Vivendi Slams Me-Too Game Creators
Hack says publishers need to stop making crap and try to innovate.
Console transitions are a difficult time for game makers who have to decide how to approach a new generation of hardware. Bruce Hack, head of World of Warcraft publisher Vivendi Games, says he's waiting for the right time to strike.
"Some of our rivals are very good, of course, and will prosper early on in the next generation arena," Hack told trade paper MCV. "But others will struggle. And by that time there will be huge opportunities for companies like my own."
While Vivendi has been able to bank on the success of World of Warcraft (which now has over 6 million subscribers around the world), Hack says the company is looking at all the new consoles and handhelds here now and coming over the next year.
As everyone will admit, new ideas are important, but they're also hard to find in the risk-averse landscape publishers have created for themselves.
"I'm particularly worried about a lack of creativity in the market," Hack admitted. "I looked around E3 and I saw too much of the same. I won't allow us to do that. I'm trying to be a pain in the ass, hassling our people for creativity."
Part of the mission could be taking Vivendi's biggest games online. There was talk that Vivendi was looking to take World of Warcraft developer Blizzard's other big games (including Diablo and StarCraft) online, but the developer scuppered those rumours.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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