We've all noticed games take a lot longer to make than they used to, and one former Naughty Dog developer has explained why some studios announce their projects years before they're ready.
Del Walker, whose résumé includes Naughty Dog, SEGA, Respawn, and Rocksteady, quote tweeted a post about the upcoming Wonder Woman and Wolverine games being announced "too early."
- We haven't seen the open-world Wonder Woman game for 3 years as it was reportedly "literally nothing" when WB Games announced it
- GTA 5 dev says Rockstar stays quiet about GTA 6 on purpose because it creates "really cool theories" from fans: "All the developers over there are geeking out about it, trust me"
"Before I worked in games I used to think this. Let me help you understand why studios NEED to announce games 'too early' sometimes," he writes.
The first reason is the one that makes the most sense. " Funding. Sometimes, teasers are aimed at investors or publishers confidence," he explains. "If that YouTube view count gets high enough, and the comments are popping then the Directors can secure a higher investment or justify that wild ass requested budget."
Before I worked in games I used to think this. Let me help you understand why studios NEED to announce games 'too early' sometimes ✌🏾1. Funding. Sometimes, teasers are aimed at investors or publishers confidence. If that YouTube view count gets high enough, and the comments are… https://t.co/vPK5CKjzMiNovember 9, 2024
The truth is, often those teasers aren't just for fans. Video games cost a lot of money to make, and studios need something to show to investors to make them part with their cash.
Another reason is "Attracting Talent." Video games are incredibly secretive, and often actors have said they've read lines without even knowing what game they're for. "The best Artists, Designers, Coders etc need to see something exciting to decide to move to a new city to help turn a good game into a great one," he writes.
I think the games industry is overly secretive to the point that it hurts itself. Remember the GTA 6 leaks? A lot of people aren't used to how weird games look before they're done. Walker explains that "Sometimes a 12 second game teaser is there to set the tone. This is always gonna affect sentiment better than a blurry leak of an unfinished model with the first YouTube comment being 'yo wtf, this looks like ass!?!'"
Walker's last two reasons are about controlling fan expectations and ensuring competitors know what a studio is up to and plan accordingly. If everyone knows Naughty Dog is working on a new game, they're probably not going to try and compete with it by making something in the same genre. And if we're all hoping Santa Monica is working on a God of War sequel but it decides to make a new IP, that could lead to disappointment, so it can be good to let people know early.
No strategy is perfect, and some games shadow drop and do phenomenally well, but this is an illuminating post about the inner workings of the industry.
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