Americans, bust out the boxing gloves; Europeans, bust out the champagne. A representative from EA has stated that European game developers are inherently more creative than American developers. This is either a tad insulting, or a very nice compliment (you know, depending on where you're from).
Nick Button-Brown, director of business development at EA Partners, spoke with GamesIndustry.biz recently, and admitted that U.S.-based game studios are less willing to take chances than their European counterparts, and are therefore less likely to innovate in the industry.
To be fair, he also argues that multiculturalism plays a big role in the creative output of Europe. Still, Button-Brown states that a paradigm-shifting game like Grand Theft Auto would have never come out of America. Stand up for yourselves, America! There are obvious exceptions to Button-Brown's argument. What games are the pride of the United States?
Reader Comments (92)
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:13PM (Unverified) said
I think people are failing to see the difference between creative games and well-executed games... Face it, the only creative thing BioShock did was place it's setting underwater (and do the whole "retro-futuristic" thing).
As for this study, I call mad shenanigans. What about Double Fine Productions (makers of Psychonauts), located in SF?
(PS: I love BioShock... Don't misconstrue my reference to it being standard FPS fare as an insult)
As for this study, I call mad shenanigans. What about Double Fine Productions (makers of Psychonauts), located in SF?
(PS: I love BioShock... Don't misconstrue my reference to it being standard FPS fare as an insult)
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:52PM PoisonedAl said
Double Fine came into being becuase Lucasarts found it a lot cheaper milking the Starwars cash cow to death instead of those expensive, good games they made that nobody bought.
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Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:11PM easo said
Sorry, after actually doing some research I found that I was wrong. Europe gets GTA 3 after all :(
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:55PM (Unverified) said
Are you not clever or something? GTA1-4 are a product of DMA/Rockstar North. A Scottish developer. Originally based in Liverpool.
The GTA Stories games are produced in England based Rockstar Leeds.
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The GTA Stories games are produced in England based Rockstar Leeds.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:14PM (Unverified) said
Being in the game industry i gotta say, i'm not interested in the quality of a product at all. Who gives a shit about creativity if you can't pay your water bill? Maybe if standards were a little lower i'd endeavor to improve my publishers impression of me, but right now they got me by the balls...
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:29PM Colossalhat said
"Being in the game industry i gotta say, i'm not interested in the quality of a product at all."
Then you, my friend, are a part of the problem we've had with craptastic games coming out.
Quality and creativity do not go hand in hand. Take the Madden series, it's extremely high quality in graphics, AI, and the like. However, creative it is not.
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Then you, my friend, are a part of the problem we've had with craptastic games coming out.
Quality and creativity do not go hand in hand. Take the Madden series, it's extremely high quality in graphics, AI, and the like. However, creative it is not.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 8:24PM The Wicker Man said
Being a part of bringing the games industry into every conversation i have to say you are "teh wankorz". Apparetnly the Dude abides...making shitty video games.
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Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:15PM (Unverified) said
Since when does a developer get to choose what they want to develop? Usually there's a monkey in a suit that decides what actually is developed.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 8:00PM PoisonedAl said
It depends who the devs are. If they are owned by EA, your statement is true. If they're pretty much on your own, they do what they want to do. Which means they get bought by EA if it's a success, and are forced to make endless sequels.
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Posted: Dec 12th 2007 1:30AM jrr said
No, just because a dev isn't owned by a publisher does not meant they get to whatever they want. They can only do whatever they want as long as they have money to do so, which typically isn't the case at all, let alone for very long. Most games don't get off ground until they're backed by a publisher. And the ones that devs do fund themselves will typically have to be handled by a publisher sometime before it's anywhere near completion, or gets turned into vaporware.
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Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:28PM aforty said
Europe is usually better in general anyway.
Hah, you can vote me down but you know it to be true!
Hah, you can vote me down but you know it to be true!
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:57PM (Unverified) said
Better TV as well! Everytime I switch the BBC on I'm so happy I don't have to sit through 5-6 adverts per show and have advertisers influencing the show.
Fantastic continent we are.
Might book a flight to Paris for New Years now.
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Fantastic continent we are.
Might book a flight to Paris for New Years now.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:52PM (Unverified) said
It's true. When I look through my favourite games of the past 15 or so years it's littered with Japan and European games.
I don't get why you'd be offended. Do you have some sort of problem where you believe you must be the best at everything?
I don't get why you'd be offended. Do you have some sort of problem where you believe you must be the best at everything?
