this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2024
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[–] hoshikarakitaridia 69 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You know, they got a point. You gotta believe in the project, and when you do it properly, you will make the money back, and much more.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Okay, but where's that money coming from? Someone has to upfront pay for things. Larian are lucky, they have a majory investor that was not looking for any control, they released in early access and had runway money from previous projects to go with. They are the exception, not the rule, unfortunately.

Publishers no longer publish third parties for the most part, so everyone who isn't a subsidiary of a large company has to find funding somewhere.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 10 months ago (1 children)

From me for example. I follow this studio and team since many years and i've participated to the funding of Divinity: Original Sin (DOS) more than a decade ago...

They got money from several sources but mainly because (or i should say thanks to) they delivered good products, they have being able to survive and work on BG3. Luck is not the reason, they've worked hard to achieve that...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They have, I've been playing their games from their first divine divinity game. But they are still in a lucky situation, privileged from the reality that everyone else has to go through.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They worked hard for decades. They've been betrayed and hampered by editors in the past until kick-started. It's not a lucky situation, they built this luck.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

they worked hard, they are in a lucky and privileged situation unlike almost every other company.

Consider an amazing actor or director that you respect. They worked hard, they made amazing things, and they got super lucky. Talent and hard work guarantees nothing.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Indy studios exist and some self fund. They're not going to be releasing AAA games, but they're not expected to.

But yes, if you want to create the game equivalent of an MCU film, you need significant starting capital.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You want tell me that to run a good business, one has to be able to negotiate preferable terms with investors?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If the implication is that they should be negotiating better terms. Well, good luck with that. I've been a part of many teams involved with investor negotiations. You need their money a hell of a lot more than they need your teams risk.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I don't say it's easy. But if you want to make a good creative product you have to be able to keep the creative control, that is part of your job and what makes realization of creative ideas, especially on big scale, more difficult. It's the same with other creative media like movies.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm saying it's not just "not easy", it's impossible unless you are an already established entity that has some cards to hold in negotiations.

Put yourself in the position of a new company, you've a great idea, a great team. How are you going to fund development in 2024?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

How did Larian Studios arrived at their position?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Spending well over a decade pushing out moderately successful shovelware on consoles before crowdfunding D:OS and its sequel, which provided enough of a portfolio to attract the CCP’s money and allow for the development of BG3.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So the way is quite straight forward, do some shitty projects until you have money/reputation to do the projects you actually want.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

How are you going to fund thr shitty projects again?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Depends, some people do other jobs to fund their projects. Some just do low budget stuff. Some are good at negotiating or find funding programs. Sure it's an effort but people out there are doing it in all kind of ways.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

they aren't, I'm sorry you can't see the point we've been making.