The Public Trust

Almost all game publishers and developers are managed by cautious, sensible people who have no desire to antagonize the public through silly publicity stunts or infantile poses. It was not always so.

The game industry has made mistakes. Because of the transgressions of the past, the games industry is sometimes viewed much like an adolescent who needs a firm hand. This prejudice is fortified by professional jeremiads, moral crusaders and publicity-seeking scoundrels who have alighted on gaming either because they cynically see an easy target or because they are ruled by fear and ignorance.

The recent failure of anti-games laws in various U.S states, and the sensible approaches being taken by some European countries to game regulation, are causes for optimism. But the game industry is only ever one screw-up away from yet another excoriation at the scratching claws of media outrage and public opinion. This urges caution which, unfortunately, sometimes impinges on creativity. Once again, balance is the key.

Specialist Media

Games magazines have been with us for a long time. But times are getting harder. Print publications are losing readers. Games websites are in a state of flux. Games TV is a major disappointment. Games journalism is under constant attack for alleged unprofessionalism.

All this is true. And yet the specialist media remains a peerless conduit between those who sell games and those who buy them.

In an age of highly viral opinion-formers, those expensive-to-produce megalithic brands, such as EGM or IGN or Official Xbox Magazine are more important than ever. They set the agenda.

They are read by millions and they are trusted. In the age of robotic review aggregators, it‘s an unwise consumer who buys into the average score without checking a noted reviewers first.

The loss of this voice would be a catastrophe to the game industry which struggles to gain column inches or airtime from more general outlets. PRs may win their bonuses from valuable words in BusinessWeek or on the BBC, but their earn their bread and butter through altogether more prosaic outlets. It is those outlets that give generalist media their cue.  Publishers that ignore the specialist media’s vicissitudes, or scorn them for their quirks, do so at their peril.

Superstar Developers

The number of individual developers whose name enhances a product’s marketability is growing. These are people whose roles differ considerably from one another– from the inspirational leader to the nuts-and-bolts control freak / artist.

Whichever way, their value is immense.

The days when game programmers were seen as social retards is long gone (it was always a completely unfair slur). People like Cliff Bleszinski, Will Wright, Jade Raymond, Dan Houser and Ken Levine are compelling and entertaining in their own right. Publishers may not often use their faces to market the games in packaging (a la Sid Meier), but they use them to communicate their message to the hardcore. But they don‘t use them enough.

The impact these creators have in talking directly to their audience should never be underestimated. Game lovers – no matter what their age or social demographic – respect and look up to game creators in ways which corporate branding can never approach. Obviously, a game creator’s time is best spent creating games rather than jawing with the press or hanging out in forums; but finding the means and the time to make this happen is essential.

However, there is a price. Marketable individuals have a habit of insisting on the just rewards of their talent and efforts. Smart publishers will find ways to accommodate their superstars. Or else!