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 8:12PM (Unverified) said
some americans (texans?) want to be the best at everything
i just want everyone to be about equal, so it's 1 less thing to fight about
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i just want everyone to be about equal, so it's 1 less thing to fight about
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 7:53PM (Unverified) said
Hmm... according to the source's (Nick Button-Brown's) LinkedIn page, he lives in Kingston, went to school in London and Oxford. I'm sure location bias doesn't play even a teeny bit of a role here!
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/54B/A70
If you click through and read the whole quote--though there is still quite a bit of anti-American slant there--it's not QUITE as inflammatory as it sounds on the surface. (Just MOSTLY as inflammatory.)
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/54B/A70
If you click through and read the whole quote--though there is still quite a bit of anti-American slant there--it's not QUITE as inflammatory as it sounds on the surface. (Just MOSTLY as inflammatory.)
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 8:11PM Zorink said
What about Japan?
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 8:17PM PoisonedAl said
If anything, they are even worse than America. I've lost count how many times a kid with a stupidly big sword has saved the world from a bad guy that wasn't the bad guy at the beginning that burnt your village down.
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Posted: Dec 11th 2007 8:18PM The Wicker Man said
Bethesda. But in reality it seems like american devs are forced to make profit by (EA) and others. We know this to be true. Valve, Harmonix, and others always have to deal with the deadly dollar. As Henry Miller said americans go to europe to create art. Its just too bad we get too many tom clancys, haloz, cods, and not enough portals, rock bands, elder scrolls and the like. This EA fucker should probably just keep his whore mouth shut since he or she is part of the problem. That goes without saying though. Europe makes great games though.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 8:24PM solomonrex said
Bah! American games would be 'pound for pound' more creative than everybody if EA would JUST move to another country. Who invented the annual 'sequel' (roster updates in Madden)? And exactly how is Europe more multicultural than the US? They're all socialist caucasians trying to keep out immigrants. We invented multiculturalism! It's our stupid word!
http://www.answers.com/topic/multicultural
AND it's a stupid generalization anyway. Every frickin' AAA title is developed in multiple countries. Programming is a melting pot. The only exception is Japan.
http://www.answers.com/topic/multicultural
AND it's a stupid generalization anyway. Every frickin' AAA title is developed in multiple countries. Programming is a melting pot. The only exception is Japan.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 8:32PM AoE said
I love it when EA weighs in on creativity or originality. If there's one organization who's intimately familiar with both... I'm sure EA will figure out a way to acquire them some day...
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 9:07PM (Unverified) said
Half-Life 2, Portal, Bioshock, Metroid Prime 3, Halo 3, God of War, Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank...what did Europe do in 07? And of course we got another fine DoubleFine Tim Shaffer game coming here in the US, as well as Will Wrigh's Spore.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 9:02PM (Unverified) said
Oblivion(CA) vs Two Worlds(German).
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 9:55PM lokid20 said
It's not the fault of the developers, but the people who make the decisions. Business people in the U.S. are less likely to take chances. That doesn't make you more creative, that makes you financially stable most of the time here.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 10:06PM SirEdgeworth said
Yeah but they are both a joke when it comes to Japan and creativity...
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 10:08PM (Unverified) said
After so many months of American developers slinging mud at Japanese development, it was only a matter of time before European developers would get caught up in the pointless and unproductive fight for developer supremacy.
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 10:15PM hvnlysoldr said
When will people learn every race is equally inferior to robots. (And the Japanese developers.)
Posted: Dec 11th 2007 11:42PM ThornedVenom said
"A representative from EA has stated that European game developers are inherently more creative than American developers."
Inherently? I don't think so. I'm French and I moved to the US to study Game Design: I think that American developers are as capable as European developers at being creative. But it really comes down to whether or not you have sufficiently enough legroom for your designs.
I think the reason why EA might think that European developers may be more creative is because there's probably more initiative in Europe for trying to challenge the American industry which has managed to establish basic formulas for ensured market sales. If European developers did the same thing as the Americans, then there'd really be no appeal in developing European products.
Inherently? I don't think so. I'm French and I moved to the US to study Game Design: I think that American developers are as capable as European developers at being creative. But it really comes down to whether or not you have sufficiently enough legroom for your designs.
I think the reason why EA might think that European developers may be more creative is because there's probably more initiative in Europe for trying to challenge the American industry which has managed to establish basic formulas for ensured market sales. If European developers did the same thing as the Americans, then there'd really be no appeal in developing European products.
