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June 2003
Just
who the heck is Jay you say?
Q: Jay, what do
you think about the Western genre? I love westerns and I
am dying for something different to be developed. I know
of some amazing looking westerns in development, but
don't hear any industry hub-bub. Just how many WW2
clones will it take before we can move on to other great
ideas? Publishers seem to be stuck on the idea that if
it hasn't been done, it shouldn't be done -- just give
me another WW2 clone that I know will sell. I think they
are missing out, what do you think?
A: You are very
correct in the fact that there are several great looking
ones in development. Boomtown from Logical Vice,
and Frontier 1859 from Cosmic Origins are the
first that come to my mind. Each of these games looks
great in its own right and are seeking publishers at
the moment. I personally believe that we will begin to
see a wider variance of settings for games of this type.
World War 2 has been the basis for so many games, that I
know many developers are looking to move onto other time
periods. In the last year we have seen several games
emerge based on the Korean War and Vietnam but a major
release based in the Wild West has still not happened.
Typically I have noticed that it takes one company
taking a chance on a project to really spur a genre. The
industry is consolidating at the moment and I know many
companies are in a defensive posture. They can
accurately predict the sales of World War 2 games based
on the successes and failures of other titles based on
that conflict. With solid knowledge of the potential for
a game, there is much less risk for the publisher. With
no data to support the Wild West at this time, it makes
it even harder for a developer to successfully sell a
publisher on the prospect of their title.
I have no doubt that 2004 will show us some great titles
focused on the Wild West, but I agree with you. I'd like
to have one now as well!
--
Jay
Editor's update: The folks at Atari let us know
that there's
a Western genre game currently in development by Human Head, being
published by Atari. More information can be found on the
Atari
website
Need more Jay?
<<<Back
to Q&A With Jay home
 Who
is Jay?
Jay Powell is an
agent at Octagon
Entertainment, a full service agency catering to the
needs of game developers, specializing in the creation
of domestic and international opportunities for game
financing and publishing and finding opportunities in
other medias. Jay has arranged and negotiated numerous
deals in Europe and North America for Octagon's clients.
He has also proven a key evaluator of projects, having
secured some of Octagon's most successful games. With
gaming experience in excess of fifteen years, Jay's
industry insight has been immensely beneficial to
Octagon's clients and publishing partners. Jay's
experience has allowed Octagon to create and maintain a
property evaluation and acceptance methodology that
exceeds the standards and expectations of the
interactive industry. Now, Jay brings his knowledge and
experience to you.
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