[MUD-Dev] R&D

[Matt Mihaly]

On Mon, 3 Jun 2002, Brian Bilek wrote:
 
> Why aren't more of the business executives in the industry more
> knowledgeable, passionate, or otherwise have a better
> understanding of games and gaming in general?  Is it that hard to
> find someone with a business background who likes games?

Well, why aren't hard-core gamers in the industry more
knowledgeable, passionate, or otherwise have a better ounderstanding
of the business of games, and business in general? (Actually, maybe
they do, I really don't know. Just making a point.) Games are a
product/service developed through certain processes, and I don't
really see why directing the business behind them necessarily
requires a passion for games. A passion for the business of games,
definitely.

To make it easier to think about, consider a marketing
executing. Why does he need to be passionate about games? It might
help, but it may also cloud his judgement by letting an emotional
attachment to the game get in the way of marketing it shamelessly.
 
In the end, games are a product or service with certain costs,
risks, processes, potential, and so on, and from that perspective,
isn't fundamentally different from running other businesses.

> Perhaps a related question: With how incestuous the games industry
> is, is it any wonder that the same mistakes are continually made
> with respect to some of the practices mentioned earlier in the
> thread?

I'm not saying this is the case, but your comment suggests that the
problem is maybe TOO many executives-from-the-gamers-ranks.

--matt

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