作者：Evan Campbell

1年多前，开发商n-Space在大幅裁员后面临几近倒闭的困境。这个位于佛罗里达州的工作室在2010年创纪录地发布了7款游戏，包括DS平台的《使命召唤：黑色行动》和Wii平台的《TRON: Evolution – Battle Grids》。该工作室的遭遇表明，游戏行业骚动的本质已日益呈现。

截止2010年8月，许多游戏均已圆满完成，但n-Space却无法达成新的交易，最为著名的就是任天堂发布的《Geist》。不仅如此，据n-Space总裁兼联合创始人Dan O’Leary所述，该工作室的两大主要合作伙伴——动视和迪士尼互动工作室都在进行重组。

毫无疑问，n-Space之类主要专注于任天堂硬件的第三方工作室，并未帮助面临严重问题的任天堂两大平台（游戏邦注：Wii和DS）脱离困境。

O’Leary在去年的采访中说道：“你知道，Wii从一开始便存在第三方的问题，自2008年和2009年起确实面临重重困境。而且，情况正在逐渐恶化。”

“对于DS来说，盗版现象变得如此猖獗。以我们为DS制作的64兆秒ROM为例，找到和下载该ROM并不是难事。盗版确实是个问题。”

O’Leary希望能够开发更多3DS游戏。总裁表示，公司在3DS游戏开发上的优势是显而易见的，但多数发行商还未做好进入该市场的准备。

上述采访和言论似乎仍在耳畔，但n-Space成功地做到了许多其他开发商无法做到的事情：恢复生机。

盈利来源

Carey Chico是已倒闭的Pandemic Studios的前执行美术总监和制作人，根据他的说法，开发商没有掌握盈利来源。他声称，开发商希望制作出优秀的产品，认为他们能够由此获得金钱回报。但是，发行商不仅控制了盈利来源，而且还拥有用户。

而且，这还不是唯一的问题。越来越少的发行商愿意承当风险。

Chico问道：“如果你没有诸如《使命召唤》等畅销品牌，发行商还愿意冒险为你投入3000万美元吗？”在Pandemic倒闭之后，Chico与他人联合创办了Globex Studios LA，制作和发行一系列网络游戏和MMORPG。

Chico解释称，如果工作室或团队旗下没有之前表现出极快速成长的产品（游戏邦注：比如《使命召唤》），那么发行商就要承担很大的风险。Chico声称，以行业现状来看，发行商不会考虑以往没有获得过成功的工作室，而数年之前并不存在这个问题。

这种低风险高成本环境给独立开发商和Pandemic（游戏邦注：2009年EA关闭该工作室）等第二方工作室带来许多问题。Chico表示，在Pandemic关闭之前，发行商预期这个以《Mercenaries》等开放世界动作游戏而闻名的开发商的游戏能取得800万的销量。

独立开发商必须根据这种情况来制定计划，只有拥有多项技能才能得以存活。前Namco Bandai美国地区制作人Michael Boccieri现在为Backbone Entertainment工作，据他所述，开发商BottleRocket在同发行商Namco Bandai合作《腐尸之屋》后便一蹶不振。他曾经同许多前BottleRocket团队成员在Namco Bandai内部进行《腐尸之屋》的后续开发。

Boccieri在邮件采访中说道：“作为曾经受雇于人的开发者，我的经验表明，工作室在成功延续和完成同发行商签订开发合同过程中会历经重重困难。如果没有《腐尸之屋》项目产生的盈利，BottleRocket根本无法支付员工的薪水，最终被迫关闭。”

“受雇工作室经常会发现自己身处这种情境中，在完成合同需要动用到大部分工作室资源之时更是如此。”

在游戏行业中，制订计划并不是件简单的事情，因为计划总赶不上变化。

O’Leary声称：“作为独立开发商，当你必须制订计划时，你能够做的事情并不多。你只能计划接下来18个月内的事情，或者在Wii和DS领域里，你只能预先计划9到12个月的事情。除非你能够获得多份合同，这种情况最近极为罕见，否则你就只能制订接下来9个月的计划。”

对于像n-Space这样的独立和中型开发商来说，解救方法变得愈发清晰，那就是在不同的市场中自主发行游戏，自行出资支持开发工作。

Chico说道：“你必须构想出赚钱的计划，不能只单纯寄希望于发行商。”

数字化销售

O’Leary表示：“n-Space此前过于依赖同传统发行商配合制作传统盒装产品。而且n-Space过于依赖Wii和DS，这两个平台之前确实是不错的选择。但公司的发展路线过于单一。”

对独立工作室来说，多样化是成功的关键。O’Leary知道，他的工作室必须考虑其他的业务模型和市场，这样才能恢复生机和繁荣发展。解决n-Space及其他开发商盈利来源的主要方法与数字化平台有关，尤其是iOS（游戏邦注：还包括Xbox Live Arcade、PlayStation Network和任天堂的3DS eShop等。）

与许多独立开发商不同的是，WayForward（游戏邦注：代表作品有《Might Switch Force》和《魂斗罗4》）在其他人失败之时继续坚持着自己的路线。据其首席执行官John Beck所述，工作室明白自行资助、自主发行游戏以及数字化平台的重要性。

Beck在采访中说道：“依我的观点，数字化销售是可以考虑的做法，你可以选择不向发行商出售自己的理念。”

“DSiWare从根本上意味着我们可以制作出DS游戏而且不必寻找零售发行商，这对WayForward来说是个明显的飞跃。”

虽然DSiWare似乎并不能给公司带来盈利，但Beck声称公司确实拥有可盈利的项目。因此，公司会继续针对任天堂的数字化服务开发掌机游戏。

Beck说道：“将某些内容投放到专属游戏服务中，这样有助于展示出内容的与众不同。对于公司掌机游戏开发的发展，eShop将成为我们战略的主要组成部分。”

因此，开发商自己变成了发行商，最终获得了盈利来源和用户。这样，独立工作室对主流发行商和潜在的高成本合同的依赖性就变小了。

Boccieri说道：“更多的付费模式无疑意味着更多的盈利方式，保持工作室的持续发展。发行商和开发商间的界线逐渐变得模糊，这对那些想要通过新商业法则拓展机遇的人来说是件好事。”

诸如App Store的市场有着较低的产品开发成本、用户易于接受的廉价商品和永久性的产品上架时间，这对开发商来说似乎是个全新的世界。但是，App Store似乎也并非毫无瑕疵。

2010年，n-Space凭借《Golf Cart Ranger》进入iOS市场。据O’Leary所述，尽管发布当天游戏进入了App Store前200名之列，但销量还不足200份。

“从商业角度来看，《Golf Cart Ranger》是款失败的产品。我们的开发花了将近5万美元，销量却只有8000份左右。”

O’Leary声称，尽管n-Space借《Golf Cart Ranger》在App Store中学到了宝贵的经验，但也明白了从盒装游戏转向数字化商品会面临诸多困难。独立开发商必须协调好App Store游戏开发和广告资金。工作室必须找到适合自己的业务模式。

O’Leary表示，n-Space之类的开发商无法走那种廖廖数人就可开发iOS游戏的路线。他认为，由n-Space来制作基于订阅模式的游戏和外包项目或许是个值得拓展的可选项，对公司来说iOS是个全新的领域。

中端市场受影响

虽然数字化销售成为目前以及将来独立开发商的关键途径，但它也蚕食了游戏的中端市场。许多第三方和第二方工作室制作的游戏固然很棒，但其商业性仍不及《使命召唤》和《刺客信条》等游戏。

数字化平台上可以找到低成本游戏和免费游戏，所以许多用户用这些游戏来填补玩大型游戏以外的时间。O’Leary说道：“为获得短时间的娱乐，他们转向免费游戏、Facebook游戏或App Store上的1美元游戏。这使中端市场的开发商愈发困难。”

Hogrocket联合创始人Pete Collier是现已倒闭的Bizarre Creations前高级关卡设计师，他同样认为用户愿意在等待大型游戏发布期间将金钱投入到这些小游戏中。

Collier现在正进行iOS游戏开发，他说道：“用户的价值取向分为两个极端。投入最低的成本可以体验免费、Facebook和iOS游戏，花费些许资金便可以玩上很长时间。在另一端，玩家愿意花钱购买他们最喜欢的专属游戏，他们认为这样才能获得最高的价值。”

随着数字化平台的成功，这个范围的低成本一端已降至最低点，而高成本一端的游戏的开发成本已经很高。Chico在Pandemic时了解有关开发成本的第一手资料，根据他的说法，PlayStation 3和Xbox 360平台主机游戏的开发成本急剧攀升。他估计，就EA旗下这个现已关闭的工作室最后一个项目的投入成本在5000万和7000万美元间。

