THQ's Danny Bilson talks games telling stories, used games and more
A portion of a Worthplaying interview with Danny Bilson...
WP: Speaking of gaming getting more serious, do you think that's coming from the developers or the industry as a whole? You don't see as many games these days that just focus on pure fun. What do you think has caused that shift in the industry over the last 15 years or so?
DB: I do like to see our art form tell a great story. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I teach game writing at USC [University of Southern California], and I always encourage my students to tell the next generation of great stories through this medium. I don't think it's a problem, per se; I think it's an opportunity. Any game developer will tell you that the mechanics come first, that the gamer experience, the interactivity — all that comes first. I just think the business has matured, and it's an opportunity to show a creative point of view and tell a great story in games along with a great gaming experience.
Now, we're talking about big console, epic games. I think there's a whole other sector that's developed that has very little to do with game fiction. It's back to the old ways on the mobile, social game, so there's something for everybody.
There's nothing wrong with the more cinematic development of these epic experiences because I do think, whether it's Saints Row and it's epic comedy or "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" kind of epic or a competitor's phenomenal games, a great epic experience is really the only thing that's going to work financially in the marketplace. You have to give the user a lot of value for $60
WP: Speaking of gaming getting more serious, do you think that's coming from the developers or the industry as a whole? You don't see as many games these days that just focus on pure fun. What do you think has caused that shift in the industry over the last 15 years or so?
DB: I do like to see our art form tell a great story. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I teach game writing at USC [University of Southern California], and I always encourage my students to tell the next generation of great stories through this medium. I don't think it's a problem, per se; I think it's an opportunity. Any game developer will tell you that the mechanics come first, that the gamer experience, the interactivity — all that comes first. I just think the business has matured, and it's an opportunity to show a creative point of view and tell a great story in games along with a great gaming experience.
Now, we're talking about big console, epic games. I think there's a whole other sector that's developed that has very little to do with game fiction. It's back to the old ways on the mobile, social game, so there's something for everybody.
There's nothing wrong with the more cinematic development of these epic experiences because I do think, whether it's Saints Row and it's epic comedy or "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" kind of epic or a competitor's phenomenal games, a great epic experience is really the only thing that's going to work financially in the marketplace. You have to give the user a lot of value for $60
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