The magazine 360 interview Lionhead and a few other British game studios. Via Develop.
Part 2 is here.
How are UK developers placed in the competitive world of the games industry?
Peter Molyneux: The merger of Activision/Vivendi, and the continual shrinking of the development pool with companies like BioWare/Pandemic, Travellers’ Tales and Bizarre Creations all being snapped up (and if the rumours are true a few more announcements to come) mean the landscape of developers is changing more rapidly than ever before. UK developers need to increase their ability to be competitive and there is a lot of talk about developers in Canada and the Far East who are treated far more sympathetically by their governments in terms of subsidies and tax breaks. Where British developers can still compete is in terms of originality and innovation.
Is there any concern that cheaper production costs abroad will push publishers away from the UK? What can British developers do to make sure they offer more than just cost effectiveness?
What can British developers do to make sure they offer more than just cost effectiveness? I kind of answered this above but we can’t compete on production cost so we have to compete on quality and what UK developers are good at is uniqueness and our ability to solve design problems – UK developers still have a lot to offer.
Are developers getting enough support from the government in your opinion?
On the one hand we have government spokespeople saying we are the UK’s number one creative industry and that we are “important” to the economy but until we see that backed up by financial support we are going to have to keep knocking on the government’s door for tax breaks and investment. But like I said – UK developers have a large degree of uniqueness and resolve.
How have relationships changed between developers and publishers in recent years?
I think that both publishers and developers are becoming more and more professional, and this professionalism, whether it is scheduling or production methodology has huge benefits. The problem is that big publishers like EA and Activision /Blizzard don’t need to foster independent talent because of their own internal development teams.
Are artistically innovative games and profitable games mutually exclusive or can creativity and popularity coexist?
Yes they can. I would argue that there are games out there which have had great production methodology, but also the very innovative games that spring to mind are The Sims, Half-Life and the GTA series.
Should publishers be following Hollywood’s example of offering more opportunities to indie developers from their blockbuster profits?
It would be great to see publishers recognising the value of independent developers who can go further with creative visions than most internal prototype teams. But I still think a new genre is more likely to be discovered in a garage than they are in huge studios.
Has this current generation of consoles posed any significantly new development questions? Has it actually freed up new ideas that were once impossible to accomplish?
Yes Live and online is a perfect example of how hardware can foster whole new sections of development. I’d also argue that the work Microsoft did on achievements is an example of a simple idea that made a difference.
What do developers need to be doing to keep themselves innovating and at the cutting edge?
Realise that innovation is only as good as the money it can potentially make. Also looking for the thing that people are expecting and turn it into something new and unexpected.
Is there such a thing as a quintessentially British game any more or has such a thing died off?
I suppose there is something about British humour. Look at Lego Star Wars, which is indisputably British even though it’s is based on a US IP. I think it’s the humour that does this. I’ve heard Japanese publishers say “you British are crazy”, and I think that’s our strongest selling point!
Where is the new development talent coming from in the UK? Is the well of talent drying up or on the increase like never before?
For me it’s about levelled out. Nowadays universities offer games development courses and publishers and developers are much more proactive in going out to university career fairs and now we are seeing crossover from other industries.
