Welcome to “The Insider”. This column will be dedicated to those interested in getting a behind-the-scenes look at game development: what’s involved, who’s doing what, and what’s coming next. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the General Manager for Matahari Studios. Our company is dedicated to the next generation of game development targeted at the arcade platform. You may already know our sister company Timezone, known through the Philippines (and all over Asia in fact) for its popular Family Entertainment Centers.
To kick things off, I thought I would share with you some thoughts on coming trends in 2008.
PC, including online/MMO and internet-based/casual games – 2007 proved to be a banner year for PC game development. For the foreseeable future the PC will be king of the hill in terms of cutting edge technology. Games like Crysis are pushing bounds, sometimes beyond what many people can afford. Microsoft Vista and DirectX 10 also introduced the next step in game development, with its attention to better graphics and APIs for game developers. Can PC games in 2008 surpass those in 2007? There are of course a number of good games coming out: Spore, Starcraft 2, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King to name of few. But notice that all but one are NOT original in what they are bringing to market. Reducing risk is the trap any mature industry tends to fall into. Let’s hope there are some young, upstart developers out there willing to buck the trend. Watch out for continued strong growth in the casual sector though!
Console: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo – Nintendo has ruled recently with the release of the Wii. But shortages of both available consoles and good titles are allowing the other two to keep pace. Sony continues to have an uphill battle in dealing with the high cost of their machines, and lukewarm developer support is hurting the introduction of new products - especially exclusive products. Microsoft will keep pace, but really needs to innovate if they are to bring their platform to the next level of success.
Arcade: Sega, Nintendo, Konami, and the like, including LAI/Matahari – The arcade sector is dominated by games that promote physical interaction and “social” gaming. Who doesn’t like to hang out with their friends and get a quick-fix of House of the Dead or Slam-and-Jam basketball? Companies like Global VR will be bringing a number of new games to market, such as the ports of NASCAR, America’s Army, and Blazing Angles. TV tie-ins such as the release of Ice/Play Mechanix Deal or No Deal will no doubt be winners too. Watch out for new products developed by Matahari in 2008 as well, including the first fully-Pinoy developed arcade game!
Handhelds: Sony, Nokia, Nintendo, and others – rumors persist about Microsoft coming out with its own handheld, but so far these are just rumors. Sony and Nintendo rule this segment, though it’s unclear if any next generation platforms will be introduced in 2008. Keep watch during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. This is where all the big announcements for the year take place.
Mobile: All the mobile phone makers and dozens of 3rd party developers – it’s interesting to see guys like John Carmack from id Software view mobile games as a challenge. As he states it, it is like “retro programming”, where the developer still has to be mindful of the economy of code. Certainly there is a lot of opportunity for growth in this market, though growth has been tempered by the various competing platforms, and the high cost of game downloads. Hopefully initiatives like “direct to consumer” will help to remedy this burden.
And what does the game development industry look like in 2008, particularly for here in the Philippines? The future looks bright! Early in 2007 a number of local game companies got together and formed the Game Development Association of the Philippines, or GDAP. The purpose of this group is to promote game development, both at home and abroad. It really shows that game development in the Philippines has come of age, and those who choose to make games for a living can make a great career out of it – right here at home.
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