Tim Schafer: Originality the "Only Way to Get Success"

[John Funk]

Tim Schafer: Originality the "Only Way to Get Success"

The creator of Brutal Legend and Psychonauts thinks that developers will never be successful if they don't do anything unique.

Tim Schafer knows a little bit about making an original game - one look at the settings of Grim Fandango, Psychonauts and Brutal Legend should tell you that. Beyond originality for originality's sake, though, Schafer thinks that doing something to stand out from a crowd is absolutely key to a developer's success.

Speaking with Costume Quest [http://www.videogamer.com/news/schafer_originality_is_the_only_path_to_success.html], Schafer said that more games should try to emulate the last-generation success of Grand Theft Auto III - without cloning GTA.

"I think the only way to get success is to do something new and original, because all the big breakout hits have been crazy at the time - you know, like Grand Theft Auto," said Schafer. "Those were not derivative games, they were very original. We just want to have more chances, more turns at bat, more games released per year."

Schafer also said that he'd like to focus on a mix between larger titles like Brutal Legend and smaller games like the aforementioned Costume Quest. "I definitely want to keep doing small games, but I think eventually we'll do another larger game ... I don't ever want to do a four-year game again, but we never planned to do that."

Regarding his first point: I'm not going to necessarily disagree, Tim, and I certainly think that more originality in the industry is a great thing. But given the jaw-dropping success of a paint-by-numbers war game last year, can you really say that originality is the only way to success?

(VideoGamer [http://www.videogamer.com/news/schafer_originality_is_the_only_path_to_success.html])

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[GeneticallyModifiedDucks]

I'm sorry Schafer, I'd love it if that was the case, truly. But sadly that's far, far from the truth.

 

[sooperman]

The one single method of success? If only.

Tim even mentions Grand Theft Auto. The first one, maybe. But there have been almost a dozen GTA games. Does Schafer not remember them? It's not really a good example, methinks.

 

[crotalidian]

Well wasnt MW2 paved for by MW1 which may have been a somewhat paint by numbers war game in itself but it was the first to have a decent plot and not try too hard.

Originality is always the key because without it we get stagnation, and if something Original works really well you will get copies and clones feeding off of its success.

I get the premise (and the sideswipe at Bobby K) but I also know that generic churned out crap is still going to succed off others success and innovation

 

[NotSoNimble]

Last I checked, his games aren't nearly half as successful as Halo, Modern Warfare, God of War.....

I wonder what he means by successful.

Best of luck to him tho, I hope his new arcade games are worth it.

 

[Folio]

Music to my ears. I hate the rip-offs everyone is making.

And originality isn't dead. If it was, we wouldn't even GET rip-offs!

 

[Loonerinoes]

If only...but the system we use most certainly does not support that kind of viewpoint. Oh sure...if certain conditions are met and support is given from genuinely good people, it can prove to be true, no doubt. But all too often the opposite is moreso true.

 

[Iron Mal]

In the long run, yes (we have the terms 'Halo clone', 'GTA clone', 'God of War clone' and many others because they were original and inspired many, many others to copy them).

In the short term, no (in fact, Schafer's own games should be a very good example of this, Psychonaughts made it's developers fold due to lack of sales).

Originality can be a good thing but it is totally independant of success or quality (as much as the indie developers would like to think otherwise).

 

[Irridium]

Usually the most origional are the worst sellers.

I really wish it was the other way around, but its not. Gamers seem to be fine with all the sequels and copy/paste games.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

In the long run, yes (we have the terms 'Halo clone', 'GTA clone', 'God of War clone' and many others because they were original and inspired many, many others to copy them).

To be fair, God of War copied/simplified Devil May Cry.

OT: Originality is the best way for form a new franchise, but un-original sequels are the best way to make money.

 

[Iron Mal]

In the long run, yes (we have the terms 'Halo clone', 'GTA clone', 'God of War clone' and many others because they were original and inspired many, many others to copy them).

To be fair, God of War copied/simplified Devil May Cry.

OT: Originality is the best way for form a new franchise, but un-original sequels are the best way to make money.

Point taken and fair enough, but my other examples still stand up on their own (or for the big one out there, WoW clones, now that is a more solid example).

 

[Twilight_guy]

Nice attitude but as we all know its not always the most original ideas that sell well sometimes its the familiar ones.

 

[The Lunatic]

Oh if only.

I believe people are too busy earning millions on brown FPSs to care much for "Originality."

 

[Heart of Darkness]

I would agree, but the market numbers don't lie. And last I checked, it's not like Schafer's games are exactly coming out in the top ten games, either, in terms of numbers sold. So coming from him, this seems like an empty statement.

 

[Delock]

It's the only way to continuously be known, but it really isn't successful finance wise, unfortunately for you Schafer (your games seriously should have sold 10 times what they did). I can say that if you hit the right niche with your originality, you'll keep that market as long as you decide to stay in it, but sadly, there aren't a lot of big niches left (though a lot of the 2d ones are opening back up, and Stealth and Horror haven't gotten a ruler of the genre yet if you're aiming for 3D).

 

[hansari]

MARKETING

The way to success...

but keep living in your dreamworld Schafer. I'd help pull you out of it but my hands are all tied up in all this money...

 

[More Fun To Compute]

A lot of people here don't seem to know the difference between a breakout hit and an established franchise. Game developers don't seem to know the difference either. Trying to pretend that a new IP is an established franchise by copying one.

 

[ThaBenMan]

I think when he says "success", he doesn't mean selling a ton of copies and making a lot of money. I think he's referring to critical and artistic success. When he points to GTA, he's not talking about how many copies have been sold (which yes, is a lot) - but instead he's talking about how it's an icon of gaming culture.

 

[Strumthund]

And this is why Tim Schafer is one of my personal icons.

 

[PxDn Ninja]

It all depends on your definition of success. If success is the creation of unique worlds that people love for years and are remembered, then he is pretty accurate. If success is measured in profit margins and stock values, then he is pretty wrong.