Why will the gaming industry suffer in 2025? The answer is complex. But everyone agrees that large companies, too fragile to survive in the multimillion-dollar game of low productivity, play a huge role in our current plight.
Everyone is looking for ways to solve this problem. Some say AI will speed up game development and reduce budgets. Some people are building studios for UGC platforms. And some people, like Midwest Games CEO Ben Qualo, want developers to completely rethink the financial structure of making games.
Today on the Game Developer Podcast, we ask Qualo about his vision for the future of the games industry, why attracting developers from underrepresented regions plays a role in this role, and how his love of the US Midwest plays a role in this big project.
Games can learn from Hollywood (but not in the way you think)
If you want to better understand Qualo's vision, look at the number of production companies and financial institutions behind most major motion pictures. You will find many studios that have collaborated in one way or another to finance and produce your favorite films.
It's not a perfect model (there's a reason the phrase “Hollywood Accounting” exists), but that's why when a movie like Tron: Ares losesthe entire studio will not die. Currently, one studio or publisher bears most of the financial risk for a game, at best outsourcing to third-party contractors to cover some of the development overhead.
What if game developers could do a better job than Hollywood in bringing financial institutions together to fund and create games sustainably?
About the Game Developers Podcast
The Game Developer Podcast is a bi-weekly podcast that chronicles the triumphs, disasters, and everything in between game development, while also sharing lessons and strategies fellow developers can use to hone their craft. A podcast for game developers hosted by Bryant Francis, edited by Pierre Landrieu, and featuring music Mike Meehan.
