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Gaming Arena
(Courtesy EA, gamespot.com and Mediamolecule.com)
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Q. What’s happening at EA India? What is your involvement with the team here?
EA is looking very closely at what is happening in India. We are very pleased to see the phenomenal growth in areas like Mobile Phone Usage and Online Gaming. So, the market looks very good over here.
We are also looking at India from the outsourcing angle. Currently we are working with companies like for example DQ Entertainment in Hyderabad who has worked on a couple of our recent releases. So, we are closely following the growth pattern in the Indian companies and just observing the scenario for now.
I am also very happy to see the passion among the student community over here. It was great to see the active involvement of the audience during my session at Anifest.
So, overall there is a lot of interest in India and we are currently looking to over things in a more positive direction over here. As far as EA opening up a studio in India is concerned we are looking to for positive indications from a couple of places as to where we can start. I cannot tell you anything specific at the moment but everything is looking very positive.
Q. How do you develop a game idea into reality? How different is it from a movie idea?
It’s pretty similar to film, actually. We come up with general Game Design Document which is an overview, which focuses on the story, why is it different, what is the X-factor. When we have got that in place, and the general proposition gets approved, we get the storyboard artist to map out his visual description of the characters, the world, and the environments. Then we get into really basic level design, and once we get another green light for that, and it’s looking good, we start prototyping and showing characters interacting with the world and the look at a very rough level. So, we take things thru a very rigorous process, because there are a huge number of games out there, and your game has to be different, yet strong and that is why game development is so tough. So, when you look at EA, we have been accused of crimes of sequelizing. So, you have your FIFAs coming out every year, but people ask us what the public wants. So, you have to come up with new ideas, new game play ideas, every element of the game, because ultimately, if we don’t, people won’t buy the games. The public is the most cynical driver. So, again coming up with a brand new idea like CRYSIS, which was a new idea, is a huge risk because it’s a new identity, you have to build that whole marketing persona in the market place to get people to dive into it. The great thing with CRYSIS is that people will see great visuals, great technology and it looks like a phenomenal game, and getting to that point is not easy. In UK, in Europe and in America, we see a lot of companies fail because, unfortunately, you need 14 or 18 months to work on a new game, somebody else could bring in a game in that time or you release it at on time, but the game doesn’t do very well because some other bigger game could come in and you lose your sale. The same way as it might happen for a movie
Q.What is the X-factor? And how do you judge a new idea at EA? What are the points you look at to decide whether this idea would work or not?
X-factor is the hook in the game concept, the factor which dictates “why this game would sell?”, so that has to be clearly defined. The idea could come from anywhere, from a texture artist or a programmer, and then he has to present it to a selection committee of game developers and game directors. At this point they also check out for what the competition is doing, whether someone else is already implementing a similar concept, and how would the market react to this idea. Once, the idea crosses this group of selectors, it goes to the world wide EA executive team, whose decision finally decides whether the idea will be made into a game or not. Then the funds come in and then we take the idea to the concept stage, where the idea is fleshed out, and the characters the game play thought out. Then the idea is presented back to the world wide EA exec. Team for approval and then the development starts. So, you have to make sure your proposition appeals to the market, and you can sell it upon the X-factor. If you can’t define it in one line then in any medium whatsoever, you don’t have a story.
Q. How is EA strategizing its game development considering the changing demographics of the users, i.e., females and younger children are more now? And how do you then cater to the wide spectrum of audience that you have?
Well, that’s a very interesting subject that you have brought up actually. From the market point of view let it be UK, US, Europe or Asia, it’s very true that the demographics of gaming are changing.
There are more number of female users as well as developers involved now. For example, 10 – 15 % of the employees at EA are females. Even here, I was happy to see at Anifest that a big portion of the audience was females and they were asking some very good questions.
And the good part about gaming is that when we put females in certain leadership positions, as game developers or programming, they bring in a different perspective and that makes a huge difference to the game play values. Also, certain games like SIMS attract more female gamers.
