GI - Will Wright: "Console guys are running scared"

GI - The legendary designer shares some thoughts on game design and the industry.

[-Mezzo-]

LOL, this guy.

[ATi_Elite]

More so the Publishers who have very little experience dealing with Digital Distribution, Cloud, MMO's, and F2P!

Sony has a PC Gaming division and they are already on top of each of these new business models so they are good! They just bought Gaikai (Cloud), they already have MMO's (Everquest) and F2P (Planetside2)! Sony also has integration with the PS3 and Vita!

Microsoft: Same thing they have a PC division and it's nothing for MS to buy the people, patents, or companies it needs to get up to speed and make some dollars.

Nintendo: They have NO CLUE!! I think they are just stuck in the middle and don't know which way to turn. Ninty has been on top of it's game for like forever but with such a rapid and drastic Tech change the Mario Bubble may Burst. They gotta stop being the "little Kid System" and grow up and get with the Integrated Online times.

If Nintendo was on point they would of gotten Mario on the iPhone before the Hackers did. Nintendo is definitely playing catch up to the new tech.

[WeskerChildReborned]

I think Sony buying Gaikai is a good future for the PS4 or the next gen Playstation.

[N4g_null]

F2p will expose story gaming for what it is a bubble. Cloud accounts are ready cloud gaming is not. Nintendo has always had a kind of f2p model. You buy their system and get Mario almost for free. Pack ins have that effect. Demos are a sub set of that but games must have an interactive hook.

Strong franchises will balloon from the f2p idea simply because they are addictive.

Cloud gaming is a function for eye candy and that isn't a driving force in gaming yet, it is a welcomed addition but many devs can not afford it. Design works better off limits rather than potiential fueled by money.

Sony needs better writers of interactive stories and power than the normal cash strapped gamer can own. Then they need to figure out how to survive the arcade. The f2p model is basicly the same Eco system as the arcade. Games must attract and capture attention. Game play is king here since it eats time. Graphics attract but the cat will be out of the bag for Sony and ms.

Nintendo has 16 million sellers, wii play could go f2p and make angry birds silent. Bloom blox could do the same.

Then comes the cloud... You do realize there was a satellite Nintendo enabled system? They played with these ideas before. Many have forgotten these things simply because of the flood of negative media.

Cloud gaming is the tip of the iceberg, there are many creative gaming buisness models that are way more powerful.

If the problems are addressed I can see them all winning but following the uber power model only leads to an snk, sega, Atari like collasp. Gamers are funny, many claim to be loyal but that simply is not possible it is only entertainment.

Sony needs to be very careful, before they had third parties, not so now. Before they could leverage tech the made not so now, they had backing from other parts of the corp, those have fallen. Nintendo had similar problem and then every one turned on them. If Sony can foot the power bill their fans are expecting we will see fall out.

Ms could easily turn every windows pc into an Xbox hub with unified accounts all powered by gpus and CPUs beyond consoles reach, so the power game is very dangerous. We all know the os kills the pc platform what happens when it doesn't ?

[Death_Grin48]

Nintendo is in their own league. They never wanted to put Mario in the iPhone. That's stupid and degrading. Not all their games need to have online either because they'll turn out great on their own.

Let the other companies continue to "catch up" to please the simple crowd; Nintendo will continue to do their own thing.

[Dojan123]

For the most part I agree with you. However, Nintendo being a kid system can work for them. I buy my kids (3 girls) a number of Nintendo products. So do a lot of parents.

My kids do not play hardcore games but I spend as much money on them as I do for PC gaming (via Steam) and the PS3 (via Plus/PSN)for me. Of course every few years I out spend my kids gaming habit when I am building / Upgrading my PC.

[Boody-Bandit]

I stop reading and busted out laughing at legendary designer. I really wish guys like this would just do their jobs, designing games, and less media attention seeking.

[jadenkorri]

i hate the idea with cloud gaming, cause even a lot of places internet is not guaranteed let alone if it just goes down, u can't play any games. im personally still on buying disc based games as you don't need internet to play the game. Let alone, my provider has a bandwidth cap, if games are quite large your gonna spend more money not just for the game, but all the bandwidth you use for dling the files required each time you play it.

