IGDA執行董事談2018年遊戲行業環境變化以及展望未來
IGDA執行董事談2018年遊戲行業環境變化以及展望未來
原作者：Iain Harris 譯者：Willow Wu
時間過得很快，年終將至，2018年對遊戲開發者來說就像是打了一場代價沉重的勝利之戰。
公眾從未能像今年這樣瞭解到這個行業的現實與艱苦，而這是以犧牲許多人的個人幸福為代價的。
從Kotaku對Riot Games的性別歧視文化深入調查，到 Telltale和Rockstar被接連爆出的加班問題，這些都是行業存在已久的難題，並且還在不斷惡化。
除此之外，社交媒體上對遊戲開發者的公開辱罵還在繼續，ArenaNet還因為網上罵戰解僱了兩名編劇。
許多遊戲公司都宣佈倒閉——Telltale、Capcom溫哥華工作室、Bandai Namco溫哥華工作室和Wargaming西雅圖工作室，很多人都失去了工作。當然，行業中也不全是悲劇，其他公司還在繼續招人，新的遊戲工作室層出不窮——雖然這對那些失業者可能起不了什麼安慰作用。
起起伏伏
儘管這些事件對公眾輿論產生了很大影響，國際遊戲開發者協會（IGDA）執行董事Jen MacLean還是很希望在倡導變革與證明行業已經在好轉之間找到平衡。
在墨爾本舉行的Games Connect Asia Pacific大會期間， PocketGamer.Biz利用短暫休息的時間與MacLean進行了交談，回顧了遊戲行業的艱難一年。
“我最近一直忙於幾個遊戲大會的演講，主題就是當下是遊戲最好的時代，也是最糟糕的時代，”MacLean說。
“在我看來，如今遊戲開發者的情況就是這樣。
從很多方面來看，他們的機會多了很多。現在有Unity、Unreal這樣的免費開發工具，還有各種銷售渠道，這對遊戲行業的發展是非常有利的。
“但同時，作為一個遊戲開發者，成功比以往更加難以實現。我們也知道遊戲行業的發展是具有周期性的，我認為我們現在所看到的這些倒閉事件還只是一個開始。
“你可以去看看遊戲的開發成本和收益情況，數學已經解釋不了。將來我們很可能要徹底改變遊戲的開發方式或者是盈利方式，或者二者都變。
“這就意味著行業中會出現很多混亂、分裂，對於開發者們而言這將會是一段相當煎熬的日子。
don-t-starve-(from bdstudiogames)
“現階段我們的討論是比以往更加開誠佈公的，我認為這對促進行業的實質性變革非常關鍵。”
社群監管
MacLean想要讓人們關注的第二個話題是消費者和開發者之間的關係，育碧設定更加嚴格的社群標準就是一個突出的例子，她希望其他人也能效仿。
“遊戲社群是怎麼對待遊戲開發者們的？玩家們在社交媒體的行為有時跟在遊戲中並無差別，”MacLean說。
“我們通過遊戲告訴他們在這個虛擬世界中使用種族、性別歧視語言是沒關係的，威脅別人是沒關係的，去騷擾別人也是沒關係的，所以我們不必驚訝在遊戲之外的地方他們也用這種方式對待開發者們。
“看到育碧這樣的公司坦率地表示他們不會再容忍這類行為其實是一個非常好的兆頭，這意味著越來越多的公司也會採取這種態度。
“我迫切地希望能有公司認識到為玩家創造良好的遊戲體驗、防止一些人破壞遊戲環境、製造隱患是很重要的，因為這也會對遊戲開發者們產生積極影響。”
雖然並非所有公司在今年都得到了媒體的正面報道，很多頭條講的都是一些不太光彩的事，但MacLean並不認為今年的主角就是這些負面訊息。相反，她指出社交媒體讓我們更加了解正在發生的事。
“我已經在這個行業中呆了26年了，遊戲公司的乾的好事和壞事我都見過，”MacLean說。
“我認為現在的不同之處在於我們能利用不同的工具，比如社交媒體來開展更多相關討論，還有我們與遊戲社群的關係也變得更加密切了。
“這就是一種積極的變化。儘管我們看到了種種失職、歧視行為，我還是不會把2018年定義成‘爛僱主之年’。只是因為我們對這類問題的關注度提高了。”
團結努力
為了幫助遊戲開發者適應當前的行業環境，MacLean認為IGDA需要幫助他們理解遊戲開發之外的世界。
其中之一就是社交媒體。IGDA此前曾釋出了一系列問題，供人們向僱主提問，以確保他們在網上行為規範方面達成共識。IGDA還發布了自己的社交媒體指南，給那些沒有制定相關行為標準的開發者一份參考。
另一點就是要成為同行業者的可靠盟友。在GCAP大會上，MacLean發條了一篇題為《消除偏見，成為可靠盟友》（Overcoming Your Biases to Be an Effective Ally）的演講。
從Ada Initiative（非營利性組織，旨在提高女性對自由文化運動，開源技術和開放文化的參與度）以及IGDA特殊利益聯盟（ Allies Special Interest Group）的情況來看，演講的目的是要讓人們明白彼此互相幫助才能促進實質變革的發生。MacLean還介紹了一套行為框架，該框架可用於遊戲開發工作中常見的各種場景。
雖然支援同事是一件很重要的事，尤其是考慮到如今的社交氛圍，但是我們並不能以此指責ArenaNet對員工所做的事：起先，一位玩家就角色性格提出了和編劇Jessica Price不同的觀點，言辭間並無不妥之處。但是Jessica Price突然惡言相向，另外一名遊戲編劇Peter Fries也加入罵戰，不僅不拉架，還為自己人辯護。結果讓整個玩家社群大為不滿。ArenaNet最後公開批評並解僱了二人。
衝突發生後，ArenaNet內部具體發生了什麼我們不得而知。在行業大眾看來，Fries所做的一切似乎都是為了維護同事，但是事件的結果並沒有讓業內其他人感到欣慰。
由於不太熟悉這一事件，MacLean無法做出評論。但是她強調了其他公司採取的在支援同行方面所做的積極努力，這能給公眾輿論帶來一定的平衡作用。
“在我看來，不同規模公司的不同管理者，他們大多都明白要壯大我們的玩家社群、讓我們的行業繁榮發展就必須壯大遊戲開發者社群，”MacLean說。
“這意味著我們要吸引那些從未考慮把遊戲開發當作職業的人、那些來自其它技術行業的人以及那些年紀較大或來自世界不同地區的人。
“所以，你可以說行業中又出現了怎樣怎樣的糟糕決策，但我從這些公司中看到的是他們真正認識到了包容的重要性，並採取了很多行動來表示支援。”
隨後，MacLean又舉出了幾個大型遊戲公司的例子，讚賞他們為促進包容性以及多樣性所做的努力，尤其考慮到這對遊戲行業發展的所形成的積極影響。
“你可以看看微軟公司為他們的玩家以及開發者所做的，還有暴雪。亞馬遜遊戲工作室中有一群優秀的女性開發者做出了傑出貢獻，這對我來說是莫大的鼓勵，”
“育碧對於玩家社群惡劣行為的採取了更加苛刻的態度，這也能促進開發社群的包容性發展。
