Gamers should fund development - Valve
Then we'll end up with games we really like.
Valve bigwig Gabe Newell has suggested games might be a bit more interesting if gamers themselves were putting the money up.
"One of the areas that I am super interested in right now is how we can do financing from the community," he told ABC (as spotted by Kotaku).
At present, Newell explained, games require an investment of between USD 10 million and USD 30 million before development can even begin. "There's a huge amount of risk associated with those dollars and decisions have to be incredibly conservative," he said.
"What I think would be much better would be if the community could finance the games. In other words, 'Hey, I really like this idea you have. I'll be an early investor in that and, as a result, at a later point I may make a return on that product, but I'll also get a copy of that game.'"
In other words, Newell wants to do away with the system of working out financial deals between developers and publishers. "Instead have it be something where funding is coming out of community for games and game concepts they really like."
If anyone wants to invest in Eurogamer's concept for a game set in an open-world Lewisham where you get to play as Wesley Snipes or Ben Fogle and train lions to fight Nazis, get in touch.