Jacobson: Industry already moving towards Hollywood model

Sports Interactive boss Miles Jacobson thinks that, while mergers are a sign of the industry heading towards the Hollywood model, independent studios are still important for a creative future.

Noting that some people have pointed to the "big studio" Hollywood model as the future of the games industry, Jacobson agreed: "Yeah, that will end up happening - it's not a case of if, it's a case of when."

The movie, music and book industry models currently look the same, Jacobson said, and similar changes in the games industry have already begun.

"I think we're seeing the first stages of it," he told GamesIndustry.biz.

"If you have a look back historically through something like the Universal Music Group, it went through various stages of purchasing labels, the old Polygram and Philips record company, and it did it slowly over a period of time until it had a larger market share - and then it got bought by someone else and it started buying other labels - so nowadays when Universal buys a label it hardly makes the news."

He thinks that more companies will start using EA's model - with separate divisions that to allow the marketing teams to work on particular titles that are right for the team.

Even so, Jacobson is concerned that the emphasis is placed on the publishers.

"For me, still, the major disappointment in this industry is developer billing, whereby a game is 'on a label' or is 'by a publisher' and the developer is often the afterthought, whereas in the other creative industries - possibly less so with film nowadays actually because it's more actor-based than director-based - with the music model, the developer comes first.

"I doubt most people could name their five favourite acts on a particular record label, for example. So that side of things - it could go either way, it could become more developer-led."

On a positive note, Jacobson thinks that independent developers are important and can still thrive.

"But I think the other thing that the industry has now, that it maybe hasn't had in the past, is the independent scene - and again, this has been a big thing for Hollywood, and for the music industry as well - being hugely influential.

"Having systems like Steamworks, and the various other digital download systems - and also the casual gaming circuit - that actually gives a lot more people [a chance] to thrive, and come up with bigger and better things over time. And that's a very positive thing for the industry."

The complete interview with Sports Interactive's Miles Jacobson can be read here.