You Can’t Make Much Clever Little Games Like Expedition 33 Anymore Unless “You Please The Stock Market”, Says RPG Legend

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He Said Indie Games Are The Way to Go!

Story Highlight
  • A legendary RPG creator says that studios only focus on making games for the stock market now.
  • This is because the budgets have gone high, and major publishers are forced to play it safe. 
  • He praised Expedition 33 and said indie games seem like the more logical way forward.

The gaming industry is now known to take much fewer risks as game budgets have grown to tremendous highs. However, once in a while, we do get some exceptional titles like Clair Obscur Expedition 33 that blow everybody away. 

A legendary RPG creator has weighed in on the situation and says that now you can’t make many clever little titles like Expedition 33, because you want to please the stock market. Sandfall’s game just got lucky that it flew off. 

Why it matters: The industry does rely on safe bets and launching sequels, remakes, and remasters, because if a high-budget AAA title fails, it costs the entire company, which leads to mass layoffs, as we’ve seen before. 

Indie games are the way forward due to growing AAA budgets

Dan Daglow, who is credited with developing one of the first RPGs ever, talked on this topic at the recent GDC (via GamesRadar+). He said that big publishers are scared to make new IPs out of fear that they won’t sell well. 

You can’t build clever little games anymore, because that doesn’t please the stock market. That doesn’t make your revenue go up. That’s what you have to do.

– Dan Daglow

Major Publsihers
Major publishers stick to old IPs because they are a safe bet

He continued that it’s not their fault they can’t do it, considering the industry is now at a stage where you need to create games that generate hundreds of millions in revenue. You can’t build clever games, as they don’t please the stock market. 

Daglow praised recent indie releases, especially Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. They allow studios to take risks, and if they make it big, they generate huge revenue. His point does make sense in an industry where budgets are now even $3-400 million.

What are your thoughts on the RPG legend’s comments that the current industry only focuses on games that please the stock market? Let us know in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum

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