Fable creator Mark McCann recently commented that modern game developers no longer take risks when creating titles for players to enjoy.
In an interview, Fable creator Peter Molyneux recently stated that studios today are much less willing to take risks; consequently, they often prefer sticking to tried and tested methods rather than developing innovative stories.
Although 2018 has already been an exceptional year in gaming, much of what gamers enjoy comes as remakes or remasters of fan favorites such as Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, and Dead Space remakes or remasters. Industry figures like Xbox boss Phil Spencer have noted how gaming relies too heavily on old IPs due to risks associated with new concepts – something Molyneux appears to agree with via an interview with TheGamer.
Molyneux, co-founder of Fable developer Lionhead and an industry veteran, has years of experience that have given him insight into its inner workings, after serving as lead designer on Fable 2004 before working on its successor and making numerous risky changes, such as adding a darker tone.
“[This may sound] surprising now,” notes Molyneux. “There used to be shame associated with making sequels, so when we started contemplating one, we thought carefully about ways we couldn’t simply add more weapons or expand upon an already large landscape; so instead, we took risks that perhaps wouldn’t fly these days due to test feedback being negative – taking such chances was riskier then; people tend to be risk-averse these days.”
Developers have become more risk averse as game development costs continue to escalate, and new IP failure can have serious repercussions; we saw this firsthand with Lord of the Rings: Gollum being released and subsequent studio closure. Regardless, fans still desire new stories rather than remakes/remasters; time will tell which studios will take that plunge in future years.
