Developers Believe Allowing Studios to Work on Smaller Games Between Bigger Projects is Good for the Industry

Smaller games are good for even large video game studios, according to Obsidian design director Josh Sawyer. In a response to a post on social media platform X by Jeryce Dianingana of Cliffhanger Games, Sawyer states that, among other things, allowing studios to take time between larger projects to work on smaller games helps in a number of ways.

Among the benefits of working on a smaller game, according to Sawyer, is that studios can minimise staff turnover that often happens between larger projects. Developers are also less likely to get burnt out while working on larger projects over the span of a few years.

Dianingana also speaks about the idea of having AAA studios working on smaller games, stating that it would improve variety in released games, as well as allowing the same studio to work on and release more games more often.

WB Games Montreal’s Mitch Dyer also responded to Dianingana’s post, stating that “AA games on a AAA budget with a AAA team would probably lead to the best games of all time”.

Would be nice to have big AAA studios “making” (not publishing) more small scope games (2years for example)

We would have more variety,experimenting
Releasing more games in the same company more often
Nice for the Mental to work on other things
Not everything has to be “BIG” pic.twitter.com/2YkIfNMi22

— Jeryce Dianingana | Cliffhanger Games (@JeryceDia) November 23, 2023

Obviously biased opinion but I’d also say that even “A” games can accomplish this. Execs are often not really concerned about devs’ opinions on this stuff, but there’s also a upside for the bottom line, which is staff retention (cont.). https://t.co/CkTRUzDK4f

— Josh Sawyer (@jesawyer) November 24, 2023

AA games on a AAA budget with a AAA team would probably lead to the best games of all time 😇

— Mitch Dyer (@MitchyD) November 24, 2023