Ninja Theory seems to have abandoned plans to make games for consoles to switch to mobile gaming. The company’s chief designer, Tameemi Antoniades, has intimated the company’s thoughts on next gen, the nature of console development, Xbox One and Steam Box, in a business conference in Helsinki.
Basically, Ninja Theory’s opinion is that the game development model is fundamentally broken. To make a game at the $ 60 premium, there are too many barriers to entry for developers to thrive. NT complains that the console companies still control distribution, while publishers are in charge of marketing and funding.
Antoniades has even gone on record that Xbox One is going in the completely wrong direction, for emphasizing TV over everything else. Basically, NT believes none of the three console companies can sway the trend towards mobile, where the convenience of digital distribution gives that platform such a huge advantage. NT is also confident mobile will eventually overcome its most commonly cited limitations and be a true giant to be reckoned with, in gaming, computing, and elsewhere.
On the other hand, they think SteamBox is the correct reaction to this trend. With open development, flexible pricing, a media server and fully digital model, they think it could even give mobile a run for its money.
NT is not completely pessimistic on consoles however. They think it will still be a major entertainment hub for at least five to ten years, and their reaction to mobile will determine whether they survive.
There will be no editorializing on whether Ninja Theory is correct, or qualified to make such a judgement call, here. I will say as decent as their body of work is (Enslaved, Heavenly Sword, DmC) their presence will not necessarily be missed in the console space. This is not so much a diss on the team, as it is an assertion that there are still more than enough developers playing in the dedicated console space, many at the same level of quality and experience as, or higher than, Ninja Theory.
Ninja Theory’s first mobile game, Fightback, has passed its initial summer release date, but is still expected to release this year on iOS and Android.
Image is from Fightback.