[SilentNegotiator]

*YAWN*

Oh, Will. Go make Sims 10, SimCity 500, and what....Sim Meat Packing Plant? Or Spore 2....ppfffttt HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Another 90s rockstar spewing garbage. Sony buying a streaming company doesn't mean Console gaming is coming to a close. Sony already has their hands in the cookie jars of console, PC, mobile, and handheld gaming. Them ADDING streaming means that they're keeping on top of potential platforms. Goofy old man.

"Q: Peter Molyneux said that for 22 Cans he's trying some small experiments to test out design ideas.
Will Wright: I like that idea as well. I think that more and more we can learn from our audience almost while we're still in development. As a designer I find that to be kind of attractive, because so frequently you come out with something and maybe it's a hit and maybe it's not"
-
LOL, fan of another aged star. Figures. He looooves the idea of throwing things at the wall until something sticks......since he doesn't understand the audience any more. Not like that should be something a game developer should keep a finger on the pulse of or anything. /s

[CarlosX360]

Console guys are not running scared, Will Wright.

[inbetweener]

I'd wager console guys do very little running.
Zing!

[avengers1978]

Will Wright sucks.

[zeal0us]

F2P existed in the last generation and have increase this generation but I doubt it got Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft scared.

[Khordchange]

If f2P ever becomes bigger than what it is(which it won't, because they need to make profits), what makes you think nintendo, sony, and microsoft wont make their own F2P games?

[nolifeking]

Sony already has one in the pipe, with potential others. They seem to see where things may be heading.

[Khordchange]

and the rest of the post I said "what makes you think nintendo, sony, and microsoft wont make their own F2P games?"

So i did agree with you. Read the entire post

And no, I don't consider it free to play if you have to pay a subscription or pay for weapons and features.

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

DC Universe Online and Free Realms are from Sony and they're already out...

[rdgneoz3]

And Dust 514 is in beta and coming out in a bit.

"And no, I don't consider it free to play if you have to pay a subscription or pay for weapons and features."
DC, Free Realms, and Dust 514 don't have subscriptions. The part about paying for weapons or features, most free to play games make money by having you pay for something. Whether its unlocking stuff early or giving you a boost leveling up.
If they're not making you pay a subscription, the cash shop is the only way they're gonna make money.

[WeskerChildReborned]

Dust 514 and DC Universe.

[TitanUp]

game developers and publishers do make money from f2p games.

[Dojan123]

Disagree about the profit part - Value is making a killing off TF2. People can make money with F2P if they have the right following

[mike1up]

Running all the way to the bank.

[GaryOak]

Will Wright is wrong.

[Moby-Royale]

In the immortal words of Doctor House:

Ah snap.

[CarlosX360]

Yeap. He's wrong.

[Psycho_PS3Truthh]

The only company I know who is not scared of anything is sony, they are the only ones who act civilize in the gaming community to allow new fresh IP to hit the market place.

The PS3 as the largest library in current generation gaming history with the most attractive games to the eye and mind. Sony buying gaikai is basically sony saying I am tired of microsoft not doing anything civilize and now its time for the PS4 to be the only gaming system mankind will ever need for eternity amen.

[Gazondaily]

Lol what on Earth are you on about? I'm sorry but you haven't got a clue about what you're spewing.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

lmao

[Moby-Royale]

You've made this Christian quite uncomfortable.

I'm all for playstation and all, but that's a tad much. Wouldn't you agree?

Smh lol. ;)

[TekoIie]

It's all about teh civillize right brah?

[shadow2797]

Great. This troll migrated from IGN. Lucky us...

[maniacmayhem]

The fact he has 15 agrees says a lot about this site.