“這讓我非常興奮，我認為我們得感謝那些為了支援人才和社群而冒險、做出艱難決定的公司，因為他們真的做得很棒。”
在動盪中革新
至於未來，MacLean預計接下來三年會是一個非常不穩定的時期，這是遊戲開發成本不斷飆升的結果。儘管這是不可避免的挑戰，但不穩定性也會帶來革新與機會。
“如果你看過一些分析，比如，Raph Koster計算了每兆位元組內容的單位開發成本（相關文章翻已譯：http://gamerboom.com/archives/95456），很明顯，成本上升與收益不變甚至是下滑形成了一種失衡的狀態，” MacLean說。
“隨之而來的就是混亂、動盪還有革新。獨立開發者們會擁有更多機會，新式遊戲體驗會相繼出現。
“微軟公司現階段正在收購往這個方向發展的公司，這很有意思。
“我覺得他們可能是在考慮如何創新，我也很期待微軟以及其他公司會怎麼做。EA扶持獨立遊戲發行應該也是出於類似的考慮。
“所以總的來說，未來我們會迎來挑戰，但同時也會獲得更多機會——這會跟以往我們所遇到的有很大不同。”
本文由遊戲邦編譯，轉載請註明來源，或諮詢微信zhengjintiao
With the end of the year swiftly approaching, 2018 may feel like a Pyrrhic victory for games developers.
The realities and hardships of working in the industry are more visible to the public eye than ever, but it has come at the expense of a lot of people’s personal wellbeing.
A report into Riot Games exposed a toxic working culture that still festers within the industry, while public episodes at Telltale and Rockstar proved to be a reminder that crunch is still an issue the industry is finding difficult to tackle.
On top of that, the public abuse of games developers on social media continues, as seen with ArenaNet’s dismissal of two of its employees.
Still not letting up, a number of studios have faced closure and left many without a job, from Telltale and Capcom Vancouver to Bandai Namco Vancouver and Wargaming Seattle. It’s not all bad of course, other companies are continuing to hire while new studios open all the time – though that might be little consolation to those who have lost their jobs.
Little high, little low
Though these events have dominated public discourse, however, IGDA executive director Jen MacLean (pictured) is keen to strike the balance between advocating for change while acknowledging the good that’s already going on in the industry.
Speaking to PocketGamer.Biz during a brief lull at the Games Connect Asia Pacific conference in Melbourne, MacLean reflects on what has proven to be a trying year for the industry.
“I’ve been giving a talk at a few conferences recently and the theme is that it’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times,” says MacLean.
“I think that very much describes what’s like to be a games developer right now.
“In many ways, there are a lot more opportunities. There are tools like Unity and Unreal and distribution opportunities; these are all fantastic things for the industry.
“But, it’s never been more difficult to succeed as a games developer. We also know that the games industry is cyclical and I suspect that some of the things that we see with studio closures are only the beginning.
“Because you can look at the development cost for games, and the revenue produced, and the math is starting not to work. What that means is that we’re going to have to radically change how we develop games or monetise them, or both.
