Tough times ahead for retailers and publishers, says Denki MD

Colin Anderson, MD of Dundee-based developer Denki, has declared that the dominant hold publishers have over the games industry could be about to weaken as the balance shifts in favour of developers.

Speaking in a guest editorial published on GamesIndustry.biz today, Anderson said: "The industry's blinkered view of what constitutes a 'real' game is allowing huge areas of it's potential audience to escape. More and more titles are competing in the same, tired genres. In many ways, the market is close to stagnation."

However, Anderson argued, the growth of casual gaming and the creation of online distribution services such as Xbox Live Arcade is set to change everything. "There are now ways for developers to address the mainstream games market without huge amounts of publisher funding, enormous teams and/or expensive brands," he stated.

"Developers can play with episodic content, customisation, convenience and all of these other strange and unusual concepts which are confusing and upsetting the traditional developers and publishers.

"Combined with ongoing evolution of mobile games and the growing recognition of browser based games as a viable new channel, it's looking like the games market might once again be quite an exciting and fertile field for developers."

According to Anderson, publishers and retailers "might find things a little more difficult" as consumers find themselves with more choices when it comes to sourcing games.

However, he continued, "This is not to say the publishers are in any immediate danger. The console market will continue to grow and thrive, but the total monopoly over the games which are released will end, which has to be a good thing, for developers, for games and ultimately for gamers everywhere - casual, hardcore or otherwise."

Read the full editorial to find out more about Denki's past and future plans, and why Anderson believes there's a bright future ahead for both developers and the industry in general.