Oddworld Forums - The Generation Gap

Article by Matthew Handrahan for gamesindustry.biz:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...generation-gap

The Xbox One and PS4 are finally here, but how will this generation take shape? Crytek, Guerrilla Games and Oddworld Inhabitants have their say

Lorne's Part:

For Lanning, this will be a generation defined by consumers getting what they want, rather than what they're given. The generation where consumers wrest control of gaming back from the companies that have controlled it for so long - platform holders, publishers, retailers - and seek satisfaction from the most agile creative forces. There may be some lingering resistance from those with vested interests in established models, but Lanning believes any company seeking to stand in the way of this intractable change is unlikely to emerge with much credit. There will be more products offering a wider variety of experiences than on any previous generation, with price-points to suit every wallet. The lines of communication are wide open. There is nowhere left to hide.

"In the years to come, the big properties at E3, the $100 million properties, they will have started off in the indie space"
Lorne Lanning

"As people are becoming more informed and more connected, the shenanigans are becoming more transparent. And with that, what we'll get is more diversity," Lanning says. "The industry made up of five publishers really isn't that long ago, and now what's going on? How many self-publishing indies are there that can get a 1.5x return on each game and keep building? Maybe they can't grow and be 500 people by the next year, but they can add 5 more by the next year."

I mention the prevailing fear that the marketplaces on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will become too crowded - that by making consoles a more accessible place for independent developers, they will lose the focus that created huge successes like Castle Crashers, Super Meat Boy and Braid. For Lanning, it's a worthwhile trade, and one of the most important ways that indies need to "grow up" to take advantage of the incredible opportunity this generation represents. The Battlefields and the Assassin's Creeds will continue to exist and thrive, but the average consumer knows that already. What they don't know about are games like Octodad, Below and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, and more fool the studio who leaves it up to Microsoft or Sony to raise their profile.

"If we sell a game now for $10, we get $7 on digital networks. Once upon a time, we weren't even getting $7 on a $60 game," Lanning says. "It's a whole different thing, but you have to bring your own visibility. That's your responsibility. Beyond just designing the game, we have to design how to build the relationship with our audience. People know that they want the GTA and the Call of Duty, and they're gonna be on both systems. But they also want the surprises, and they want to experiment with those surprises at below the $60 price range. The audience always wants more choice.

"The biggest earners are gonna be the big AAA titles, because they have the $100 million marketing campaigns. You can't compete with that. But in the years to come, the big properties at E3, the $100 million properties, they will have started off in the indie space. They're gonna innovate cheaper, faster and more with their audience right away. That's a guarantee."