Game Developers: Are you playing safe or taking leaps?

In life there is only two things. Doing what feels safe or taking that big leap into the unknown, hoping for grandeur, but risking fiasco. For me this would be the difference of starting up my own company versus starting a career at an already established company.

But what about today's games? Do they stand conflicted between these two choices?


Bioware: "I don't mind leaping once in a while"

Bioware is one of the big companies out there that are willing to sometimes take a leap. Looking at their track record they have failed, but also had huge success. While titles as Baldurs Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect or Dragon Age might have originally been literally a leap into a big pile of money, some titles has instead brought shame to the developers. Their biggest failure in my opinion was Dragon Age 2. This proves that taking a leap to early, might cause you to trip and fall. Sometimes it is just better to play safe.


Blizzard: "I like what I got, I play safe for now".

Blizzard is known for playing extremely safe. They refuse to release a title unless they are sure it will be a success. They spend a lot of money making sure that risks are minimized and profit are maximized. This doesn't mean that they haven't failed before, but it means that they learn by their mistakes and this is one of the key stones of why they are the best out there. Although playing safe is not always the best choice. In the long run you must, as a gaming company, be able to prove that you have the courage and brains to take a leap once in a while. This is what Blizzard yet has to prove.


Let us finish off this blog post with another brilliant cinematic trailer by Blizzard. Let me present to you the new "Black Soul Stone" trailer for Diablo III: