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Worthy of Acclaim: Why David Perry Left Shiny to Go to the Moon
DP: Wow, good question. It's interesting -- Korean developers talk about the "complexity" of American games. In their mind they see us as being into very complex games. I'm assuming that comes from WoW as it's pretty damn deep. On the other hand their hit games tend to be very simple, like Kart Rider. The motto I've learnt after many, many meetings with Koreans and Chinese is "easy to play, lifetime to master." I've seen games with only four buttons being pressed. But when I get a demo from a staff member, I kid you not, you'd need to go into "bullet time" to see their fingers move; it's literally a blur. The speed their minds are working at is truly stunning. Then they turn to me, smile, and say, "Mr. Perry, you try!" So what does this mean? It means "let me just play," no manual needed, not "let me spend months or years getting this one skill mastered." They just can't get enough [of Starcraft]. Now this is not your normal "playing" -- these people are mastering it! The speed and tactics are far beyond anything I'd seen in the past. Even after all these years, they are still trying to master it. So when you look at Chinese or Korean games, you'll see how this design mantra is in most of the hit games they have.
GS: 2Moons is going for a free-to-play business model. How is this set-plan affecting the way the gaming experience is being designed, built from the ground up? As one example, Acclaim says the player will be able to switch off the in-game advertising -- but will this affect the game play somehow? And will there be any elements within the game for which the player pays? DP: I agree -- advertising (in general) does suck today! The solution is not to ram advertising down a gamer's throat. I believe it's all about an exchange. We know that advertising pays the bills, but don't ruin my service over it. What I prefer is, if I don't want adverts and they truly annoy to me, then just let me turn them off. If I don't mind the adverts, then reward me. Then advertising could be a win/win. Different people have their own opinions; we respect those opinions by giving choice. I expect many will just turn off the adverts. Some will choose the rewards. (In 2Moons you level up faster if the static advert is on.) I'm happy to work with the in-game advertising companies, to help them improve the relationship between their audience and their clients. I feel that making gamers watch adverts they frankly don't want to see is actually a disservice to their advertising clients. These concepts seem a long way off for TV, but they can certainly work for games. So Acclaim will be the first company to deliver the promise of truly free games. For me this is interesting and could change how people think about funding games. If I fail, nothing changes. If I succeed, then in the future you'll end up reaching in your wallet a lot less. GS: This is your first MMO you're developing. So why did you decide on an MMO for your current project? Have you found it to be much of a leap for you (creatively and or technically speaking) compared to the non-MMO titles you've developed throughout your career? DP: I'm a novice in the world of MMO games. The truth is that if you don't jump in with both feet, you'll be left behind. If I wait until World of Warcraft 3 is out, I'm sure it's gonna be an almost vertical learning curve. As for MMO games, many console gamers have never taken the time to fire one up, and I really urge them to try. The truth being that these games have an uncanny way of making time standstill, they are immensely immersive and the social aspects are truly fun. Especially when you're stuck, in grave danger, and need the help of others, and then they show up, that next five minutes of "payback time" is worth its weight in gold. I believe it will be an MMO that breaks the current barriers our industry has. Meaning, what genre will be the first to get 50 million players? I bet it's going to be an MMO, and so that makes playing them required homework for any future game designer. |
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