[_Aarix_]

Preach it brother...like the westboro baptist church does -_-

[taquito]

yeah......ms and sony aren't scared at all, look at those nice new consoles they just put out, ohhhh....wait....freaking xbox360 is going into its 8th year on the market, its a relic!!

ps3 same boat

720p or less, are you kidding me, 720p has been around on console since the original xbox which had quite a few games in 1280x720, and now, most big titles aren't even 720p, i just rented ghost recon fs for my ps3, (straight-forward pixel-count reveals that they both appear to run at the same 1024x600 resolution. Without fail, we get 30 edges from 36 pixels on the vertical axis, and 34 edges from 40 on the horizontal, leaving us with a noticeably sub-HD base resolution on each console. ) 1024x600!!!!!

lol...just like every call of duty game on consoles

it literally looks worse than ghost recon advance warfighter from 2006

the jaggies are unbearable,the framerate is awful, the screen tearing is distracting

sure it might have a few more objects on screen, but it looks bloddy awful

ms and sony are terrified to the point that they have delayed and delayed and delayed releasing new hardware much to the disatisfaction of developers

but people on here seem to lap it up

they want to game on ps3/360 until 2015

its sickening honestly

look at the stagnation in the industry

ohhh another gears of war game, halo 4, call of duty 10, ff16, assaassins creed 22

and nearly everyone of these games boils down to a map pack with a small single player expansion that should be a fraction of the price, they use the same engine, the same audio, the same locations some of the time for petes sake

free to play games like blacklight maxed out in 1080p dx11 look a full generation beyond anything on console, tribes ascend makes halo 4 look last gen and they are FREE

100% free

I play both and have probably 40 hours between the two, never spent a cent, I will most likely buy a $10 card for each from 7-11 at some point just to give the devs some cash for their hard work, but honesly the quality in f2p games now crushes anything on console, and with dedicated servers, the multiplayer is hands down above and beyond anything currently available on ps3/360

sad but true

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

You need the healing power of shrim...

[-Gespenst-]

First T&E fans I think I've noticed on N4G.

[Hicken]

All of that typing, and none of it had any meaning.

Congratulations.

[taquito]

lemme summarize

PC has free to play games

that make 7 year old console games look last gen

why?

because ms and sony should have released new consoles 2 years ago

[BitbyDeath]

@taquito, i'd agree with you if consoles did not have some great games still coming.

The overall quality of both Halo 4 and The Last of Us show consoles are not in desperate need of a new version yet. (As much as i want them as well)

[glennco]

@BitbyDeath - you havent even played them yet. they will play like current games. now if they were next-gen you would actually see a real difference, not just being fooled by marketing hype

[BitbyDeath]

@glennco, i guess it depends on what you are looking for then.

Obviously these won't be VR or anything but i'm still fine with using a controller.

[Moby-Royale]

Nope.

[sly-Famous]

THE HORROR!!!!!

[omarzy]

Cloud gaming/F2P android games will not destroy the competition, but they WILL make an impact on the current and traditional gaming industry. "impact" ranges on all levels so we must wait to see which level it lands on, but to deny that this is a jab in the sides of Nintendo,Sony, and microsoft is just being in denial. Look at the ouya, it will just be another console, it will steal sales like any console does, but Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are just too big in gaming to be forced out due to financial problems given to them by OUYA or the like. I think running scared as the title says is a bit too much, but no doubt they will be looking over their shoulder in the next few years.

[isarai]

Um, Ps3 already has a few free to play games though.

Dust 514
DC Universe online
Home
Free Realms

[taquito]

one of those isnt out yet, and it looks like a iphone game running at 20 frames per second, no one would pay for something that looks like this;

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

(make sure to watch in full screen so you get a feel for the awfulness)

one of them was $65 at launch and $15 a month but was a major FLOP, and then went free to play and the other two
suck, but props to sony for trying to get it going, and if any console maker will get it right, it will be sony next gen, hopefully

[isarai]

but you just said, it isn't even out yet, so how about you wait till it's done till you start judging shit. and have you played it? because no matter how bad it "looks" to you it's fun as hell to me, and shouldn't that be what makes a game great?

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

You see that "1080p" option on YouTube?

Yeah...

You should hit that.

