“Continuing the Trend: Fallout Co-Creator Speaks Out on Violence in Video Games”
“This is the reason I encourage individuals to spend their money wisely.”
As Amazon’s remarkable television series adaptation of Fallout commences the filming of its second season, Fallout co-creator Tim Cain elaborated on his perspective regarding why he believes that violence is a compelling factor in AAA video games, particularly in role-playing games (RPGs).
In a recent year, Cain shared a video on YouTube discussing “why so many AAA RPGs assume and often necessitate combat from players,” while exploring “whether games consider [violence] as the standard approach.”
Recognizing he has faced “resistance regarding similar responses previously,” Cain distilled his insights with: “The summary is that companies develop games – and, more broadly, products – that consumers will purchase. That’s simply the way it is.”
“It implies that games which achieve the highest sales – and I’m not just referring to critically acclaimed titles, but those that truly sell – will influence the direction of future game development.
“This is clear. If you own a business aiming to make a profit, and one game genre sells millions while another only reaches a hundred thousand, which option are you likely to pursue if both require the same investment of time and resources? This is why I urge people to vote with their spending,” he continued.
And those who choose to vote with their finances should not be merely considered a “minor influence,” Cain asserted. If enough people adopt this mindset, “those minor influences can create significant change, and companies will pay attention.”
“Action genres tend to perform exceptionally well in sales, meaning action RPGs generally outsell traditional RPGs, even though both contain violent elements,” he remarked. “It’s also simpler to promote these types of games. When you view a trailer and witness characters engaging in activities – jumping, climbing, shooting, punching – it evokes a sense of excitement: ‘Wow! Look at all the possibilities in that game’ […] It’s more challenging to depict other aspects.
“How do we convey that this game possesses an engaging story? How can we illustrate that it has exceptional dialogue? How do you achieve that in a trailer that is limited to just 15 to 30 seconds?