Boccieri说道：“相比中端市场而言，介于两个极端的投资风险似乎都显得比较低。”

2008年，经济危机袭击全世界。在后经济危机阶段，中端市场依然受到影响。Chico说道，流动资金耗光，这给独立开发商造成很严重的伤害。发行商必须做出选择。

Collier说道：“在当前经济环境下，制作高成本中端游戏的时代已经过去。这就是现实。在经济不稳定的时期，最受影响的总是中端市场。”

“当人们的生活变得拮据，购买力下降，开发商为什么还要将风险押在中端市场呢？我认为，这就是我们看到的著名IP不断增强而中端产品日益没落的原因所在。”

正如Collier所暗示的那样，用户也必须在购买时做出选择。

O’Leary说道：“经济危机减少了人们的可支配收入，人们需要更合理地安排时间和金钱的花费。目前市场上有许许多多的选择，有免费、1美元、30美元、40美元以及更高的产品。”

多样化

毫无疑问，现在独立开发商在行业中的生存变得较为困难。虽然没有可行的简单战略，尤其是在当前市场频繁波动的情况下，但开发商们都会不时提及某个词。

O’Leary说道：“工作室必须变得多样化。”

如果专注于单个平台或只制作传统盒装游戏不再是独立工作室可以选择的路线，那么他们应当怎么做呢？根据O’Leary的说法，工作室必须探索所有的选择，他声称n-Space目前正在探索盒装游戏和自资助项目之外的市场。

Beck完全同意这种看法，他表示：“WayForward能够自我保护和存活，凭借的就是多样化特点。如果告诉你，在某些领域中，WayForward因成为EEG生物反馈游戏领域的领导者而闻名，你是否会感到惊讶？我不是在开玩笑，这是真实的事情。”

“WayForward还是儿童教育内容领域的领导者。我敢打赌你从未听说过。与行业内的其他独立开发商相比，我们做过的教育内容可能比较多，而且进驻该行业的时间比较长。”

O’Leary还表示，多样化可以成为独立开发商的选择，但也是带有风险的。

他说道：“工作室必须集中资源以单个平台为目标制作单种类型和题材的游戏，这样才可能成为行业内世界最佳的开发商。”

Collier相信，根据已为人所知的系列游戏进行专门化发展是个可行的方法，这或许可以帮助Bizarre成为第二方公司。

Collier说道：“我觉得，如果Bizarre当初将精力放在专门化发展核心赛车系列游戏而不是开发新IP，那么应该会从中获益。”因为无法找到新客户，该工作室在为动视开发完首个项目《Blur》后关闭。

据Chico所述，对许多独立开发商来说，这也不是最佳的战略。他强调工作室要有足够的灵活度和多样化。他补充称，足够灵活的团队可以在困难的市场中恢复生机，寻找下个目标市场。

O’Leary将n-Space在1周的时间里便快速恢复归功于他的多样化团队。他表示，公司的优秀人才能够在合适的时机担负起合适的岗位，这对工作室确实很有帮助。

在恢复和重新开始运转后，n-Space马上开始朝多样化发展。虽然工作室继续针对任天堂平台开发高质量游戏，比如Square Enix即将发布的《Heroes of Ruin》和Atari的3DS版《过山车大亨》，但工作室也开始制作两款Kinect游戏，同时进驻Facebook和iOS领域。

O’Leary说道，这些开发都是以近期发布的两款游戏为基础开始执行，这两款都是针对小范围非硬核玩家的游戏，它们分别是3DS游戏《Jaws: Ultimate Predator》和Kinect游戏《Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure》。

O’Leary解释道：“这两款游戏都是与新的伙伴合作完成的，以Checkpoint Games为名发布，公司专门针对这些商业项目新注册了这个品牌。今年，我们甚至还为模拟和训练行业提供支持，这些领域为公司带来额外的盈利和机遇。”

n-Space通过多样化不仅恢复生机，而且该战略还使工作室不断向前发展。O’Leary声称，合资和自资游戏对公司将来的发展也很重要。

未来

对于游戏行业的不稳定状况，所有人都想知道中端市场和独立游戏工作室在这种环境下能否存活。虽然n-Space和WayForward成功地在这条路上继续走下去，但许多工作室面临困境。近期，人员流失严重的Silicon Knights和Team Bondi倒闭。

