(Image credit: Build a Rocket Boy)
The gaming industry is currently experiencing challenging times, with notable studios such as Monolith Productions and Arkane Austin closing their doors in the past year. Also facing difficulties are companies like Bungie and Rocksteady, which have undergone significant layoffs. Even the highly successful Marvel Rivals could not escape workforce reductions in the US. Many are eagerly awaiting the launch of GTA 6 in hopes of revitalizing the gaming market and boosting employment opportunities within the industry.
Although not directly involved with the upcoming GTA sequel, Rockstar veteran Leslie Benzies has shared his perspective on the industry’s current state. Now focused on his new project MindsEye with his studio Build a Rocket Boy, Benzies shared insights in an Edge Magazine interview. He remarked, “There are no more hours in the day, there are no more humans emerging that play video games, so there’s a finite user base. There are so many games, and I think we’re starting to feel the effects of that over the past year or so, in closures and layoffs.” While platforms like Steam have seen exponential growth, with user numbers doubling since 2020, Benzies highlights the challenge of numerous games vying for player attention, similar to the appeal of Fortnite.
Benzies emphasized the importance of understanding player preferences, advising studios to study analytics to meet consumer demands. He stated, “These days, you have to look at your analytics. You’ve got to see what people want to play… I think we as an industry need to get smarter, to know, ‘Will people actually want to play this?'” Nevertheless, not all industry leaders share this cautious approach. Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt encouraged risk-taking, arguing, “A lot of publishers try to play it safe by taking safe bets, but one thing that’s guaranteed is those safe bets are a death sentence,” urging studios to innovate rather than mimic others.
Benzies acknowledged the necessity of experimentation, mentioning, “we might go off on a tangent that people don’t want.” However, he praised the flexibility of Arcadia, Build a Rocket Boy’s user-generated content system, which allows for small-scale trials with the potential for expansion based on player engagement. Lastly, he shared with Edge that MindsEye will foster community ownership, akin to Roblox and Minecraft servers.
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