Studios must learn to say no to bad deals - Perry

Former Shiny Entertainment boss and videogame consultant Dave Perry has warned those hoping to work on movie and game properties that if a deal feels "half-baked" they shouldn't be afraid to turn it down.

Perry believes that wise developers are backing away from collaborations that amount to an exchange of logos and joint marketing, and that the future of games based on movies lies in signing the best talent in Hollywood.

"When you're offered a relationship that seems half-baked, just say no. Because you're going to get no thanks for it at the end of the day," offered Perry, in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz.

Developing games based on the properties of movie studios "depends on whether or not they are really going to be there for you," said Perry. "If the answer is 'maybe' then you should probably say no to that relationship."

Having worked on high-profile movie tie-ins such as The Matrix and The Terminator, Perry says that the high costs of working with the best in Hollywood pays for itself with the finished product.

"To apply the best production co-ordinators and producers — that level of talent is expensive but worth it in the long run. If it's funded well and you're as serious as a heart attack about this then those people will work at their best and you'll have the best product," he said.

"It's not about buying logos and saying 'We want to put your movie logo on our game box although we don't care what the finished product is'. Hopefully that's not going to happen any more."

Read the full interview with Dave Perry for his thoughts on movie studios, what developers can learn from Hollywood production and how companies like Brash Entertainment could change the business.