Well, from a strategy point of view, we at EA have always lived with the philosophy of understanding the different segments of who all are playing our games. There are always different types of targets audience which is kept into consideration. For example,
A game like Crysis might look more appealing to a younger audience with the entire high end Graphics and realistic simulations integrated in it.
A game like Boogie will be liked more by the younger crowd. They can dance around to the tunes that they choose alongside singing to the tune.
Then there are also certain quick paced games like Little Big Planet that people just enjoy to have a grab of during their free time. In such cases you need to have instant gratification.
You also have a fan following in other genre of longer games like Warcraft, CounterStrike.
So all these things mean that we have different plans and strategies lined up for different markets and be consistent in coming up with new ideas.
The great thing is that with the demographics changing in a such huge way especially in India where the online gaming is much ahead of that in Europe, the challenge is bigger and much better for our market to be constantly catering to whatever the demands are.
Q. How near do you think is the time when we are really cross platform in playing games? As in same game played in Console, VRML, PC, Internet, Mobile etc?
We seem to be getting closer every second to such a scenario. We at EA are trying to build communities online and generate stories and characters which can grow from an embryo in the online world to live through cross platform properties. The ultimate challenge is the technology which is very steadily catching up.
Companies like SONY building feature like HOME for PS3 where the users can build sort of a private community where they can share videos and pictures and form a social network without any restriction to whatever time zone they are in and this is pretty exciting.
Q.How do you generate and nurture a gaming culture in a place like India where it is meant more for kids?
The key thing in this direction is first educating people. And I should say that the Digital Bollywood initiative by NVIDIA is a giant step in this direction. The education process will make people understand what kind of entertainment as well as educational values that games can provide to widespread audience. The Schools and Universities should also be focusing on guiding students and making them aware of the bright future that they can have in the field of Gaming.
Awareness among the parents is also very critical. The message should be more to help them become aware of the career prospects and the educational values in Gaming and that their sons and daughters would be doing something worthwhile in following a career in the same.
The Scary thing also lies in the fact that so many skilled artists move over to the west for individual goals. My advice to them would be to stay in India and help build the community over here. Because India has hordes of talent, it jut need to focus and channelise in the right direction to make the gaming industry as big as the Movie industry around here.
Q. What is your take on the hundreds of lawsuits against companies about violence in the games and the opposition from politicians?
People to use their discretion while buying games. Games are not just about FPS(First Person Shooting) and shooter games, but there are many different kind of games out there like brain training which makes you think, and many other games about learning. Likewise, games like NFS, Gran Turismo teach you how to tune a car, and a bit of driving skills, too. So, parents need to sit down and decide which games their children need to play.
So, EA’s focus is on producing quality games, games that the whole family can play together.
Gamedesign at EA is responsible. Even in games like BLACK, which featured complete destruction, and breakable objects, one never saw a visual of a head falling off, or soldier breaking up into pieces, or blood flowing out. So, a lot of objects blowing up, and buildings crumbling down were shown, but the gore was completely controlled (without the player even realizing this, as the player sees complete destruction around him)
So, the parents need to control the games the children are playing, and, also, there a re a no. of good games out there which are fun and promote learning too. Also, after a stressful day, when you want to distress yourself, games are a very good way to do that.
Varun (NVIDIA): Well, this is a very wrong notion that people have carried forward that its only games that promote violence. If you open any news channel on TV nowadays they have far more violence being shown than any normal popular games. And with the generation of gamers becoming parents, I feel there is more awareness among them as to what their children should be viewing or playing.
Q. How do you license a game idea? What is the procedure involved?
It is very similar to the film and animation field. We start with building a general game design document is prepared which focuses on the genre, style, story as well as the X-Factor in the concept. Once the general proposition has been approved, the storyboard artist boards the story and a certain amount of visual scripting is done. The characters, the worlds and the environments are also designed. Then we get into very basic game level design. We create a very basic prototype of the game to check how the story would evolve. So, all of these documented processes form the copyright material for that game.
