Indy studios exist and some self fund. They’re not going to be releasing AAA games, but they’re not expected to.
But yes, if you want to create the game equivalent of an MCU film, you need significant starting capital.
Okay, but where’s that money coming from? Someone has to upfront pay for things. Larian are lucky, they have a majory investor that was not looking for any control, they released in early access and had runway money from previous projects to go with. They are the exception, not the rule, unfortunately.
Publishers no longer publish third parties for the most part, so everyone who isn’t a subsidiary of a large company has to find funding somewhere.
surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 8 months ago
echo64@lemmy.world 8 months ago
It’s worth noting the vast gulf we are talking about here between the “self funded” indie studios and even A games, not even AA, just A.
The self funded indie game made by one person in their spare time that 200 people play (and occasionally a standout hit that 8 million people play) really isn’t under contention here. We’re talking about the responsibilities when starting a business.
We are not talking about making an AAA game, an equivalent of an MCU film (as those are limited to the deep pockets of large companies).
gapbetweenus@feddit.de 8 months ago
You want tell me that to run a good business, one has to be able to negotiate preferable terms with investors?
echo64@lemmy.world 8 months ago
If the implication is that they should be negotiating better terms. Well, good luck with that. I’ve been a part of many teams involved with investor negotiations. You need their money a hell of a lot more than they need your teams risk.
gapbetweenus@feddit.de 8 months ago
I don’t say it’s easy. But if you want to make a good creative product you have to be able to keep the creative control, that is part of your job and what makes realization of creative ideas, especially on big scale, more difficult. It’s the same with other creative media like movies.
echo64@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I’m saying it’s not just “not easy”, it’s impossible unless you are an already established entity that has some cards to hold in negotiations.
Put yourself in the position of a new company, you’ve a great idea, a great team. How are you going to fund development in 2024?
Enoril@jlai.lu 8 months ago
From me for example. I follow this studio and team since many years and i’ve participated to the funding of Divinity: Original Sin (DOS) more than a decade ago…
They got money from several sources but mainly because (or i should say thanks to) they delivered good products, they have being able to survive and work on BG3. Luck is not the reason, they’ve worked hard to achieve that…
echo64@lemmy.world 8 months ago
They have, I’ve been playing their games from their first divine divinity game. But they are still in a lucky situation, privileged from the reality that everyone else has to go through.
bouh@lemmy.world 8 months ago
They worked hard for decades. They’ve been betrayed and hampered by editors in the past until kick-started. It’s not a lucky situation, they built this luck.
echo64@lemmy.world 8 months ago
they worked hard, they are in a lucky and privileged situation unlike almost every other company.
Consider an amazing actor or director that you respect. They worked hard, they made amazing things, and they got super lucky. Talent and hard work guarantees nothing.