QUOTE | “The easy answer is that the original games were made by testicles for testicles. It sort of caters to the extremely reptilian, survival part of your brain. “ - Ubisoft VP of editorial Tommy Francois explains why open-world games have been predicated on killing for so long. Francois also said there is a desire at Ubisoft to make titles that aren’t driven by violence.
QUOTE | “We’re aware that one of the NPC models in Watch Dogs 2 is rendered in a way that is particularly explicit.” - Ubisoft, in a statement apologizing after one Watch Dogs 2 player shared screenshots showing an NPC’s genitalia.
QUOTE | “What’s really cool with this is we could create different feelings per district. Just by changing the ratio of personalities in a district, we gave a really different mood” - Ubisoft designer Roxanne Blouin-Payer describes the AI systems in Watch Dogs 2, explaining why why the virtual citizens Oakland will be more violent and pessimistic, while those in wealthy Marin will be more heroic and optimistic.
QUOTE | “Considering this type of game is generally more accessible to people who normally don’t play games, especially first-person games, I don’t think that weird, jokey faux pejorative is good. It’s just kind of dumb, because it’s not like the walking part [of these games] actually matters, anyway.” - Firewatch developer Nels Anderson wishes people would stop using the phrase “walking simulators.”
QUOTE | “I think you’re going to see across the industry the pendulum swinging the other way, away from free-to-play being the predominant model.” - ArtCraft CEO and chief creative officer J. Todd Coleman explains why the company’s upcoming MMO Crowfall took inspiration from Guild Wars for its monetization strategy.
QUOTE | “Sega is constantly exploring ways in which its diverse range of IPs can be brought to a wider gaming audience.” - Sega Europe president Jurgen Post explains why the publisher has turned to World of Tanks creator Wargaming to publish its upcoming free-to-play game Total War: Arena.
QUOTE | “None of us really knows what we’re doing.” - Iron Galaxy CEO Adam Boyes lets the crowd in on a little secret during his Montreal International Games Summit keynote.
QUOTE | “Rather than just communicating with other players in a chat box, we want them to be able to make eye contact, interact and laugh with one another. Virtual reality is an amazing tool to be able to bring characters to life, and we want to take that one step further.” - Fove CEO Yuka Kojima explains how eye-tracking technology could change the VR headset competition.
QUOTE | “It causes me great consternation every time they go to a gaming conference and they show HoloLens. Because when that happens, all that journalists want to talk about is games.” - Microsoft UK director of new device experiences Leila Martine expresses frustration at the press ignoring HoloLens’ broader potential.
QUOTE | “If you’re going to make games for a community, you have to have a true representation of that community. For the longest time our industry, like every other industry, was very white male-dominated. We’re seeing real change to that now.” - EA CEO Andrew Wilson says the company makes an effort to feature characters of diverse gender, ethnicity, and ages in its games.
QUOTE | “Marketing is one of the most important things you need to do. Focusing entirely on making a great game and hoping people notice it is a mistake. Hope is not a strategy.” - Guild of Dungeoneering creator Colm Larkin says success as one-person indie studio is still possible, but you have to work hard at more than just the game.