Features// Games Industry Insights with Martyn Brown

Posted 31 Dec 2012 11:00 by Svend Joscelyne

As 2013 comes into sharp focus, SPOnG turns to the real video games experts: the people who actually make games. We have posed the same five key questions to some of the most interesting and insightful publishing and development figures in the global games industry. We got their unedited, open and highly informed opinions and we are publishing them in multi-part series of insights.

Industry Figure: Martyn Brown
Job Title: Managing Director
Company: Insight for Hire, formerly Team17
Best Known For: Worms, Alien Breed

SPOnG: In what ways has the rise in tablet and mobile gaming proven beneficial/challenging to your work?

Martyn Brown: The tablet and mobile market has led the charge in a new era of gaming, with capable, freely available easy-to-use devices that epitomise mass market game play. That said, these devices and business models are at an exceptionally early stage.

SPOnG: How do you feel the industry has coped with regards to the economy, particularly redundancies and studio closures?

Martyn Brown: The industry is in a fast onset of transition, particularly in regard to business model, with perhaps traditional retail struggling and also the economics of $1 apps, or free to play games, deeply impacting the traditional business. Where larger studios with old models have struggled, there have been new opportunities and this has manifested itself in a huge number of opportunistic social-mobile startups.

SPOnG: What's your opinion of cloud gaming? Have Gakai and OnLive helped with perception?

Martyn Brown: I see cloud as something else other than the major game-streaming techs, I see it as an opportunity for people to connect and take their games anywhere, across any platform without concern for storage. As for the game streaming tech, I think its really just waiting for mass super-fast broadband and we appear a way off yet.

SPOnG: Crowd-sourcing (i.e. Kickstarter) has become a popular method for games developers to pitch their projects. What's your opinion of it? Would you use it? Have you?

Martyn Brown: I think it's worked spectacularly well for very solid, very obvious ideas and for those charismatic enough to sell it. However, not every idea is a good one and I think there will be a gradual fall off of success as more and more opportunistic people jump on board. That said, it's a refreshing take on the traditional models and I've been part of a few myself in terms of backing an idea.