Game budgets these days are often astronomical, so much so publishing giant Ubisoft is warning publishers to not let things get any worse. In an MCV blog about what 2010 is to bring, the company's MD Rob Cooper says budgets need to be smart, lest we want to start shelling out big dollars for our entertainment:
[We] will certainly see ever-more ambitious games projects taking off as layers of detail are added to some top end productions. Where once fuzzy pixels danced around on the screen, now we expect everything from the visuals and sound effects to the dialogue of our characters – along with the emotions they can portray – to be more finely tuned. All of these touches increase the studio costs exponentially so we will all be looking at ways to trim them when we can.
But there is no point spending more on our products if the profit margins evaporate to a trickle or the prices that the public have to pay for our wares become horrifically high.
Cooper goes on to note particularly given the economical state, a "healthy return" is more imperative than ever for any investment. Smart publishers, he says, will "delicately balance the risk of creating bold new IPs against established franchises", something Ubisoft has "so far managed pretty well." Then of course there's the rare titles like Assassin's Creed II which appeal highly to both the "hardcore" and newcomers.
Source:The MCV Blog
Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles, Nintendo Consoles, Handheld Games
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