The challenge still remains to think of better gameplay ideas every time so that the public spends their money in buying and playing it. Because, the public is the most cynical driver. Many times, some other company might release a game with a similar idea and then you face tough competition at the time of the release. So much of time, money and resources is spent developing an idea, but then if doesn’t sell or someone else releases a similar, title then the efforts are gone wasted. Then, you also have the risk of experimenting with new technologies. For example, Crisis was a great risk because people would be actually seeing new trends and technology with it and then the acceptance or dismay of the public decides the future of such a game. But as all of us know, we have been doing well in all our ideas.
Q. How do you judge the skillet while recruiting for a nextgen game like CRYSIS where new technologies are to be innovated?
In a game like CRYSIS, there are multiple faculties and specialist groups working together. Someone might be working on animation or in physics program while there would be separate teams working n the craft and coming up with new ideas challenging how the game would move forward and raising the bar.
Critical thing that we look for in talents is not only technical expertise but also the right team play and communication skills as well as the drive and the passion to be the best.
It was really encouraging to see during Anifest the passion in the young students coming up to me and asking time to show their show reels, noting down my email ID and then following up a few hours later.
Q. With games having free roaming & open endings dependant on player actions, where do you think is the fine line that divides simulations from games? Do you fear that one day maybe all games will become mundane simulations of the very world we try to escape while playing a game?
It is actually, very difficult to draw the line. We work with very focused groups, when we have ideas we listen to what the online community says. CGTantra also has some very good discussion boards, and it is all about listening and learning what people want to do. Yes, open world gaming is very difficult, because you have to make sure that people get instant gratification. So, all the games like GTA, and we are doing Burnout Paradise, which also has an open world, and we are trying to make sure you can get straight into a race or get straight into a crash junction. So, if you want to drive around and explore the world or want to get in and race, we have to make sure as game makers that it caters to both kinds of players. An interesting example is Crackdown, where you could explore the world and get a feel of that or go straight into a mission, very much like GTA. So, there is a very fine line you have to tread.
Q. What is EA’s take on Indie developers. Do big companies like EA (which have huge publicity budgets) embrace them, or do you have a wait n watch policy till something good pops up, or do the Indie developers don’t matter at all to the industry?
We would encourage any game that comes into the market. The great thing about games is that a great idea or game could come from anywhere. Like Media Molecule working on Little Big Planet is just 15 people working on this great idea focusing on social networking, co-operative game play. Most importantly they have put the content into it, although they are just a small team. Sony obviously has embraced it. A good idea can come from anywhere, so, we encourage Indian individual developers to come up with great ideas, ideas with that X-factor, and then make sure you get a strong development team to work on it. We always need concepts with that “X-factor” and they can come
from anywhere.
Q. What’s the treat for all of us in the new Harry Potter game?
Well, yes we are very excited about the new offerings in the Harry potter games coming out in July. We have got a lot of new innovations in that. For the first time, one would get to explore the Hogwarts in that. The challenge has been to make sure to make it as close as possible to the visuals of the castle in the movie. We also have got levels coming out in the Next Generation consoles and also for Nintendo WII where you can wave around the magic wand, cast spells and have lots of fun.
Q. What is your vision of the gaming Scene in India in the near future?
Well, in terms of India I would like to mention bigger development studios forming in India. Original new game concepts being worked on.
Colleges and universities should be working more towards growing the skillets. Talents should stay here and work in building the community here rather than moving abroad. I also foresee many western communities coming and spending time in India as well. I definitely expect to see worldwide game releases from India in the next 5 years.
The community and the professionals also have to work towards not entertaining and stopping Piracy so that you give respect to the money and efforts put up by the Game Companies in bringing such great games to you.India has great potential going to be a global power in Games and the resources have to channelised in the right direction to make this come true in the coming years.
Thanks a lot Matthew for your time and thank you NVIDIA for the lovely time we had with Matthew.
- by Chand and Satbir
Matthew with the CGTANTRA Team, Nvidia Team, AnimationXpress and Animation Reporter Team at the Go-Karting Tracks
 
 
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cgTantra Interview 
