In a new interview, the creator of Civilization and several other projects has warned the industry about focusing on money over gameplay, amid a sea of games that are doing just that.
“The real challenge and the real opportunity is keeping our focus on gameplay. When we forget that, and decide it’s monetisation or other things that are not gameplay-focused…when we start to forget about making great games and start thinking about games as a vehicle or an opportunity for something else, that’s when we stray a little bit further from the path.” Meier said in an interview with the BBC.
Alongside Civilization, Meier has worked on Sid Meier’s Pirates!, Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon, Sid Meier’s Colonization and more. He’s been working in the industry since 1975, and is probably one of the most known developers in the industry alongside Hideo Kojima and Shigeru Miyamoto.
Meier also said the following in the same interview:
“I think we need to be sure that our games continue to be high quality and fun to play- there are so many forms of entertainment out there now. We’re in a good position…. but we need to be sure we realise how critical gameplay is- and how that is the engine that really keeps players happy, engaged and having fun.”