LogIn"It feels like it's crushing under its own weight a little bit a little bit."
Devolver Digital's co-founder, Nigel Lowrie, recently shared his views on the current state of the gaming industry. He expressed concerns about the increasing demands being placed on players' time by numerous large-scale games, arguing that the development of big games is "crushing under its own weight."
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Lowrie said:
"There's us, on maybe the smaller-to-medium-size end. But on the larger end, it feels like it's crushing under its own weight a little bit," Lowrie said. "The consumers are so tied up in some of these really fantastic live service games, but there's only so much time they can spend. So there are more and more huge games being launched asking for an enormous amount of time, but there's just not that much time available for people to play."
Image Credit: Massive Monster, Cult of the Lamb, published by Devolver Digital
Devolver Digital, well-known for operating in the indie space, usually avoids direct competition with large AAA games. However, Lowrie acknowledges that the distinction between these markets is becoming less relevant as they vie for the same finite pool of player's time.
The competition is not just for time, but also for visibility, according to Lowrie.
"We want everyone to do well, but the fact remains it's competition for time and competition for getting in front of people. It's getting tougher and tougher to set yourself apart and make a clear argument as to why you should spend time with this game vs. that game, for sure."
Image Credit: René Rother, Children of the Sun, published by Devolver Digital
Subscription services, which some believe help mitigate risks associated with game launches, have emerged as a successful avenue for indie developers. However, Lowrie notes that deals to be included in services like Xbox Game Pass have grown less favorable over time.
While beneficial for consumers, Lowrie warns of the challenges they present to developers who still aim to sell their games independently.
"On the [developer's] side, then you have to convince people to put down money for your game rather than this service with 100 or 200 games to play," Lowrie says. "That does cause a little bit of a problem."
Image Credit: Nomada Studio, Neva, published by Devolver Digital
If you are interested in knowing more of Lowrie's opinion, feel free to check out the report on Games Industry.biz. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.