Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Ten Ton Hammer: Fallen Earth has had a fairly high preorder sale making number two on the Steam preorder list. Do you think people from a business sense are looking to break into that online market place? Some of the indie games are getting decently good sales numbers like Fallen Earth who doesn’t necessarily have a big publisher like an EA (Electronic Arts) or Activision/Blizzard, but they still seem able to sell a decent amount of copies from what we can tell. Do you think that more people are going to be jumping into the business of online gaming now that they have proven time and time again that at least in box sales people can push boxes?

Gordon Walton: Again I think it’s about the experience. If your game is compelling, there’s not really a problem with finding customers. If the experience is kind of ‘me too’ it’s a lot harder. It’s not impossible for anyone to go out and do well making entertainment software. You just have to make something that’s going to fit with an audience you can actually reach. In the case of Steam, you’re saying “oh, this is a hardcore gaming audience. If I make something that floats these guy’s boats, of course they’ll show up”. It really depends on who you’re after and what’s new and compelling about the experience you’re offering and then if it’s accessible enough to play.

Ten Ton Hammer: Out of all the panels at the show, which are you personally most interested in? Is there one that is really drawing your eye?

Gordon Walton: Everything about web delivery interests me. I think about install base. Who has the biggest install base? It’s called the browser and it has more people that know how to operate it than any other type, so when I think the future, I’m thinking about how I reach the most people, how I can find audiences that already exist that I can tap into, I’m always thinking about the web first and foremost.  So as a personal interest that’s what draws me. Now on the professional side I am interested in what’s going on around the world overseas in various markets because all that stuff is very pertinent and topical to what I’m doing now to predict the game that I’m on. My interests go beyond the game that I’m on. I’m interested in the overall industry and where we’re going and how we’re going to grow it and get to what it could be versus what it is today.