Saber Interactive's Creative Director on the Huge Budgets of AAA Games: Space Marine 2 Will Be Successful Without Selling 4 Million Copies, Many Other Games — Not So Much
Many developers of modern AAA games overestimate themselves and, instead of focusing on the "core" of the project, attempt to cram as many innovations as possible into the game. This sentiment was shared by Saber Interactive's creative director Tim Willits in an interview with IGN.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
He believes that as a result, companies "overload" games and forget what truly makes them engaging.
In contrast, Willits notes that Saber Interactive focuses on the experience their games evoke during gameplay. For instance, in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, the main goal was to ensure that players truly feel like powerful Space Marines. Although the title includes unique features like massive swarms of enemies, most of the game mechanics are not revolutionary—Saber Interactive simply aimed to implement them "really well."
Willits claims that such an approach helps keep game development costs reasonable. Recall that according to the manager, the budget for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was half that of DOOM Eternal. At the same time, budgets for many AAA games from other companies are reaching astronomical figures, making it extremely difficult for their creators to recoup costs.
"For Space Marine 2 to be successful, we don't need to sell 4 million copies. Unfortunately, there are quite a few games, especially those made in North America, for which failing to sell 5 million copies would be considered a failure. What kind of business is it if selling less than 5 million copies is deemed a failure?" stated Willits.
Willits did not disclose the current sales figures for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. The most recent official data showed 2 million copies sold. The game achieved this milestone on the day after its release. Previously, Willits mentioned he hoped to eventually see the title's sales reach 25 million copies.
