Pixar is the...Pixar of the animation world. But who's the Pixar of the video game business? Well, according to Pixar, two companies share that honour.
"We've met quite a few of the Blizzard people actually - some of the cinematics team," Pixar's Andrew Payton tells GI.biz. "Blizzard and Pixar almost seem like mirror images of one another: The same sort of philosophy; the same sort of work ethic; the same attention to detail."
"They're basically the biggest company in the games industry, and we're the biggest company in the 3D film industry - it's interesting talking to them, because we always come across the same sort of problems and it just comes down to the philosophy of what you're trying to do."
"Their philosophy has always been trying to make the greatest game they can make, and for Pixar it's about trying to make the greatest film we can make. It's never an easy process - every film has its own slew of nightmares and production problems, and it is almost like giving birth with tonnes of complications in the process."
Now, he's not talking in terms of money spent or awards won or units shifted (though for both those companies those tallies are impressive). He's talking about a passion, a drive to make sure every product released is as perfect as it can be. And while he heaps praise upon Blizzard for their "it's ready when it's ready", they're not the only games company in line for a shout-out.
"Nothing is guaranteed, or goes as planned, but if you keep yourself grounded in what you're trying to do - which is make a piece of artwork that people would love to watch, it touches them. And that's the same thing that Blizzard and Bioware do - they're making games that, when you turn the computer off, you're still thinking about the game. There's an important place for that."
Considering the companies he's talking about - with the fanaticism over Blizzard culture and both company's obsession with creating "real" worlds - Pixar's Andrew Payton seems to know his video games. Which only makes his statements all the more endearing to the developers involved!