是正如Chico所述，游戏行业本就变幻无穷，中端市场和独立工作室应该还有希望。Boccieri的想法也是如此。

他说道：“但是，我认为未来可能出现新的开发投资方式，既能保证兑现开发协议又能减轻风险。”

Chico补充道，虽然目前出现了许多新市场，但是也应当看看游戏行业的发展史。行业断言PC游戏在21世纪早期便会覆灭，但现在Facebook和免费游戏仍然在行业中举足轻重。

同时，随着行业的日益变迁，对于所有独立工作室和第二方工作室来说，多样化能力将变得更为重要。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Withstanding the Collapse of the Middle

Evan Campbell

A little more than a year ago, developer n-Space faced near-closure after massive layoffs. Even though 2010 was a record-breaking year for the Florida-based studio with seven shipped titles — including Call of Duty: Black Ops for DS and TRON: Evolution – Battle Grids for Wii — the turbulent nature of the games industry reared its ugly head.

Several titles wrapped up in August 2010 and future deals kept slipping through the cracks for n-Space, most famously known for the Nintendo-published Geist. Not only that, two of the studio’s primary partners, Activision and Disney Interactive Studios, were going through massive restructuring, according to n-Space president and co-founder Dan O’Leary.

And it certainly didn’t help that Nintendo’s two platforms, Wii and DS, were facing serious problems for third-party developers such as n-Space, which has primarily focused on Nintendo’s hardware.

“You know, the Wii has struggled from the beginning for third-party but really has had a hard time since 2008, 2009. And it’s just gotten worse,” O’Leary said in an interview conducted last year.

“The DS, the piracy problems just became so rampant, and given the size of the ROMs that we make for the DS — 64 megs — it’s not hard to find and download the ROMs in an instant. That’s a real problem.”

O’Leary hoped to find interest in development for the more buzz-worthy 3DS. The president said the company’s “expertise on 3DS was clear, but most [publishers] weren’t ready to bite back then.”

It seemed as if the writing was on the wall, but n-Space managed to do something many others developers couldn’t: bounce back.

The Revenue Stream

Developers don’t own the revenue stream, according to Carey Chico, former executive art director and producer at the now-defunct Pandemic Studios. He noted that developers want to make a great product and think they will be rewarded with cash. However, publishers own not only the revenue stream, but the users as well.

That’s not the only problem, either. Even with a fantastic idea, fewer and fewer publishers are willing to take a risk.

“If you don’t have a win [like Call of Duty], will a publisher take a $30-million risk on you?” Chico asked. After Pandemic’s closure, he co-founded Globex Studios LA, which creates and publishes a range of online games and MMORPGs.

Chico explained that if a studio or team doesn’t have a previous high-grossing product under its belt (something like Call of Duty), the risk to the publisher is much greater. In the current climate, Chico noted, publishers won’t take a chance on a studio without a huge past success, which wasn’t a problem a few years ago.

“[Publishers] can’t see past their noses half of the time,” said O’Leary.

This low-risk, high-cost environment spells many troubles for independent developers as well as second-party studios, like Pandemic, which Electronic Arts closed in 2009. Chico said the developer, known for open-world action games like Mercenaries, was expected to sell more than 8 million copies of its games before it was shuttered.

Independent developers must plan accordingly and be versatile to survive. Developer BottleRocket found this out the hard way and never recovered after its fallout with publisher Namco Bandai over Splatterhouse, according to former Namco Bandai America producer Michael Boccieri, who now works for Backbone Entertainment. He worked with several members of the ex-BottleRocket team during the subsequent development of Splatterhouse internally at Namco Bandai.

“As a developer who has worked within the work-for-hire side of the industry, I can say that often times a studio has a lot riding on the successful continuation and completion of a development contract with their publisher(s),” Boccieri said in an email interview. “It seems that without the revenue generated from the Splatterhouse project, BottleRocket was unable to make payroll and ultimately was forced to close shop.”

“Work-for-hire studios often can find themselves in this sort of situation, particularly with large contracts that leverage a significant percentage of studio resources.”

And planning isn’t easy in the games industry, in which the wind can change direction at almost any moment.