[x800]

lol that game really has terrible graphics and it really looks like an iphone game ^^

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

Not sure about the F2P stuff...

But the guy made some good points. It was a good read. I had forgotten about the affects that PUBLISHERS have on game developer studios.

It's kind of like Producers in the Movie/ TV world. They might make you change everything.

[N4g_null]

You win the Internet sir. This is about publisher being yelled at by investors for not making android games lol. F2p has been around for a while. Some where share based, partial pay, arcade... Demos, add based or in game purchased even pack ins are a form of f2p.

The whole point is getting people ready to play rather than hype or collect a product. The play and beat then trade in idea would kill this. You need seriOus replay value.

Imagine a movie being f2p and you see why this may actually hurt story based gaming with lacking writers.

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

I don't know much about F2P to make a Strong comment, I thank you for sharing yours (I will keep it in mind).
So, is F2P one of those things that can be profitable for a company but over-all damaging for the industry?

+ I never said that the PUBLISHERS were always right, neither did he, but that is the nature of the Beast.
+ I never said that Investors were always right- neither did he, but...

Does it have to change? Yes. There should be more options. But the constant push toward expensive technology will make this permanent.

I have seen many gaming companies that have created games only to have trouble finding a Publisher.
It stinks.

So, why do I win the Inter-Webs? I don't know but if they are mine I propose a fee! Gib your moneys or leave. So, Sayeth Couldhaveyelleduiiw- LORD of the InerWebs!

[YoungKingDoran]

Will Wrong

[StayStatic]

LMAO !

[Deadpool616]

I don't believe there's any room for Elitists in gaming. I very much believe the core of gaming is all about having fun and enjoying yourself. Doesn't matter what you're playing your game on, just as long as the game is a good experience is what counts.

[glennco]

elitests are everywhere. get used to it. this is why apple is now the biggest company in the world.

[Deadpool616]

There are Leaders and Elitist. I prefer a Leader over a Elitist.

[Run_bare]

Haha.. interesting read, but I have to disagree.

[SpecialK]

I am interested to see how the free to play model will work. DUST looks very interesting and whilst I may not have tried it out if i had to pay £20 for it, I will definitely give it ago at the free price point.

And then if i enjoy it and the paid for parts add to the experience, I'll probably go for it, it would still be cheaper than paying £40 upfront for a game.

Personally i think it could be good for the industry. The amount of games that looked interesting and different that i avoided because I didnt want to risk £40 on it is mind boggling.

if they were brought out in cheaper or free versions with limited content then I may have gone for more of them, enjoyed them, and then decided to spend more on the game which is what these companies want.

A shake up like this could be really good.

[swice]

This is why they should be scared. I personally believe this is the stepping stone for what's to come

http://www.kickstarter.com/...

Patiently waiting for mine

[SuperStrokey1123]

No... its not. This will have no effect and I would be shocked if it even ever got made.

[swice]

We'll see

[Getowned]

Will Wrong.

[Prince_Dim-Lu]

Running scared...

How many copies of COD sold on Consoles? How many on PC?

How many copies of BF sold on Console? How many on PC? (even though bf is way better on pc and is the way it should play on next gen consoles)

How many copies of Gears sold on Consoles compared to Computer?

Yes, running very scared.

[ExCest]

1st two arguments are slightly iffy.

The third argument. Now that's dumb. We haven't had a Gears since the first one and that required GFWL which sucks.

As for COD, COD for PC sucks because IW and Activision dropped the ball on that community. Period.

[Roccetarius]

Console guys aren't running scared, they're getting stronger than ever. PC / console systems will always be the optimal gaming experience, nothing handheld can replace that.

The only messed up thing is the future of the consoles. If they truly are heading for a cloud / streaming service sooner rather than later, then i won't be supporting it.

[JoeSchmoh]

So which is it? Handhelds aren't worth buying? Yet, you have people like this dude saying consoles are dying and handheld devices are taking over. I just saw a video of a psvita running Left4Dead the other day. It's only time until people GET THE BIG PICTURE and really see.

