PlayerUnknown, the creator of the popular game sharing his moniker ( PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds ), is a literal rags to riches type . He was living in Ireland on welfare payments while trying to create video games. It was only after his Arma 2 mod caught on and led to the official Sony title H1Z1 that things started to pick up for Brendan Greene. He partnered up with the Korean game development company Bluehole and created the record breaking game we all know and love. Now all kinds of companies are falling all over each other in order to get in on the money-making machine that PUBG turned out to be.
It’s just proof that you really can’t discount the little guy. Don’t look away from the “down-on-his-luck” creator. They might have ideas about the next big hit, and you just have to take the time to listen. The video game industry is largely about AAA developers and their games. I mean, we all want the next The Elder Scrolls game or another awesome iteration to the Star Wars universe. But we also want new IPs; we want fresh ideas. A lot of times, these come from the most unlikely places. That’s exactly what continues to drive video games forward, those starving artist types who just need someone to take a chance on them.
It can be incredibly hard to find them, and the road for the creators themselves is often long and hard. Another great example of this, besides PlayerUnknown, is the creator of the 1930’s style Cuphead . The StudioMDHR founders did insane things like remortgaging their houses and quitting their bill paying jobs. They took a chance, and the product they released is dazzling gamers left and right. That never would have happened if they hadn’t believed in their dream.
Those who can create and share an idea for a game that is concise, exciting, and new have all the chances in the world to become a hit. They just have to have faith in themselves and their dream, and of course not get overly full of themselves. The latter is extremely crucial, because you can have a great idea, get too ambitious, and ruin a good thing. It’s like when you’re working on a painting or a drawing and you add one more thing. You hate it immediately, but you can’t really take it back. There’s no undo button in reality.
If people like Brendan Greene (PlayerUnknown), and the brothers over at StudioMDHR can make their dreams come true, so can anyone else. The video game industry isn’t entirely about the big dogs. The large developers and publishers are always going to be a sure bet for anyone looking to join the industry as a follower. But for creators who have fantastic ideas, they need to take a chance and seek smaller outlets. If your idea is fresh and thrilling enough, it will catch on.
Gamers love the tried and true titles like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption , but there’s always going to be room for the little guy. Don’t ignore small projects just because you’ve never heard of them. Dig deeper, give the game a try, and talk to friends who already have. You really just never know who’s going to come out on top, as the next PlayerUnknown. There are many PUBG and Cuphead s out there. The visionaries behind them just need a little signal boost.