farfel
03-04-2004, 07:30 AM
Jon Van Canegham (JVC) creator of Might & Magic speaks out against the control of gaming development by the Sales Team. The full article is in Computer Gaming World (CGW) April 2004:
CGW: What were the worst decisions 3DO made concerning your Might & Magic franchises?
JVC: I believed the Might & Magic RPGs and Heroes games could have gone on a long time if we had created something new and innovative every 2-3 years. But the need for "sales growth" by 3DO required us to make a new game every year - some in 10 months or less!
Second, one of the reasons I was excited to go with 3DO was to create Might and Magic Online. The future for me in 1996 was online games, alas, the decision was for the same budget of Might & Magic Online we could make 3 PS2 games.
Third, the decision process regarding which products to produce and develop was completely controlled by the head of sale?!?!? The development teams made lists of products they would like to make or could make, the Sale Department wouldestimate how much each game could sell, and this would determine the budget of the title - or if it was even worth developing!
Madness!
CGW: You must have made some valiant appeals on behalf of your games - did they fall on deaf ears? Or were the execs just clueless?
JVC: Yes, you would think that the advice from probably the only game designer with two Hall of Fame series, in two genres, spanning two decades, might know something about development! Bah! Deaf ears. Clueless - call it what you want. I gave up.
CGW: What were the worst decisions 3DO made concerning your Might & Magic franchises?
JVC: I believed the Might & Magic RPGs and Heroes games could have gone on a long time if we had created something new and innovative every 2-3 years. But the need for "sales growth" by 3DO required us to make a new game every year - some in 10 months or less!
Second, one of the reasons I was excited to go with 3DO was to create Might and Magic Online. The future for me in 1996 was online games, alas, the decision was for the same budget of Might & Magic Online we could make 3 PS2 games.
Third, the decision process regarding which products to produce and develop was completely controlled by the head of sale?!?!? The development teams made lists of products they would like to make or could make, the Sale Department wouldestimate how much each game could sell, and this would determine the budget of the title - or if it was even worth developing!
Madness!
CGW: You must have made some valiant appeals on behalf of your games - did they fall on deaf ears? Or were the execs just clueless?
JVC: Yes, you would think that the advice from probably the only game designer with two Hall of Fame series, in two genres, spanning two decades, might know something about development! Bah! Deaf ears. Clueless - call it what you want. I gave up.