Is there a problem in the gaming industry right now? That’s the question that many people are asking themselves, and the answer most times points to “yes.” The reason is that many developers and publishers are finding themselves either losing incredible amounts of money after their titles launch or they’re struggling to get games out at a good clip that has great quality. The “bubble” that many feel the industry is in seems likely to burst at any more. Yet, ironically, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa seems to echo one of the key sentiments that has gotten the industry into the position it’s in.
Specifically, during a chat with Famitsu, Shuntaro Furukawa talked about the process of game development and how, in his opinion, things will take “longer to develop,” and become more “complex” with each year that goes by. He noted also that this is why “mergers and acquisitions” might be seen as a way to combat this.
However, he also noted that this wasn’t the Nintendo way, and that they’re focused on building their brand by bringing in good employees and ensuring they understand what the company is and how to go forward with the games they make.
On some level, Furukawa is right, which is why others in both Sony and Microsoft have said these kinds of things in the past. Making a AAA video game nowadays is rarely, if ever, a “quick process.” Part of that, though, is the belief that every game needs to be “as big as possible” and thus needs all sorts of time put into it so that it can turn out well. The problem is that sometimes these games are so big or poorly conceived that no matter how much time is put into it, they turn out bad. A certain DC Comics video game is proof of that, as it suffered numerous delays and was panned by critics upon launch.
The irony to this statement is that Nintendo is legendary for taking the time to develop its games to come out in the best state possible. Sure, there are exceptions to that rule, but that’s life. Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto has famously been quoted as saying that a delayed game could be good, but a rushed game will always be bad.
Even still, the industry has to adapt and attempt to limit the number of “years-spanning dev cycles” so that more companies don’t fall, and good games are still made.