“There’s only so much you can do as an independent developer when you have to be very reactive about your planning,” O’Leary noted. “You can only plan out 18 months, or in Wii and DS world, maybe nine to 12 months in advance. Unless you get multi-title deals, which are pretty rare these days, you just have to plan for that nine-month window.”

The only answer for independent and mid-sized developers, like n-Space, becomes very clear with all this in mind: self-funded and self-published games in different markets.

“You have to have a plan to make money which can’t rely on the hopes and well wishes of publishers,” said Chico.

Digital Distribution

“[n-Space was] too much relying on traditional boxed products with traditional publishers,” O’Leary realized. “And [n-Space] was too reliant on Wii and DS, which had been really good choices. It put all of our eggs into one basket.”

Diversification is key for independent studios. And O’Leary knew his studio must look at alternative business models and marketplaces to rebound and thrive in the future. A prominent way to fix the revenue stream for n-Space and other developers revolves around digital platforms, especially iOS (as well as Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Nintendo’s 3DS eShop, etc.).

WayForward (Might Switch Force, Contra 4), unlike many independent developers, continues to drum along at its own beat as others fail. The studio understands the importance of digital platforms and self-funded, self-published games, according to CEO John Beck.

“So, from my perspective, and there are others at WayForward who might see this differently, it’s all about digital distribution and not having to sell your concept to a publisher,” Beck said in an email interview.

“When you consider that DSiWare basically meant we could make a DS game and didn’t have to find a retail publisher, you start to see why it was an obvious move for [WayForward].”

While DSiWare seems to have a rep for being unprofitable, Beck noted that the company has had profitable results. As such, the company looks to continue its handheld development on Nintendo’s digital services.

“When you have certain content that is available exclusively on dedicated gaming devices, it really helps to set that content apart,” Beck said. “The eShop will be a major part of our strategy for handheld games going forward.”

Thus, developers become their own publishers, finally owning the revenue stream and users. As such, independent studios have to rely less on major publishers and potentially high-cost deals.

“More payment models definitely mean more ways to earn revenue and keep your development doors open,” Boccieri said. “The lines between publishers and developers continue to blur… this is only a good thing for those willing to explore the new opportunities afforded by new commerce paradigms.”

Add in low development costs, cheap prices for consumers, and ever-lasting shelf life for products and places like the App Store seem like a whole new world for developers. But everything with the App Store isn’t as rosy as it may seem.

n-Space started pursuing the iOS market in 2010 with Golf Cart Ranger. On the day the game broke into the top 200 of all games on the App Store, it sold less than 200 copies, according to O’Leary.

“From a business point of view, [Golf Cart Ranger] was a disaster. We spent somewhere around $50,000 developing it. We’ve sold a little bit over 8,000 copies.”

While n-Space learned valuable experience in the App Store with Golf Cart Ranger, it also highlights how bumpy the transition from boxed games to digital goods can be, O’Leary noted. Independent developers must find the right mix of investment and advertising on App Store games. Studios must find a business model that fits their sensibilities.

Ultimately, developers like n-Space can’t follow the same method as two guys in a garage on iOS, O’Leary said. He elaborated that subscription-based models and outsourcing projects, with n-Space producing, might be viable options to explore.

It’s a whole new world with iOS, O’Leary said.

The Middle Market Suffers

While digital distribution serves as a key ingredient for independent developers currently as well as the future, it also helped eat away the middle market of games. Many third-party and second-party studios made games that were good, but not at the epic scales critically and commercially of titles like Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed.

With low-cost games and free-to-play games available on digital platforms, many consumers fill their time with these in-between big franchises. “To scratch their itch, they turn to free-to-play or Facebook or to $1 purchases on the App Store,” O’Leary said. “So it makes it hard on the middle ground.”

Pete Collier, co-founder of Hogrocket and a former senior level designer at now-defunct Bizarre Creations, agrees that consumers understand their money can be better used with smaller purchases to fill the gaps between tent-pole releases.

“There is a flight to value on the part of consumers,” said Collier, who makes iOS games now. “Value can be found at the low-cost end of the spectrum with free-to-play, Facebook and iOS games where you get a lot of bang for your buck. At the high-end of the spectrum, gamers have flocked to the games/franchises where it is most likely they’ll also get value for money.”

The low end of the spectrum basically bottoms out with the success of digital platforms, and the high end rises to incredible heights in regard to development costs. Requirements for a console game rose very dramatically with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, according to Chico, who knows firsthand from his time at Pandemic. He estimated somewhere between $50 million and $70 million was spent on the now-closed studio’s last project under EA.

