Sid Meyer explained why it is important to invest in gameplay, not in new types of monetization

Sid Meier, an eminent game designer and creator of the Civilization series, turned to modern developers. He doesn’t like that many companies forget about the gameplay and put monetization first. According to Meyer, this is a dead-end path that will only harm the industry in the end.Meyer talked about this with the BBC.

According to him, people play games primarily because of the gameplay. This has always been the case, and developers should not forget about it for the sake of monetization.

It is the gameplay that is the most unique, special and attractive element of games as a form of entertainment. When we forget about this and put monetization and other non-gameplay-oriented things first, when we start forgetting about creating great games and start considering games as a means or opportunity for something else, then we deviate from the original path.

Sid Meyer

co-founder of Firaxis Games

Today, gaming companies continue to look for new ways to monetize their titles. Some of them, among others, are actively looking towards NFT. However, Meyer believes that all this will not lead to anything good.

According to the game designer, if there is no exciting core gameplay in the game, no monetization methods will help it. Eventually, companies will start to lose their audience.

“In a sense, gameplay is cheap… Game design is critically important, but it doesn’t take thousands of people to create it. Therefore, it is easy not to notice how important investments in game design and gameplay are,” Meyer believes.

The

gaming market continues to grow. In 2021, its global volume was estimated at about $175 billion. However, Meyer is sure that further growth is not guaranteed, because people have many other types of entertainment. Therefore, it is important that game developers focus on the quality of products and make their titles fun to play.

It is the gameplay, according to the creator of Civilization, that gives players happiness, engages them and brings them joy.

Despite several decades of experience and recent changes in the industry, Sid Meyer has no plans to end his career. He notes that he is most pleased with the changed attitude of people to video games. If 30 years ago people around him said that he was wasting his time, now many people want to develop games themselves.

That is why, in the pursuit of money, it is important not to forget about the main essence of all games — gameplay.