Leipzig, Germany held a panel at the GC Developers Conference in which experienced developers were asked questions about making a hit game title. What goes into making a franchise?
Stormfront Studios' Don Daglow, Lionhead Studios' George Becker, Factor 5 president and co-founder Julian Eggebrecht and Epic Games' Michael Capps to discuss the specific elements of a title that go into making it a success. The full interview can be found at gamasutra, but here are some highlights.
To build a hit game and hopeful franchise you've got to have a few key elements to see it become a success:
To build a hit game and hopeful franchise you've got to have a few key elements to see it become a success:
- Believe In Your Design: If you're on the fence about the game concepts, imagine what you're customers are going to think. If you don't believe in the design who will?
- The Team: You must have the 'correct' team, a team that shares the game design and feels passionate about the product as a whole... not just the few.
- Shared Concept: You may think your idea is awesome but if you're the only one who does the game isn't going to work. You should bounce your ideas off a number of people to make sure it's a good concept 'in general' - not just in your own mind.
- Licensed IP's: If you're licensing a property like Transformers or Shrek you should believe wholly in the property, not just try to make a few bucks off the name. This goes back to 'believe in your design' because the property is part of it.
- It's Hard To Be Original: To create your own independent properties you've got to convince a lot of people, have a huge passion, a strong design and discuss it with many people. It's easier to license a name than start original.
- Believe In The Press: When you hand your game to the press and they tear it apart, it might be exactly how the audience receives it. If you can make the press happy, chances are much better your product will be well received as a whole.
- Forums: A companies forums and message boards will tell you a good deal about how your product is going to be received when its released. If you have early previews, this gives you an idea of how gamers are going to react. Listen, take advice and don't be ashamed to make changes to make their experience better.
- Live span: Downloadable content and additional deliverables after the product is released can grow your games life span. With console technology and the Internet, there is no reason NOT to take advantage of the ability to deliver content after the release (PS3, XBL Marketplace, PC downloads, etc.)
- Community Counts: Listen to the audience, build relationships with your customers. Don't go it alone.
- Moneys Worth, Not About Money Spent: Big budget games don't always make great experiences. Customers want their moneys worth, not a game with huge budgets that do crappy games.
- Marketing: As it was said on the panel, "good marketing that holds a bad game, will fail faster." Enough said.
- Don't Force The Press: Trying to force a good score or get the press on a game won't really do what you want. If the press doesn't believe in the game they may rate it based on something other than an internal feeling.
What do you guys think goes into a great game? Why do you feel the need to play Oblivion for so many hours or World of Warcraft? Why are gamers still playing Halo 2 and Counter Strike? Is it some black magic or are there key elements in games that make you want to play them day in and day out?
