* said LA Noires budget was THE MOST they have ever spent on a game!
more then GTAIV, RDR, which were both rumoured to cost 50M!
they would of spent a arm and a leg developing the new motion tech alone!
1 up, 1 down
Crabba
Thursday, September 08, 2011 @ 1:31:17 PM
"plus LA Noire was not a cheap game, in fact R* said LA Noires budget was THE MOST they have ever spent on a game!"
Exactly. Thanks for making my point for me lol.
0 up, 0 down
BTNwarrior
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 @ 10:56:20 AM
Reply
2 up, 2 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Reply
Tuesday, September 06, 2011 @ 3:20:54 PM
Thankfully there are publishers like Sony and games like Heavy Rain and The Last Guardian for those who dare to dream.