The Game Plan 06.29.07: Looking Out For The Little Guys

Posted by James McGee on 06.29.2007

WARNING!! This column contains extreme optimism regarding Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo helping out small game developers. This article has been known to induce visions of sugar-plum fairies and gum-drop flowers. Reader discretion is advised.

Hello, boys and girls. Today, we're taking a trip to what my wife likes to call the land of rainbows and butterflies—a phrase she hits me with whenever she thinks I'm being too idealistic. I'm back on the topic of downloadable content again this week, but instead of going on about extra stuff for big retail games, I'll be focusing on the smaller, full-fledged games that populate Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network, and the Wii's Virtual Console. These digital outlets primarily cash in on the retro-gaming craze by offering older arcade and console games, but every once in a while, a completely original property pops up for download. These games are pretty simplistic compared to their modern counterparts, but they're often a lot of fun and offer a nice diversion from whatever epic happens to be sitting in the disc tray at the time. As more modest games keep showing up for download, I think these services could become a creative outlet for smaller developers and give games that wouldn't last a week on store shelves a fighting chance in the virtual world. Wait a minute—am I suggesting that Microsoft and Sony would actually start looking out for the little guy? Well, like I said, don't trip over the rainbows. I am James McGee, and here's The Game Plan.

The simplicity of these games causes part of the problem in terms of their ability to sell in retail stores. We are well and truly into the 3D era, high-definition graphics are becoming the norm, and most people just are not willing to go back to the days of 2-dimensions. That doesn't mean that a developer who makes a more simple game is behind the times, just that they have chosen to express themselves in a more "old school" fashion. I liken it to what I see in film animation. Computer animation is the way to go, popularly speaking, but that doesn't mean hand-drawn animation is no longer valid. It comes down to how the artist uses the tools at his or her disposal.

Inability to sell these games in a retail setting also stems from the fact that they are developed by small, independent or lesser-known companies. Their hardships should be rather obvious: name recognition sells. Publishers are less likely to bank on un-proven developers, stores are less likely to devote shelf-space to an unknown franchise when they could put more copies of Mario titles out, and most buyers are unwilling to take a chance. This is another one of those cases where a lot of gamers lambaste the Big Guys for not supporting creativity and independent developers, but then when an innovative game does arrive, they don't buy it. Even with a big-name publisher like Capcom behind it, Okami still did disappointing numbers, despite its original presentation and solid gameplay. Do you honestly think most gamers would choose an up-start developer's 2D shooter, no matter how brilliant and innovative it might be, if it's sitting next to Gears of War? If they're going to pick up a title that isn't part of a franchise, it will either have to have been hyped to the moon, or have a name on the box (publisher, studio, super-star designer, etc.) they recognize. Barring die-hard Nintendo fans—who would skewer me if I didn't point out how receptive they are to innovation—gamers have pretty predictable tastes. They're not going to pay $30-$60 for something they've never heard of, or that deviates too far from the norm. Okami's producer Atsushi Inaba summed it up best. "This can't be blamed on anyone but it's a simple fact that an original game doesn't appeal to the majority of gamers." Sad, but true.

But, the download market is a slightly different ballgame. Even I will admit that these multi-billion dollar game companies aren't going to support original, digital download content unless there is a profit to be made. Uncle Bill ain't gonna do nothing that don't fill up that Scrooge McDuck swimming pool of money we all know he has hidden away somewhere, and neither are Sony and Nintendo. But there is a market for these games. It's just a slightly different market than retail stores. Developers have to deal with a lot of costs beyond just creating a game—there's packaging, discs or cartridges, distribution, marketing, etc. If a publisher handles all of this for you, they of course take their cut. Digital download eliminates a lot of that hassle and cost—you don't have to package the game, or press it onto a disc. You just stick it onto a server somewhere. Downloads are a smaller market, with smaller expectations, taking off some of the pressure to produce huge sales.

What inspired this rose-colored train of thought was a game called AEGIS Wings. Released not long ago as a free download on Live Arcade, Wings is an old-school shooter in the same vein as R-Type and Gradius. The interesting part for me is that AEGIS Wings was not created by some big shot development team, not even by a struggling company trying to make a name for itself, but by a group of Microsoft interns (with a final polish by Carbonated Games). A bunch of no-name upstarts put a game together that, while maybe not groundbreaking, looks good, sounds good, and is a lot of retro-fun.

Now, I can already hear the rolling thunder of dissension coming in to obliterate my butterfly-paradise. I admit, being an intern for Microsoft and having your project released by Microsoft isn't quite the same success story as building a game in your basement, using an Etch-a-sketch and scientific calculator, then having one of the big companies pick it up for distribution. But let's show just the slightest bit of optimism, shall we? If nothing else, seeing AEGIS Wings available to millions of gamers has to be a huge thrill for the guys who worked on it, and given the quality of the game, can only further their burgeoning careers. Extending this opportunity to individuals and fledgling studios outside the first-party office is the next logical step (and with the release of Microsoft's XNA Game Development kit and Nintendo's WiiWare, both of which offer a streamlined set of tools for would-be designers, it's a step those two companies seem to already be preparing for). Again, it's not like the Big Guys are giving the Little Guys a go out of the kindness of their heart—I'm not that naïve. But taking a chance here and there is an investment in the future, and digital distribution is a comparatively low-risk market.

Some smaller companies have already started exploiting this market and have settled into a comfortable niche as download-game developers. After releasing the cute/violent/hilarious 2D shooter Alien Hominid on several previous-gen consoles to stellar reviews but less-than-gangbuster sales, oddly-named studio The Behemoth gave the game new life on Live Arcade. The developer's next game, Castle Crashers, will be a download-exclusive for the 360 (at least so far). Any successful, creative company should always be on the lookout for the next big talent, and I'd be very surprised to see other studios not follow Nintendo and Microsoft's lead of giving these lesser-known studios a chance before too long.

Download services aren't only being utilized successfully by smaller companies. Even the biggest publishers and developers have their fingers in the pie, frequently releasing games that don't fit the standard retail model. Live Arcade and its cousins over at Sony and Nintendo give these people the opportunity to let their creative juices flow without worrying so much about how to move their product off Gamestop shelves. David Jaffe took a break from the blood and guts of uber-franchise God of War to design the frenetic cops n' robbers capture the flag game, Calling All Cars! for the PS3's download service. Bizarre Creations—the studio behind the Project Gotham Racing series and the upcoming shooter The Club—released a version of the crazy, psychedelic shooter Geometry Wars for Live Arcade, alongside Boom Boom Rocket, an odd rhythm/fireworks hybrid. The latter was published by EA Games, proving that even one of the most notoriously mainstream/commercial publishers going today can support an offbeat idea now and then. Even established studios and designers have seen the potential of downloads as a market for their more unconventional properties. And what does this teach us? The digital world is not only a feasible outlet for creativity, but it also holds promise as a viable money-making market. Maybe creativity and cash aren't mutually exclusive terms after all.

With so much concern about smaller, independent developers and innovative ideas finding a place in the huge, corporate jungle that games have become, download services like Live Arcade, Playstation Network and Virtual Console offer a glimmer of hope in the darkness. The potential of the download market is only starting to be realized, and in time, I think it will become a viable avenue for the "little guy" to get noticed. Is my vision naïve, considering the same giants that are monopolizing the retail industry are in control of the virtual market as well? Maybe, but a guy can hope for the best, can't he? Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be skipping through a field of gum-drop flowers on my way to the bubbling, chocolate stream. Ooooh, look! A Care Bear…