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Saints Row 4 developer Jim Boone believes the next-gen consoles will reduce the stigma of budget games.
Published on Jul 29, 2013
It's clear that the PS4 and the Xbox One are both looking to break down barriers for developers to get on their consoles.
The PS4 is heavy on the indie support and has a number of free-to-play games launch alongside the console, while the Xbox One is turning Killer Instinct into a free-to-play game too.
And then there's the sudden change in self-publishing policies for Microsoft, too.
Jim Boone, senior producer on Saints Row 4, believes this is the start of a change that will see gamers not quite so uppity about how they buy games.
"I’m excited for the industry in the sense that I think we’re finally starting to broaden out and I think that’s good," said Boone.
"For how many years now, it’s been whether it’s back in the day on PlayStation 1 or it’s been or for the game, you put the game out, and that’s what it is. That’s our business."
Boone added that "now we can be really creative with what we’re doing", suggesting that "next-gen platforms are really going to help with that."
There's a level of diversity still ready to be made, says Boone, and that next-gen consoles could unlock that.
"I feel like there’s a lot of opportunity there for [Volition] to be clever and be different. I’m not saying that’s what we’ll do. I don’t even know what we’re going to do next.
"But I think there’s a lot of diversity you can do on those things now that maybe you couldn’t have done before.
"Anything but a game makes you look crazy, like ‘what’s wrong with your game? You’re coming out with a game? There must be something wrong with your game.’ Not like, no no, it’s the first episode and it’s only You know?"
Boone suggested that there's a "stigma" for publishers that selling a game for less makes the consumers believe it's an inferior product.
"I think that that’s a stigma that’s always been there for the publishers. How do you put a game out that’s cheaper but doesn’t make people think it’s low quality by being cheaper, and is not low quality?
"I think the emphasis Sony and Microsoft is putting on these platforms will help break that open finally. I think for the consumers it’s going to be huge."
With the popularity of indie games rising by the day, and PSN and XBLA games becoming more popular than ever, Jim Boone may not be far off the mark.
We spoke to Jim Boone about Saints Row 4, the White House and surviving the fall of THQ, and even spoke about the big purple dildo bat in Saints Row 3.
Published on Jul 29, 2013
It's clear that the PS4 and the Xbox One are both looking to break down barriers for developers to get on their consoles.
The PS4 is heavy on the indie support and has a number of free-to-play games launch alongside the console, while the Xbox One is turning Killer Instinct into a free-to-play game too.
And then there's the sudden change in self-publishing policies for Microsoft, too.
Jim Boone, senior producer on Saints Row 4, believes this is the start of a change that will see gamers not quite so uppity about how they buy games.
"I’m excited for the industry in the sense that I think we’re finally starting to broaden out and I think that’s good," said Boone.
"For how many years now, it’s been whether it’s back in the day on PlayStation 1 or it’s been or for the game, you put the game out, and that’s what it is. That’s our business."
Boone added that "now we can be really creative with what we’re doing", suggesting that "next-gen platforms are really going to help with that."
There's a level of diversity still ready to be made, says Boone, and that next-gen consoles could unlock that.
"I feel like there’s a lot of opportunity there for [Volition] to be clever and be different. I’m not saying that’s what we’ll do. I don’t even know what we’re going to do next.
"But I think there’s a lot of diversity you can do on those things now that maybe you couldn’t have done before.
"Anything but a game makes you look crazy, like ‘what’s wrong with your game? You’re coming out with a game? There must be something wrong with your game.’ Not like, no no, it’s the first episode and it’s only You know?"
Boone suggested that there's a "stigma" for publishers that selling a game for less makes the consumers believe it's an inferior product.
"I think that that’s a stigma that’s always been there for the publishers. How do you put a game out that’s cheaper but doesn’t make people think it’s low quality by being cheaper, and is not low quality?
"I think the emphasis Sony and Microsoft is putting on these platforms will help break that open finally. I think for the consumers it’s going to be huge."
With the popularity of indie games rising by the day, and PSN and XBLA games becoming more popular than ever, Jim Boone may not be far off the mark.
We spoke to Jim Boone about Saints Row 4, the White House and surviving the fall of THQ, and even spoke about the big purple dildo bat in Saints Row 3.