[PixL]

What you get for free is always low quality. I don't want low quality games, so I'll stay away from F2P.

[ExCest]

*Most are low quality.

TF2 says hello thar good sire.

[PixL]

Ok, you're right, most. But TF2 wasn't free from the start. It was sold in boxes at the beginning.

[2pacalypsenow]

Make a better sims game where you dont have to buy an expansion pack for decent house decorations.

[OooHJohnny]

I'm so scared... I'm going to cry like a little girl... or not.

[belac09]

what a stupid article.

[smashcrashbash]

That is fascinating. Can I go play my console in peace now please? I am a little sick and tired of these idiots trying to force Sony and Microsoft's hand at making new consoles so we can end up in another generation of broken, unfinished consoles. Let's get something straight and I hope companies are listening. If any of you rush out any consoles and short change me any features, have a 40 to 50 percent fail rate or some pointless gimmick that is undeveloped and hardly ever used properly, I, the consumer, will not be buying it. I couldn't care less how much the developers are breathing down your neck.If you hand me $hit with the excuse that you will fix it later, I will not be buying it EVER no matter how much you tweak and adjust it.

Take your time and I will play my PS3 until you are finished. Sony has more then enough developers to make games for them in the mean time even if any third party decides to leave until they make a next gen system. Rush and half @$$ it and I won't buy. May be the sheep still will but I and I hope the rest of us won't. I am getting tired of being the guinea pig for incompetence.

[jetlian]

you must not have owned any console then. both ps1/2 were faulty hell even ps3. I remember putting ps1 sideways

even the old nes was a mess. gaming like all hardware has issues and this gen has been going on long enough. I only got like 5 games this year. some of it is being broke paying for vacation but some of it is Im tired seeing 90 percent the same games.

I need that gpx fix. Hell physic could add to the atmosphere of games.

[ShaunCameron]

The only consoles that had a next to zero failure rate were the 16-bit era ones. The Super Nintendo and Genesis. They sure were durable.

[BitbyDeath]

Just get PS+ and you'll have a ton of free to play games.

[ExCest]

Those aren't F2P but sure, they're free in a sense.

[kevnb]

i think microsoft is letting things slip right out of their hands with their stupidity.

[Elvis]

That man has a scary look D:

[gumgum99]

He reminds me of Elliot Carver

[GrilledCheeseBook]

In the article he is not saying that consoles are doomed such as the comments hear seem to suggest. He does not sat that pcs are supreme either.

The quote itself is minute and of course taken out of context to get more viewers.

In the article he is interviewed on the growing number of platforms there are to access games beyond consoles which he himself says he is taking a multi-platform approach rather than favoring one. There are now, along with consoles and pcs, mobile, browser, and cloud gaming which experiment with free to play games as well as traditional buy to play games. This segments the attention from publishers, making consoles no longer the absolute attention for videogame makers.
This is not him saying console makers are on the ropes as they are in some insurmountable downward spiral. He is saying they are most likely scrambling to adapt newer business models to their consoles as so they are not left behind in newer revenue streams.

"Q: Gamers are everywhere, so the games need to be everywhere, too.

Will Wright: Exactly."

The question his answers raise is not whether Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo die under the weight of competition for gamers attentions, but whether they are able to gain a foothold in the newer markets as opposed to newer upstarts.

Nowhere in hear is he saying consoles are dieing. Seeing as how exaggerated the response has been to this interview, commenting before reading the article still seems to be a problem on this site.

edit:
On free to play games, there are plenty of examples of free to play games that are successful. League of Legends has a huge community. DOTA 2 and Team Fortress 2, both free to play and one being in beta, are generally always the top two most played games on Steam. Blacklight Retribution isn't bad and has a strong following. In MMOs besides WoW, free to play seems to be the way to go. I wouldn't be surprised to see SWToR go free to play in the next couple of years. Tribes Ascend has a strong following. Planetside 2 will most likely have a strong following. Free to play is viable and apparently growing in my opinion.

[feeler103]

Technically all pc games are free to play :)