Meier: Games trade "challenged" by "embarrassment of riches"

The breadth of opportunity afforded to the games industry by a string of new technologies is causing "uncertainty" about the value of games, Sid Meier's told IndustryGamers.

Games makers are facing "embarrassment of riches," the Civ legend said, adding, "We have all these opportunities and we’re just trying to figure out how to make them all fit together."

The current scope of potential platforms is providing a "challenge," Meier said.

"It’s with the whole financial structure. You have these AAA titles over here, then you have iPhone games selling for 99 cents. We’re at a time when it’s hard to put a comfortable number on what is something worth. I think that creates a little uncertainty in the players. Should I be able to play for free? What can I get for 99 cents? What about this AAA title?

"And I think, if anything, there’s a real uncertainty about what the real values of games are and I think that that’s related to the fact that the industry’s growing faster than we can become comfortable with the new technologies and what they can do and what the costs are of making them and things like that."

Good interview, that. Give it a waz.