David Braben Blasts Retail ‘Piracy’

Also speaking at Develop toda was Frontier Developments head David Braben, who took the opportunity to slam retailers stocking pre-owned games and not supporting the game industry.

Citing anecdotal evidence of games being sold and re-sold up to 10 times, Braben claimed that some retailers devote more space to pre-owned games than new and that new releases can only last a month on display. He said that such ‘back door retail’ would not be tolerated by most industries. “It’s devaluing games and genres that I love, such as singleplayer-only games,” he said.

Braben said that downloadable content and multiplayer are being cited as ways of encouraging consumers not to resell to retailers, and explained that was actually harming retailers’ future fortunes by driving more commerce online, thereby bypassing the high street shops. “It’s short-termist thinking,” he said. “I recognise that retailers are struggling, but we need to work together.”

Braben also used his session to provide a counterpoint to the frequently drawn picture of a beleaguered British game industry, with many small developers closing their doors and struggling against the power of the larger studios. He celebrated the level innovation in contemporary game design, the impact of online in helping quality outshine marketing in generating sales, and the broadening of the videogame market, which has expanded to genuinely challenge the reach of film and television.