An article version of a presentation given at GDC Europe by Ninja Theory co-founder Tameen Antoniades on the "Independent AAA proposition". It also goes through the history of the company and has early footage of both released and unreleased games.
ABSTRACT
Over the last 14 years Ninja Theory have delivered award winning games for consoles under the AAA publishing model. From Kung Fu Chaos on Xbox which started as a three-person team working from a spare bedroom to Heavenly Sword, Enslaved Odyssey to the West and DmC: Devil May Cry on Xbox 360 and PS3, Ninja Theory has witnessed the AAA business grow and the impact it has had on both creativity and business.
The talk will detail the 14 year journey of Ninja Theory, the sacrifices and concessions made to stay in the game. Footage of unreleased games, the reason why they didn’t come to market, and the specific sales related decisions that led to their demise will be detailed. It will include the unrealised sequel to Kung Fu Chaos, footage of an as yet undisclosed next generation game, and various other pitches that we had to put on ice or walk away from.
For a traditionally AAA developer like Ninja, it may be possible to break the cycle of inevitability of rising budgets, sales-driven design and the wallet-busting price of entry of AAA that limits diversity, innovation and makes IP ownership all but impossible for creators.
With the next generation consoles arriving at one end, just as mobile and indie games have taken hold at the other, perhaps there is room for a third way, to turn the “middle”, where many a good studio has disappeared, into an opportunity to redefine gaming: the Independent AAA game.
What is the Independent AAA game? It is about creating, funding and owning IP of AAA quality but with the more focused game design, lower price point and open development process that defines indie games. It’s about taking creative risks and making spectacular, exciting and unique game experiences that can compete with AAA and engages fans directly.
This talk is a candid reveal of the realities of making games in the AAA space and will be of interest to indies who are dreaming big, AAA devs who are dreaming of independence and the middle-tier who find themselves at a crossroads.
