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Old 09-28-2004, 05:47 AM   #9
silencer
Dungeon Master
 

Join Date: July 8, 2004
Location: California, USA
Age: 42
Posts: 68
Quote:
Originally posted by Rokc Cadarn:
Financially, it makes more sense for developers to concentrate on the rest of the gameplay
This is only true if a company wishes to retain customers for a long period of time; something almost rare in today's world. One of the reasons not many invest in doing so is because it has a VERY high chance of failing. Creating an immersive/replayable/fun environment is not something to be taken lightly.

Another reason is development time. Besides creating the engine, which can take years, content can take another few years. This may or may not be something worthwhile for a company to pursue, depending on company priorities. Creating a simple but fun game which lasts two or three years, compared to creating a more complex game which lasts longer, can often outweigh the compared. Development time is minimized, it's less of a gamble, and gains high but short-term profits.

Quote:
Originally posted by Rokc Cadarn:
and hiring someone to write a good story will cost them less than paying a team of 100 programmers, artists, sound engineers, etc. Lower development costs mean lower risk for the company, and ultimately greater rewards.
That made no sense. With more complexity comes more well, complexity. More artists (in a broad scope), more programmers (though 100 sure is, ehm, quite off the scale ), more designers, more producers, more funds. It is more of a risk.

In short, as stated already, everything is about the money.

[ 09-28-2004, 05:50 AM: Message edited by: silencer ]
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