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

[Thorvan]

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.

Exactly. He is talking about sales success as well, but he understands that in the long run this benefits the market and the medium best.

 

[Crunchy English]

I want to believe that Mr. Schafer, I really do. It would be so nice if originality was enough to succeed. Hell, I'd settle for more games using the wacky sense of humour you often bring to your titles.

The fact is though, success is about the lowest common denominator. More people want the familiar than the brilliant, more people want hamburger everyday than steak once a week. More people want ANOTHER stupid war game instead of fantastic worlds and interesting concepts.

People suck.

 

[MazzaTheFirst]

Actually I would agree with him. Minecraft [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103828-MineCraft-Makes-350-000-a-Day] anyone?

This gets you a good fan base, lets you build a good sequel for the fans. But when you pump out the fourteenth installment and people STILL buy it because either the first/second/third etc. were good but has been going downhill since then, well...

I find it a mixture of innovation, originality, fan base and luck. I'd even say about fifty percent luck.

 

[Altorin]

As much as I respect Tim Schafer, I don't think he's in any position to give any advice on how to "succeed" in the industry. His works are all critically acclaimed bombs.

Actually I would agree with him. Minecraft [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103828-MineCraft-Makes-350-000-a-Day] anyone?

This gets you a good fan base, lets you build a good sequel for the fans. But when you pump out the fourteenth installment and people STILL buy it because either the first/second/third etc. were good but has been going downhill since then, well...

I find it a mixture of innovation, originality, fan base and luck. I'd even say about fifty percent luck.

the funny thing about originality is, you can't point to any one of the things minecraft does and say "That's why it succeeded".. Really, Minecraft's success is something of mystery.. Sure it's original, but I think it's its unoriginal aspects that make it successful. It taps into everyone's fascination with blocks that we've had since we were 2.

 

[Antari]

Ok now that you've had a chance to say it, lets see you put it into practice, within the next decade.

 

[subject_87]

If there was any justice in the world, Schafer's games would be selling like crazy while 90% of the games on the market are seen as the empty, soulless ripoffs they truly are. If only.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

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?

Pffft. That game. Doesn't even deserve to be named, right?

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.

It's funny because, if his Twitter feed is accurate, he just finished playing GTAIV. So I think he probably remembers them.

 

[random_bars]

I think you guys are missing the point of what he's saying. Yes, it's possible, and easy, to get sales by imitating something popular. But Tim's point is that the popular game that everyone's emulating was, at the time, original. Of course it was, it has to be - otherwise it would be a copy of something else too. So what he means is that all the games that are constantly imitated were original ideas when they were made.