They just don't make 'em like they used to. At least, that's according to Eidos Montreal founder (and former general manager) Stephane D'Astous, who recently chatted with Thunderpick about the way the direction of the games industry—and the people setting that direction—have changed in the past 15 years.
"The big players 15 years ago are not necessarily big players [now]," said D'Astoud. "There’s new players. 15 years ago Tencent existed but it wasn’t the 800-pound gorilla it is today… If you look at the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia that has unlimited resources buying up EA, 15 years ago who would have said that EA was on the chopping block to be bought?"
The scale of the companies involved in gaming in 2026—and the size of their pocketbooks—means the vibe has shifted decisively. "The people with the money and the decision power are much fewer, and their pockets are much deeper… they don’t have the same DNA of the decision maker 15 years ago; it’s much more Excel than passion-driven."
Which might sound a little rosey-hued—it's not like there was a time where videogame develop...
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