Feature: 'Question Of The Week: 2007 Resolutions'

The "Question Of The Week" feature, a specific industry-related question to be answered by professional game developers reading this site, this time asked for readers' opinions on what the game industry's New Year's Resolutions should be. Thus, the question for this week was : "If there was one change you'd like to see the video game industry effect in 2007, what would it be?" Answers were invited to involve working conditions, different business models, legislation-related changes, image shifts, or even game trends. A large amount of replies from notable industry professionals are the result, reflecting a wide variety of ideas and issues, such at this response from independent developer Clarinda Merripen: "...small studios must pay as much attention to their design of financial models for a project as they do a game design document. Large studios must not shut themselves off from marketing, but integrate themselves into guiding the process with the publishers, instead of avoiding it. IT and HR issues increasingly play larger and larger roles, and we must spend enough time and energy making sure they support a companies vision rather than hampering it. And all must realize there can be as much creativity and vitality for a studio on the business side as there is on the design. Many, many studios have done one hit game, and then lost money through bad decisions, whether it be bad contracts, underestimating work vs payment, or wretched management skills. The concept that business and games must be combined needs to become integrated enough to filter down to the startups though industry articles, schools and the lore that established developers bring to people just beginning in the industry. " You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject, including many more fascinating replies (no registration required, please feel free to link to this column from external websites).