Issue 11 2022 11 “…to make games that resonate with a huge audience of players”, Again, this sounds excellent and profitable on paper, but a mass appeal is a challenging goal to achieve. He made this statement ahead of the publication of the much-maligned game Crucible, a game that videogame publication IGN described as, “…like a monster assembled from dismembered design ideas from the world of e-sports” in its video review of the game, with the consensus of the public being condemnation of its derivative nature. Perfectly highlighting the inherent problem Amazon Games faced and must continue to address. No amount of business acumen will ever substitute for creativity. No figure in investment will equal a project that consumers find fun or engaging. You cannot pluck ideas and concepts from something already popular, compile them together and create a product that will print money in creative media, especially video games. This is a lesson that Amazon Games has had to learn the hard way. But learn they have! With the appointment of Christoph Hartmann in 2018, there seemed to be a shift in how things are done. His experience in the industry led to immediate and sweeping changes – including the company’s adoption of third-party development software instead of its proprietary one. Since then, the studio has faced further delays, project cancellations and has said goodbye to members of the team – including Mike Frazzini in early 2022. Fortunately, these struggles have manifested in successes; the launches of its games New World and Lost Ark were met with resounding critical and commercial success, the former very much attributed to the care taken in its development – which includes its multiple delays until it was ready. Vast capital and a well-established brand are boons that can elevate a fledgling project, but neither will provide any guarantee of success in a medium like video games. Small projects can spawn fortunes, whilst expensive endeavours just as quickly take their studios down with them. Video games are born of creativity and live and die on their ability to provide fun; with both being such nebulous and subjective concepts, it’s no wonder that many business-minded executives struggle to understand the industry as a whole. Though Amazon Games has seemingly found its footing with New Worlds and Lost Ark, its decade-long journey – and cancelled projects in the interim – should stand as a cautionary tale for any looking to expand into the industry or any industry where audience engagement is paramount. You can have all the right ingredients and bottomless funds for investment, but that is no substitute for creativity – nor will it guarantee success – as it takes a creative mind to manage creativity effectively. Written by Dontae Jones - Company: Amazon Games Web Address: https://www.amazongames.com/
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