Thursday, April 28, 2005
Case in point.
I believe firmly that the publishing industry as we know it is akin to a terminally ill patient. It's got a hopeful face on, but deep down I think it knows it's on the same road that phonographs, horses and buggies and the 8-track went down. Those that make the return trip are few and far between, and those that do make it do so usually because of luck or the fickle whim of the market, and not because of their own efforts.
While the music industry has been the poster child for this condition, the video game market is also starting to decay pretty badly. It might not show it, but one only has to read news like this to see it:
The death of a game company like Elixir is sad, but we'll get by. Other companies have been and gone, and still more will do the same. The closure of the company is less important than the reasons WHY it closed. See, Elixir made some odd games. They weren't perfect, but conceptually they were ahead of the curve. Republic was intended to be a political game unlike any other, in which you take over a country Green Party-style from the grassroots up, employing whatever methods you deem fit. That's just plain cool, but it's also not too typical. I have a hard enough time trying to explain the game, and I know something about the history behind it, and other games that could be compared to it. Joe Six-pack shuffling into Gamestop or EB and asking a clerk about it is most likely going just shrug and move on to something they're more certain about. It's not that nobody will buy it, but in the minds of the business-type publishing folks that hold the cards, the curveball games like these are a tougher sell than the latest sports patch* or movie tie-in. Case in point:
In short, they're games are odd, and more difficult to pitch, and therefore publishers don't want to risk the millions it now takes to make a game. Whether or not the game is good, or FUN, matters less than whether the game can sell, and I think that just sucks.
Fortunately, game development houses have the tendency of breaking up and reforming. Look at Obsidian, nee Black Isle, or Irrational, nee Looking Glass. I hope we haven't seen the last of Elixir.
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* Because really, what's the difference between Madden 2003 and 2004, aside from the fancy new graphics? Numbers. There might be a couple of gameplay tweaks, but the big change is the new players and stats, which at their heart are just that: statistics. Sports games are just glorified patches, more or less unchanged from the 16-bit era of yore. If it weren't for the fact that EA pwnz the NFL, I would say that with downloadable content coming to consoles, the next sports game you buy could possibly be the last. Of course, EA makes more money by selling new games every year, so fat chance of that. ¶ 11:45 a.m.
I believe firmly that the publishing industry as we know it is akin to a terminally ill patient. It's got a hopeful face on, but deep down I think it knows it's on the same road that phonographs, horses and buggies and the 8-track went down. Those that make the return trip are few and far between, and those that do make it do so usually because of luck or the fickle whim of the market, and not because of their own efforts.
While the music industry has been the poster child for this condition, the video game market is also starting to decay pretty badly. It might not show it, but one only has to read news like this to see it:
It is with great sadness that Elixir Studios today announced it is to cease day-to-day operations, effective immediately, and will seek the orderly sale and re-use of all its remaining assets and IP.
The death of a game company like Elixir is sad, but we'll get by. Other companies have been and gone, and still more will do the same. The closure of the company is less important than the reasons WHY it closed. See, Elixir made some odd games. They weren't perfect, but conceptually they were ahead of the curve. Republic was intended to be a political game unlike any other, in which you take over a country Green Party-style from the grassroots up, employing whatever methods you deem fit. That's just plain cool, but it's also not too typical. I have a hard enough time trying to explain the game, and I know something about the history behind it, and other games that could be compared to it. Joe Six-pack shuffling into Gamestop or EB and asking a clerk about it is most likely going just shrug and move on to something they're more certain about. It's not that nobody will buy it, but in the minds of the business-type publishing folks that hold the cards, the curveball games like these are a tougher sell than the latest sports patch* or movie tie-in. Case in point:
[Elixir] has been working on a very innovative game ... for the past couple of years. This project was recently cancelled due to the perceived high-risk profile of the endeavour.
...the Board of Directors feel that the current risk averse publishing climate, in the run up to the launch of next generation platforms, virtually precludes the signing of any original IP (which is not already part of a well-established franchise or license), without an unreasonably large strategic investment in the project by the developer themselves.
In short, they're games are odd, and more difficult to pitch, and therefore publishers don't want to risk the millions it now takes to make a game. Whether or not the game is good, or FUN, matters less than whether the game can sell, and I think that just sucks.
Fortunately, game development houses have the tendency of breaking up and reforming. Look at Obsidian, nee Black Isle, or Irrational, nee Looking Glass. I hope we haven't seen the last of Elixir.
-------------------------
* Because really, what's the difference between Madden 2003 and 2004, aside from the fancy new graphics? Numbers. There might be a couple of gameplay tweaks, but the big change is the new players and stats, which at their heart are just that: statistics. Sports games are just glorified patches, more or less unchanged from the 16-bit era of yore. If it weren't for the fact that EA pwnz the NFL, I would say that with downloadable content coming to consoles, the next sports game you buy could possibly be the last. Of course, EA makes more money by selling new games every year, so fat chance of that. ¶ 11:45 a.m.