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 12:51AM (Unverified) said
Europe? Is that that place where the countries have all been around for thousands of years and none of them is a current super power? Yeah, I could give a fuck what that place has to say about anything.
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 6:01AM PoisonedAl said
Yeah, like all superpower and empires NEVER come to a sticky end because the populous all become fat, stupid and lazy. Nope, America will ALWAYS be a superpower, despite it's total reliance on outside sources to keep it's piss-weak economy afloat.
Excuse me, I'm off to buy some dollar bills. Toilet paper is getting too expensive.
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Excuse me, I'm off to buy some dollar bills. Toilet paper is getting too expensive.
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 6:41AM (Unverified) said
Hahaha Poisoned Al. I don't do real life Lol's but that warranted one!
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Posted: Dec 12th 2007 5:01AM (Unverified) said
At which point did th need fo a Europe vs USA war begin? Im under the impression that this article is purely about europe being more creative than America. NOT saying American devs aint creative...just the europeans are MORE creative. Why did we not see this in 2007? Viva pinata anyone? and as for next year FABLE 2? GTA IV (which is just an IP sequel) Huxley? Metronome?
No one said 'all American suckorz andare stupid' what was implied is purely the eruopeans are more creative and its true. Fr a start the people in eruope are more relaxed, less rushed and therefore have more time to make an effort. America = quantity over quality whilst europe its the other way around. We just have different ways of working. Nothing wrong in that.
And as for the 'superpower' comment. DO WE REALLY need to point out how America, as it stands today, came into existance. (You know...how europe set all our less creative people over there to colonise the place and you all got arsey and decided to start a war?)
No one said 'all American suckorz andare stupid' what was implied is purely the eruopeans are more creative and its true. Fr a start the people in eruope are more relaxed, less rushed and therefore have more time to make an effort. America = quantity over quality whilst europe its the other way around. We just have different ways of working. Nothing wrong in that.
And as for the 'superpower' comment. DO WE REALLY need to point out how America, as it stands today, came into existance. (You know...how europe set all our less creative people over there to colonise the place and you all got arsey and decided to start a war?)
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 6:16AM Ethan said
Entertainment mediums in Europe are encouraged to have artistic purpose, funded in order to do so and awarded on that basis. In America, I don't think it's valued for much other than sales potential.
Montreal/Canadian games can be pretty motivated too.
Montreal/Canadian games can be pretty motivated too.
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 8:39AM JordanRos said
what about the best game ever.. Daikatana! how's that for some american love?
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 9:14AM Batzarro The worlds WOrst Detect said
EA executives gauge creativity? My word, we must debate their enlightened wisdom!
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 10:52AM (Unverified) said
Who care..?
now leave us alone.
we`re making a world war II game.
Ha,ha,ha joystiq you just made my day.....
now leave us alone.
we`re making a world war II game.
Ha,ha,ha joystiq you just made my day.....
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 12:49PM Maverick Saturn 06 said
Lol, how many WWII games can one make, there have been millions, lmao, games like Halo and Half Life only swap Germans and Arabs with Aliens, whoa! The creativity! Roflmao.
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Posted: Dec 12th 2007 11:00AM (Unverified) said
ok talking about the topic, yes european developers are more creative, i noticed the first time with Far Cry for PC, Ghost Recon for Xbox 360, Crysis and many other titles now....
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 11:50AM jdsony said
This isn't news I'm sorry to say. Europe is just more creative in general. It has nothing to do with video games. Europe has better musicians, better artists, better automobiles, better fashion sense, I could go on forever. I'm not sure what the reason is but it must be somewhat to do with their lifestyle. There are more lazy people over on this side.
And for those saying Halo 3 is creative...are you kidding me?
And for those saying Halo 3 is creative...are you kidding me?
Posted: Dec 12th 2007 12:46PM Maverick Saturn 06 said
By creativity, they don't mean one FPS' difference compared to another, I'm pretty sure they are talking about variety between the genre, and not that the US has no creativity, but a majority of the great games are FPS, much like Japanese have RPG, we Europeans are more varied then you lot or the Japs, we like lots of stuff, no one in particular such as FPS FPS FPS, we like footy, we like wipeout, we like F1 we like all sorts, so devs in this country are forced to produced unique and interesting stuff to keep us buying, not just throw out another Halo sequel or final fantasy and expect us to bite, it takes more then that.
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