“That’s going to mean a lot of disruption in the industry and it’s going to be a hard time for games developers.
“At the same time, we’re having more open and honest discussions than we have ever had in the industry and I think those discussions are important to making meaningful change.”
Community watch
Another topical issue MacLean is keen to draw attention to is the relationship between consumer and developer, with Ubisoft’s enforcement of more strict community standards a stand-out example that she hopes others will follow.
“When we look at how games developers are treated by games communities, they act on social media as they do in games,” MacLean states.
“When we tell them and show them that it’s okay to use racial and gender-based slurs in games, that it’s okay to make threats in games and that it’s okay to harass people in games, we can’t be surprised when they do that outside of games to developers.
“Seeing a company like Ubisoft be very upfront with the type of behaviour they will no longer tolerate actually bodes very well as more companies adopt that.
“I’m excited to see a company realise that it’s more important to have a better player experience and to ban people for creating an unwelcoming and unsafe player environment because I think that’ll have positive implications for games developers.”
While not every company has come in for favourable press throughout the year, with plenty grabbing headlines for less than savoury reasons, MacLean downplays the idea that the year should be marked by their misdeeds. Instead, she notes that it’s a positive that social media has made us more aware of what goes on.
“I’ve been in the industry for 26 years, so I’ve seen both good and bad behaviour from companies,” says MacLean.
“I think the difference is now we talk a lot more about it through tools like social media and also through a more connected games community.
“I think that’s a positive. But I wouldn’t go as far as to call this the year of the bad employer, as we’ve seen some of this behaviour in the past. We’re just more aware of it.”
Come together
In a bid to help games developers adapt to the current climate within the industry, however, MacLean believes the IGDA needs to help them understand what’s going on outside of their contributions to making a game.
One example is social media. The IGDA has previously posted a series of questions for people to ask their employer to ensure they are on common ground in regards to acceptable behaviour online. The IGDA has also posted its own social media guidelines for any developer to use a reference point should they have none.
Another is the need to be an effective ally for your fellow industry-folk. As such, while at GCAP, MacLean gave a lecture titled “Overcoming Your Biases to Be an Effective Ally”.
Based on the Ada Initiative and the IGDA Allies Special Interest Group developed by Allies Workshop, it aims to teach people that being an ally can create meaningful change. It goes over a behavioural framework that can be used for intervention in various scenarios that are commonplace in games development.
While advocating for colleagues is undoubtedly essential, especially in today’s social climate, the incentive to do so took a battering when ArenaNet publically criticised and dismissed employees Jessica Price and Peter Fries following an exchange with a fan on social media, during which Fries had come to the support Price.
It’s hard to say what was said exactly behind closed doors at ArenaNet following the incident. On the public side of things, however, all Fries appeared to do was stand up for his colleague, which doesn’t send a great message to others in the industry.
While MacLean couldn’t comment on the specific incident due to not having any personal insight into what happened, she was keen to stress the positive work that other companies had done to incentivise advocacy and to bring a sense of balance to the public narrative.
“From what I see, a lot of executives across a lot of different companies recognise that for us to grow our player community, for us to grow our industry, we have to grow our community of people who make games,” says MacLean.
“That means bringing in people who may not have considered making games as a career, people who may be coming in from other tech jobs, people who might be older or coming in from different parts of the world.
“So while I think you can point to specific bad decisions, what I actually see from a lot of companies in the industry is a real recognition of the importance of inclusivity and a lot of action to support that.”
Following on, MacLean had further praise for several larger studios and for their efforts in pushing inclusivity and diversity, especially regarding what it could mean for the industry going forward
“I think if you look at what Microsoft has consistently done to support inclusivity and diversity, both in its player community and developer community, what Blizzard has done – and Amazon Studios have a host of great women who are doing some great work there – that makes me very hopeful,” she tells us.
“Even Ubisoft’s much more stringent behaviour or tolerance for bad behaviour in its player community helps support a more inclusive development community.
“That makes me very excited and I think we need to acknowledge those companies that are taking risks and making the hard decisions to support its talent and its community because it’s really good work.”
Innovation through instability
As for the future, MacLean reckons that over the next three years we’ll see instability as a result of the increasing costs of developing a game. While that will need to be tackled head-on, with that instability the industry will also see innovation and opportunity.
“If you look at some of the work, for example, that Raph Koster has done looking at dev costs per megabyte of content, it’s obvious that increasing costs and stable or declining revenue is not a good equation,” says MacLean.
“What that means is that there is going to be a lot of turmoil, there’s going to be instability and there’s going to be innovation. I think you’ll see more opportunities for indies and different types of games experiences.
“I think what Microsoft is doing with acquiring companies who make those experiences is very interesting.
“I think they’re probably looking at how to innovate and I’m looking forward to seeing what they and other companies do. EA with its indie publishing efforts is very much the same thing.
“So while there are certainly going to be challenges ahead, at the same time there are going to be more opportunities. Just opportunities that aren’t the same as what we’re used to seeing.”（source： ofollow,noindex" target="_blank">pocketgamer.biz ）