Phil Elliott
07:53 (BST)
28/04/2008
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Emergent gameplay makes games unique entertainment, says Jones
David Jones, founder and CEO of UK independent studio Realtime Worlds, has told GamesIndustry.biz that he believes original experiences within games are what excite people, and set the industry apart from other media.
"I think it's very significant, I think it's where games really find their own unique place in the entertainment spectrum," he said. "You can look at movies, which are great if you just want passive entertainment - and there are games like that, storytelling games like Half-Life 2, and I still enjoy those kinds of games.
"But I don't want to discuss that with my friends, because we both had the same experience, it's not like we can tell different stories. To me it's when people have completely their own experience in the same game - that's what makes games shine as their own entertainment medium, and I'm very keen to just keep pushing that angle, and I think that's what makes people excited."
In the second part of the GamesIndustry.biz interview with the iconic developer, Jones also offered his thoughts on the EA/Take-Two acquisition offer, and how his former colleagues at Rockstar might fit into that picture.
"I've been watching it, and I have no idea how it's going to end up," he said. "It's an interesting one, and I think that's what the industry loves. So I'm just as interested as anybody else.
"I think there seems to be a bit of a cultural difference between the two companies, but I can see it working. Obviously Grand Theft Auto is so established now, nobody's going to want to mess with that formula, so if it goes through EA would obviously give it its own fiefdom and let it be. So in that respect I see it working - but then again you have to say it would never have happened in EA as it was, initially."
But while he feels that the GTA property would command enough respect to gain significant internal support, he did question the ability for Rockstar to develop innovative and risky titles in the future.
"So will Rockstar still keep innovating and bringing out new projects? Because every project has to get the green light, and that's where the questions are - will EA really be that hands-off, if Rockstar want to do another IP, another USD 50 million, and it might be a bit controversial, would it ever get signed off in the future?
"I don't know, obviously there's been a lot of change at EA recently, there have been a lot of changes at Take-Two as well, but the whole thing for me is a bit of a soap opera."
The interview with David Jones is available on GamesIndustry.biz now.
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