Five Questions with George Bray, International Partnership Management

BY: NICK IANNITTI  |  Five Questions

Not just anyone gets to have their picture taken next to Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris.  As far as I understand, it involves a secret handshake, a minimum score of at least 500,000 on the definitive Gameboy version, and having been in the gaming industry since at least the 1980’s.

George Bray, the newest member of our business development team (pictured at left of the gaming legend) not only fits these rigorous standards, but flies beyond them, with a wealth of experience in the game industry, and a self-proclaimed “unhealthy knowledge” of video gaming.

Apart from bringing some more much-needed British class to Fuel’s team, George brings his decades of knowledge to our company, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him representing our  ideas and properties internationally.  While, as of next week, he’ll be working out of Doncaster, England, I sat down with George on his visit to our Ottawa studio.

1. You’ve been working in the gaming industry for 20 years. What’s it been like seeing it go from Mega Man to Master Chief, from Super Mario to SackBoy, all on your shift?

My first thought is that it’s been very inspiring. I feel I’ve been part of not only a true revolution but an evolution of video gaming, as the latter will never happen again. We’re part of that history, so I see it as quite an honour. It’s also great to see that, in the present day where we’re no longer restricted by hardware to realise new game ideas and concepts, it’s all about being innovative and creative. I feel we’ve reached such a great peak in the cycle that there are no limits now and so we can experiment with many unique game concepts.

For all entertainment fields, natural progression is inevitable, but innovation is key. For most of the developers and publishers that have stood the test of time, this has been key to their success and longevity.  Ongoing, I’d like to think that most new developers want to create bigger and better experiences than their predecessors, an ethos which I thoroughly subscribe to. So whilst there’ve been some fantastic games over the years, the future for video gaming is bright. Oh, and I haven’t finished my shift by a long stretch–I’m not even half way into it!

2. In your opinion, what makes a game, particularly a new IP, an attractive product for both a publisher and the gaming audience?

I feel that again the key is to be truly creative with a new or existing game mechanic, something that can raise the bar in those areas, brings a whole new experience to the table and is plush with USPs is some of the key ingredients to get most people’s attention.

To that point, and to answer the question, people naturally start to get bored of whatever games they play, or if they play one particular title/genre for too long, so the consumer is continually & subconsciously looking for new or fresh ways to be entertained. We need to broaden the game play experience as much as we can! For a publisher, they should see this as an opportunity not only to invigorate their current audiences but to widen the scope on who plays their titles, unlocking new markets & their audiences. Working on a prominent IP is one thing, but building a new one from the ground up is a great challenge and brings much more rewards both personally and commercially, which is key.

3. You’ve joined the Fuel team to help our upcoming Fuel Games properties reach international audiences. What are some of the biggest challenges in communicating a new game idea to potential partners, not to mention across cultural lines?

Cross culture lines are not as big of a problem as you might think, most of the best video games have global themes or “neutral” themes, and we’re creative enough to do this.

Overall, this is a tough one, especially at publisher level -  even once you get into the doors of a publisher and you’ve convinced that particular team during your first meeting that you actually do have an amazing product here, this is just round one of many; you need the support from all the other divisions, from marketing to sales, right up to the whole upper management team. So the biggest challenge is communicating the potential you’re presenting them, as so many partners either want your work once it’s been established, or after some one else has run with you & ultimately reaped the rewards.

My advice to any developer promoting a game concept is to give all departments as much ammunition as you can, so they can cohesively pitch internally to understand your concepts & ideas. Some publishers shy away from new IP, and some will not buy in on just an idea.  The most common tool to get an instant feel is playable code, whether this be a prototype or demo - The benefits to the publisher on that thread are that they will have some control over the product and can actually see a vertical slice of your vision, so they kind of know what to expect for their investment.

You need total belief and persistence too.

4. Throughout your career, you’ve been a vocal proponent of ‘gaming as art and culture’. What was the first video game you remember playing that really drew you in and opened your eyes to the concept of gaming as an art form?

Hmmm…The first was a piece of software on the Vic-20 called Psychedelia which was a light/music synthesiser, where you created a crude lightshow to any music, it made me realise that games were not just about shooting aliens, it also made me think much deeper into the aspects of games design and creation.

Far too many developers & teams are systematic or unoriginal in their approach, and dare I say it linear, whereas videogame design & development is a truly evolving process, where you should actively encourage self-expression mixed with a pragmatic approach. We are creating immersive, escapist, brave new (and playable) worlds for the masses! The exciting side to this is that services such as XBLA, PSN and WiiWare are fertile ground for some amazing artsy and abstract video games.

The most recent games which I’d consider a real art(form) include Katamari Damacy, Rhythm Tengoku, Shadow of the Colossus, Paper Mario, Loco Roco, Electro Plankton, Fl0w, Wario Ware, Patapon and Rez. If anyone wants to research which current video game designers are creating a true artform video game experience, check out the likes of Keita Takahashi, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Keiichi Yano, Masaya Matsuura, Shigeru Miyamoto plus teams such as nanaon-sha, Intelligent Systems Co. and Mindware Corp.  Artform aside, playability is pertinent.

5. What is the one thing you wish Canadians could learn from the British?

Like most countries, you still can’t offer an Englishman a proper cup of tea! Hundreds of years later, and it’s still about the tea…

Arigato!