During that time, I'd walk E3 with the script and development doc for Getting Up in hand. I'd show it to whoever had a card at any publisher. I had no idea how the industry worked — I mean, who takes random meetings at E3? Maybe some were charmed by my passion, probably more laughed at my naivety, eventually met up with Bruno Bonnell at Atari. He got that I wanted to be disruptive, do something indie…and he gave me the shot. Love it or hate it… if it's me, Vin Diesel, whoever…I got to make a game as an outsider. Not by buying my way in, but by kicking my way in and by finding someone willing to see the vision.
What were expectations for the game sales wise? Have they been met, or do you not see the game making it where you wanted it? Will your next effort be something else or a relative of Getting Up, and how important will the numbers be when it comes to making that call? Is it even a game world you'd even want to revisit?
Marc Ecko replies: Too early to tell if the game has met expectations sales wise. But the measure for success in this game will not merely be sales. It will be awareness and nurturing the expectations of those who have played it and want for more. We are at the end of a console cycle, and I think I did what I set out to do… make noise, build a strong foundation for a franchise, and do it in a culturally relevant way that creates real dialogue and debate that lasts well beyond the shelf life of the product.
I think Getting Up is great and I love working in this space. I love the medium. It's the Wild West of entertainment. I don't do things for vanity. I want to make kickass games, and at the same time I'm in business to do business. Anyone who claims otherwise doesn't know me from a can of paint. I want to make epic games that sell.
My next efforts in the space will be broad; plans are already in motion. Getting Up was only the beginning! I am in love with notion of episodic content. I love my PSP. And I'm geeking out on World of Warcraft. That's a fucking phenomenon, a game that underlines the consumer's frustrations with console gaming. 6 million users!? And look at what is happening in the MMO communities in Korea, there are games with over 15 million players. The U.S. is going to catch up with that, and it is going to be insane. I have to be a part of it.
Article comments
1 - Deano
Nice interview Matt!
I would agree that the hard-core gamers are fussy or pissy (whatever term you want to use) but I would argue that given the propensity of the game industry to over-hype, over-promise and then ship buggy, below-standard products out, gamers generally have a reason to be pissy. Far too often they've been sold products that, due to the publisher's need to ship or to hit the stores for Christmas, that are poor quality, untested and crash frequently.
Given the reviews I've read, it does'nt sound like Urkel's (sorry, Ecko's) game is buggy or problematic. My guess is that the negative reaction is a knee-jerk response to a). yet another "name" pushing a game onto the market and b). his comments which probably got a small number of hard-core gamers backs' up...who then just couldn't resist trying to spin up some trash talk in response.
2 - whatever
who is mark ecko?
never heard of him.
3 - Victor Plenty
I don't know why gamers hate Marc Ecko's Getting Up, but I have seen some fairly strong evidence that many gamers do in fact hate the game rather intensely.
4 - Eric Olsen
very nice, thanks Matt!
5 - justin
well i live in OZ, (it may as well be a mythical place the damn country is run by a dwarf....) and as soon as this game was anounced in under a week it was banned, i mean if we are going to get in to the whole 'games are evil' thing take this in to retrospect, PACMAN.... ahem (if we are going to get critical here.....) pac man is about a guy/thing that is chased by the fears and taughnts of the world (ghosts) so he turns to a life of drugs to help him cope (pac pills) he eats the pack pills and sudeenly all his problems aren't what they were before, and then as with most drug trips he gets the munchies and eats the ghosts and various other fruit and such around the level..... i'm sorry but that sounds all to much like a good friday night, and how old is that game.... mid 60's i think, and when was the hieght of drugs and so forth... mid 60's i think, hmm there is a pattern there, what i'm saying is i fix computers for a living, and as i by product i love playing games, and after having to aquire this game thru illegal means, (cos its the only way i can get it...) i have to say after seeing a preveiw video of getting up and then playing the game for about an hour or two i have to say this game is not urban and it is not just another gta, and it is not 'dumb' as most of the games are leaning towards ( and by dumb i mean you have to think about certain things that you have never thought of while playing a game before) this game is quite simply put one of the best games i have ever played and if the ban gets lifted i will go out and buy 2 copies because it is that good the gameplay is fresh and instinctive, the levels are very well planned the story and the voice acting is top notch ( take note hollywood) and the graphics are great considering the time at which the engine was started, ( if they get updated with the latest tech you will have a game to surpass all others) i belive that if this is the direction that games are going i will egarly await the next installment by mr marc ecko, yes he has a clothing label and shoes and from what i read a magazine, and god knows what else but he is on a good thing with the games mark, fresha dn innovative 20 out of 10, its about damn time
6 - aaron
that game waz bad these haters wish they can make a game like that!!