“Both ends of the spectrum seem to offer lower risk exposure for the investment dollar than the middle ground,” said Boccieri.

And then there’s the economic financial crisis that hit the world in 2008. The after-effects continue to impact the middle market. Extra money has dried up and really hurt independent developers hard, Chico said. Publishers had to make a choice.

“In the current economic climate, the time of companies making high-cost but middle-of-the-road titles is over,” said Collier. “That’s the reality. In times of economic uncertainty, the middle is always squeezed.”

“When times are tough and people are capable of less purchases, why would [publishers] take the risk on the middle ground? This, I believe, is why we’ve seen the strengthening of established IP and the collapse of the middle.”

Like Collier alluded to, consumers also had to make a choice.

“The economy robbed people of their disposable income, and what money and time they had to spend was divided,” O’Leary said. “There [are] so many choices that range from free-to-play, to a dollar, to $30, $40, $50, $60.”

Diversify

No doubt about it, times are rough for independent developers. While no simple strategy works, especially with the current turbulence, one word continually kept popping up from developers.

“[Studios] have to be able to diversify,” O’Leary said.

If it’s true that focusing on a single platform or only on traditional boxed games will no longer work for independent studios, what should they do? All options must be explored, according to O’Leary, who noted n-Space looks outside the box and self-funds projects today.

Beck absolutely agreed, stating that “Diversification is really how WayForward has insulated itself and survived. Would it surprise you to know that in some circles [WayForward is] known as the leader in the field of EEG biofeedback games?” he asked. “I’m not kidding. No really, I’m not kidding.”

“WayForward is also a leader in kids’ educational content. Bet you didn’t know that. We have probably done more educational content over a longer period of time than any other independent in the industry.”

O’Leary also said specialization could be an option, albeit a risky one.

“[Studios] have to be super focused on making one game of one type for one platform and be the absolute best in the world at that,” he said.

Collier believed specialization with an established franchise could work and would have helped Bizarre as a second party.

“In retrospect, I think Bizarre would have benefited from being put to work exclusively specializing on a core established racing franchise rather than a new IP,” said Collier. The studio was shuttered after its first title for Activision, Blur, failed to find an audience.

But for many, that’s not the best strategy, according to Chico. He reinforced agility and diversification. A team that is agile can bounce back and search for the next patch of blue ocean, he added.

O’Leary attributed his versatile team for n-Space’s quick rebound, which happened within a week. He said it helped tremendously to have great personnel and to be in the right place at the right time.

And once back up and running, n-Space started to diversify immediately. While the studio continues to develop quality titles for Nintendo platforms — like Square Enix’s upcoming Heroes of Ruin and Atari’s Rollercoaster Tycoon for 3DS — it’s also working on two Kinect titles and within the Facebook and iOS spaces.

O’Leary said these developments are on top of two recent releases, which are smaller-scale, noncore gamer titles: Jaws: Ultimate Predator for 3DS and Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure for Kinect.

“Both [games] were done with new partners and released under our imprint Checkpoint Games, a newly-formed brand exclusively for these kinds of business opportunities,” O’Leary explained. “We’ve even supported the simulation and training industries some this year filling in the nooks and crannies of our development capacity to create additional profit, stability and opportunity.”

Not only did n-Space rebound through diversification, but the studio continued to move forward with this strategy in hand. O’Leary noted co-funded and self-funded games also are important to the company’s future, though “nothing has clicked just yet.”

The Future

With the state of flux of the gaming industry, it’s a wonder whether the middle market and independent game studios will survive. While n-Space and WayForward continue on, many others face a difficult road. Recently, Silicon Knights and Team Bondi have endured major staff losses and closed up shop, respectively.

But the ever-changing creature of the industry, as Chico called it, also acts as hope for the middle market and independent studios. Boccieri shared the same hope.

“I would argue, however, that there is probably a new way for development investment that would lead back to mid-tier development agreements whilst mitigating risk,” he said.

Chico added that along with new markets and middle grounds, it’s important to look at history, too. PC was king, declared dead in the early 2000s and now arguably reigns supreme with Facebook and free-to-play games, he said.

In the meantime, the ability to diversify will play a major role for all independent studios, as well as second-party studios, as the landscape continues to shift. (Source: Gamasutra)