Morin:Games Dumbed Down Because We Want To Make Money

In a lengthy interview with EDGE, Ubisoft‘s Creative Director for Watch Dogs Jonathan Morin released a surprisingly frank statement on why many games are dumbed down nowadays.

I feel like games are dumbed down because we want to make money, and sometimes we underestimate what players can do. I hope Watch Dogs can show everyone that it’s possible to do online games without being intimidated by a lobby, that it’s possible to see another player without being scared it’s going to be a 12-year-old shouting a bunch of insults, and that it’s possible to make a game where you can test the systems and push at the edges without feeling like you’re working. I hope it can do all that, and if it could be a game that helps players have a bigger conversation about our relationship with technology, that would be awesome too.

We certainly don’t read similar things from mainstream developers often, but I’m sure many of you will agree with the sentiment. It’s nice that the Creative Director of a high profile studio working on AAA games recognizes this, and it brings some hope that the industry can slowly take note and address this issue over the coming years.

Morin also added that he would like Watch Dogs to attract more gamers towards systemic games.

I would love for Watch Dogs to open more players’ eyes to the idea of testing a game and expressing themselves within it, instead of following the ride. I don’t have anything against games that just ask you follow a predefined ride, but I would love for more players to develop a taste [for systemic games].

Personally, I love “sandbox” games as well, even though a “theme park” ride done great can still be extremely fun and engrossing. What do you think about it? Tell us in the comments!