Okay, we are past the silly season; well most of us, for some it's just constantly silly season eh?

Many predictions get made in late 2008, some under the influence of legally imbibed liquids, others just under the influence of the giddy expectation of impending time off.

As such AusGamers decided to wait until now to approach industry leaders for some squints towards the 2009 gaming horizon.

To lead us off we spoke to Trent Kusters, designer at Torus Games.

The Melbourne based Torus Games is a well established studio boasting over a decade of games industry experience, with more than 90 titles across 21 platforms.

In recent times Torus has produced Zoo Hospital for the Wii, Backyard Football for DS and Monster Jam: Urban Assault for Wii, DS, PSP and PS2.

Last year Torus Games won both the Best Handheld title and Best PC title for 2008, as awarded by the Game Developers Association of Australia.

Asking Kusters to predict what lay in store for his chosen industry in 2009, we began by touching on the current world economic situation:


Ausgamers: In light of the GEC (Global Economic Crisis), how confident are you in the continued success of the interactive entertainment industry? Why?

Trent Kusters: A recession is bad business for anyone, though perhaps least; the entertainment sector. It is the escapist nature of humans to turn to entertainment for comfort and emotional reprieve when the going gets tough.

This, coupled with the perceived value in video games as opposed to other forms of entertainment (movie tickets; $15, for two hours of entertainment, videogames; $90 for twenty-five plus hours) will ensure that people feed their escapist urges with our form of entertainment above all others.

And we are seeing that; GameStop (videogame retailer chain) in the US posted a 22% triumph over last Holiday's takings.

However, we are not invincible. Highly talented, long-standing studios from all over the world are closing doors every week. Ensemble Studios, Free Radical and many others have closed doors due to publishers cutting weight.

We felt it this week in Australia with EA stepping away from Pandemic Brisbane and consequently great local industry talent being displaced.

Things are definitely changing and for a relatively infantile industry, that hasn't really lived through a recession such as this it'll shake some of that zealously blinding confidence away and encourage smarter more efficient business methods for the industry. As they say, "When the going gets tough, you've gotta get tougher!"

AG: In what ways do you think the GEC will change the videogame industry over the short, medium and long term?

Kusters: Short term: The impact of the GEC will ensure, first and foremost, tighter, smarter business models for an industry that is perhaps overly confident as a result of our continuing global successes (Guitar Hero 3, Halo 3, GTA IV, World of WarCraft). Diminishing publisher confidence also outlines the possibility of seeing a lot less big budget original IP coming out in years to come. I think after Mirror's Edge and Dead Space not quite performing as well as expected, we'll see EA tighten their proverbial funding leash this year.

Medium term: With the gradual introduction of digital distribution being nurtured into existence by industry giants such as Valve with Steam and Microsoft with their stellar efforts on Xbox live, we'll see the emergence of more indie developers.

Three, four or five guys in a basement busting out fantastic, engaging games that anyone in the world can access from the comfort of their living room (and for a tenth of what you pay for main stream titles) sounds like an avenue that we will be hearing a lot more from. Hopefully, many more games like Castle Crashers, Braid and Flow too!

Also, just digital distribution in general. I'm really keen to see how Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content goes on Xbox Live. I think it's perhaps going to be bigger than a lot of people think.

Long term: I think inside the industry we'll see talent remain a lot more grounded than in the past. Only a year ago, gone were the days of loyalty to a company or employer, talent moved around the industry like Pacmen around an arcade screen. With phrases like "skills shortage" being thrown around, developers' resumes read like a 'who's who' of the games industry.

I think with a lot of extreme talent having been made redundant around the world recently, employed talent will stop focusing on greener pastures and appreciate job security more-so than a fatter pay check and a cooler project. Although we will no doubt suffer more stories of studio closure and redundancy, in the long run this shake up will see a move back towards the culture of low employee turnover rate in studios across the globe.


AG: Is innovation in the industry as important as in the past, or are other factors influencing the final product emerging from developers.

Kusters: Most definitely. Although we will see publishers move towards more reliable, established IPs and business ventures (ie; sequels, sports licenses, music sims like Guitar Hero and Rock Band), innovation is what always pushes our industry forward. It's what pushes everything forward.

Competition comes into it also. Competition for projects; developers pitching original IP are going to find it tough getting deals signed, therefore gameplay and/or genre innovation will undoubtedly be the deal makers for many publishers. Competition for talent; with so much high quality talent displaced and out of work, the need for current employees to ensure they are on top of their game is perhaps higher than ever.

Innovation, not only in the games we make but the methods in which we work and develop those games is definitely on the horizon.

AG: Finally, 2009, in your opinion, how will it pan out for the industry?

Kusters: I think this year for PlayStation 3 is make or break, it's perhaps Sony's biggest year since the release of the console. Their exclusives line-up for 2009 is the best it's been and we're looking at the full realisation of their Home platform potentially as well. Plus, I think we'll hear something from them along the lines of Microsoft's Netflix announcement last year. They really need to push the PS3 as more than just a games unit. As for their PSP that will remain strong, thanks to Japan and the US.

Microsoft won't slow down this year. I think we'll hear some very exciting things from them and hopefully in the form of expanding their premium Xbox Live services such as the XNA Community and Netflix into Australia. Exclusives like Gears of War 2 and the GTAIV downloadable content will continue to draw the crowd and Final Fantasy appearing on the platform could potentially be huge!

Nintendo will continue to reign supreme and the rising female demographic they're drawing will continue to support that intense money shower they're enjoying. However, they could be pigeon-holed as a 'casual' (dare I use the word) platform if there isn't a shift in their software line-up.

PC however, will continue to see fantastic games released on the platform but unfortunately will continue to feel the consequences of a highly-established culture of piracy. I think the saloon door has finally some back to slap the PC crowd on its arse, so a shift towards digital distribution is inevitable as publishers try and take hold again. Who knows? Steam may even become 2009's big success story.

As for the Australian industry, we'll keep doing what we're doing and doing it well and I'm sure some of the studios are working away on some really exciting stuff. So I'm really keen to see where the local industry's position will be at the start of 2010! I personally think we'll do great things!