Rod Cousens has expressed the need for the videogames industry to keep churning out new properties, if we want to avoid ”hurdles and obstacles” that music and film has.
We’ve always been ”experimental” and ”innovative” in our industry, says Cousens. The way to beat recession is by stimulation, not ”more of the same”.
“While there may be a view that you can’t publish new IP with any great success, I don’t buy off on that,” Cousens tells GamesIndustry.biz in an interview.
”If all you’re going to do is more of the same, then we’ll face all the hurdles and obstacles that the music and movie businesses have faced before. If we don’t learn from that, then shame on us.”
Publishers and developers have also been extremely cautious to support new intellectual properties in times of financial constraint, opting to ‘play it safe’ with established franchises instead.
“Yes, the economy is a constraint and videogames are not recession-proof, contrary to popular belief - but it’s all about stimulating the consumer,” he explained.
”I’ve been in this business for a long time, but one of the most exciting things about our industry - and I pray to God that we never move off this - but from day one since we walked in the door we’ve always tried to be experimental, to be innovative, to take things into new areas and to make it interesting.”
Formula One is being released on Wii and PlayStation Portable this year, before arriving on next-gen systems next year from Codemasters.
“That, as a software-creator - a developer, publisher, or whatever - has to be part of our charter. If we don’t do that, the consumer has a lot of choice now - we’re in time-based entertainment and there’s pressure on that time - if we stagnate, or it falls, we as an industry will simply drive them elsewhere,” added Cousens.
“The issue is, you get back to a bigger debate which is that we’re all fighting for a piece of shelf space here, and it’s very easy - and I understand it from a retailer’s point of view - to go down a safer route because they’ll take another FIFA, another Tiger Woods, another Call of Duty.”
