Unnatural Unnatural SelectionSelection

Which game concepts get made Which game concepts get made and why?and why?

Max de VriesMax de Vries

Senior Producer SCEE CambridgeSenior Producer SCEE Cambridge External Producer - Heavenly SwordExternal Producer - Heavenly Sword New ConceptNew Concept Pyro/Eidos/SCIPyro/Eidos/SCI CodemastersCodemasters 22ndnd hand EA/Ubisoft hand EA/Ubisoft

OverviewOverview

Core Issues 25 minsCore Issues 25 mins A theory of success - break out 20 A theory of success - break out 20

minsmins A theory of success - conclusion 5 A theory of success - conclusion 5

minsmins Other Factors 20 minsOther Factors 20 mins Game concepts - break out 20 minsGame concepts - break out 20 mins Game concepts - conclusion 15 minsGame concepts - conclusion 15 mins

Core IssuesCore Issues

What happens in the industryWhat happens in the industry Leave theory to other sessionsLeave theory to other sessions

MoneyMoney

Financial Focus variesFinancial Focus varies Enough vs maximisationEnough vs maximisation Profit covers inefficiencyProfit covers inefficiency Made on a whimMade on a whim Risk orientationRisk orientation Survival - Darwinian change of focusSurvival - Darwinian change of focus

Personal AmbitionPersonal Ambition

Many in industry for fun not profitMany in industry for fun not profit Make what they want to makeMake what they want to make Make what they likeMake what they like

CompetitionCompetition

Market SpaceMarket Space CoverageCoverage UncertaintyUncertainty

Market PositionMarket Position

11stst party (Console manufacturers) party (Console manufacturers) PublisherPublisher DeveloperDeveloper

RiskRisk

Different appetiteDifferent appetite Varies with timeVaries with time SequelsSequels Big licence?Big licence?

FormatFormat

ConsoleConsole PCPC Hand HeldHand Held OnlineOnline Console generationsConsole generations

Who’s driving Who’s driving development?development?

PublisherPublisher DeveloperDeveloper LicenceLicence Design vs MarketingDesign vs Marketing

Finance of it allFinance of it all

£20 million on development, £10 £20 million on development, £10 million marketingmillion marketing

3.5 years3.5 years 200 people involved200 people involved

““Theory of Success”Theory of Success”

Much debate about why big games Much debate about why big games are successfulare successful

Many decisions based on this Many decisions based on this ““Relevance”Relevance” QualityQuality Genre definingGenre defining

Theory of Success Theory of Success BreakoutBreakout

List three reasons why the chosen List three reasons why the chosen games outsold their competition in 20 games outsold their competition in 20 minsmins GTA San AndreasGTA San Andreas Sims (whole franchise)Sims (whole franchise) HaloHalo

GTA San AndreasGTA San Andreas

SimsSims

HaloHalo

Auxiliary IssuesAuxiliary Issues

Some of the other factors which Some of the other factors which drive title selectiondrive title selection

To DevelopTo Develop

MarketMarket Intellectual PropertyIntellectual Property TechnologyTechnology ReputationReputation SkillsSkills FinanceFinance

StakeholdersStakeholders

InvestorsInvestors JournalistsJournalists DevelopersDevelopers PublishersPublishers MarketingMarketing Hard Core fansHard Core fans LegislatorsLegislators

Film and TVFilm and TV

Visual StyleVisual Style TopicTopic LicencesLicences

Cultural TrendsCultural Trends

Relevance in 3.5 yearsRelevance in 3.5 years ResonanceResonance ThemeTheme Cultural sceneCultural scene

National Cultural BiasNational Cultural Bias

Market AwarenessMarket Awareness JapaneseJapanese USAUSA UKUK Other EuropeansOther Europeans

Hard Core vs Mass Hard Core vs Mass marketmarket

Hours of play a weekHours of play a week Number of games boughtNumber of games bought Impact of advertising vs reviewsImpact of advertising vs reviews

Sales Data AnalysisSales Data Analysis

Connection between games and Connection between games and modern marketingmodern marketing

Focus TestingFocus Testing Still under exploitedStill under exploited Increases with network model - Increases with network model -

Steam, PSN, Xbox LiveSteam, PSN, Xbox Live

Decision StructureDecision Structure

Publishing CommitteePublishing Committee CEO DecidesCEO Decides Devolved StructureDevolved Structure Process vs Informal vs ChaoticProcess vs Informal vs Chaotic

Pitching SkillPitching Skill

Ninja Theory - Ninja Theory - Heavenly SwordHeavenly Sword

Failure Can KillFailure Can Kill

GenreGenre StudioStudio GalleonGalleon

First or BestFirst or Best

Different emphasisDifferent emphasis

Game ConceptGame Concept

20 mins20 mins X StatementX Statement Who you are in the gameWho you are in the game What you doWhat you do SettingSetting

ConclusionConclusion

Games made for different reasonsGames made for different reasons You can analyse why they were You can analyse why they were

mademade Strong concepts are more important Strong concepts are more important

as production costs soaras production costs soar

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