Behind the Scenes of Suicide Squad: A Cautionary Tale for the Gaming Industry
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League hasn’t exactly gone down in history as a hit, either with players or critics. In fact, the turbulence surrounding its development has left two of its key developers contemplating their future in the gaming world. It’s safe to say Rocksteady’s venture into live-service gaming was not just a flop; it resulted in significant losses for Warner Bros. Games, reportedly around $200 (approx. Rs 55,600) million. This misadventure also led to job cuts at Rocksteady and even the cancellation of Monolith’s Wonder Woman project.
However, the chaos didn’t stop there. The game’s lengthy seven-year development cycle was fraught with challenges. Developers Johnny Armstrong and Axel Rydby revealed that as delays piled up, priorities shifted drastically. Instead of focusing primarily on crafting an engaging game, they found themselves chasing features that could potentially offset the financial losses, leading to an overwhelming emphasis on market analysis. Rydby expressed his disillusionment, stating, “I was following a spreadsheet, some elusive marketing-analysis spreadsheet that no one could present clearly. I kind of felt like this isn’t the gaming industry I wanted to work in.”
Armstrong echoed these sentiments, mentioning that the negative reception of the game drained his passion for development. He admitted, “I said, ‘I can’t do this again. I don’t know if I’m done with the industry, but I’m done.’ I could feel myself coming apart at the seams.”
Though both Armstrong and Rydby have moved on from Rocksteady, they’ve not given up on creating games altogether. They are now collaborating on an indie project, a retro deckbuilder RPG called Secret of Circadia, which has managed to secure $1,500 (approx. Rs 417,000) through Kickstarter funding. While that’s a far cry from the budgets of AAA games, they aim to reach their goal of $11,382 to see if they can channel their creativity in a more fulfilling direction.
Going indie has reignited Rydby’s passion for game development, but he has a stark warning for the industry: “I think as an industry we are severely losing our way. It used to be passion projects that you loved and hoped other people loved too. When they did, it was such an amazing feeling. It became less and less of that. It became: ‘Let’s hope it sells. Let’s hope we get money from it.’”
This cautionary tale serves as a reminder for all of us in the gaming community about the importance of prioritizing creativity and passion over mere profit in game development. Let’s hope we see a return to those roots in the future!
Note: PKR figures are approximate, based on a rate of Rs 278.00 per USD. Exchange rates fluctuate — please check the latest dollar rate for exact pricing.