Meghan Morgan Juinio, a former product development director at Santa Monica Studio – the team known for the God of War games – believes that large game companies should also invest in smaller, less expensive projects.
During an interview with Game Developer at Gamescom Asia, Morgan Juinio suggested that studios could find success by focusing on smaller, more innovative games instead of big-budget projects.
She believes this because games like Split Fiction, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Hollow Knight: Silksong have all been incredibly successful, selling millions of copies.
Meanwhile, major titles like EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: Veilguard failed to make it big.
I’ve been noticing a trend lately – a lot of the smaller, indie games are really connecting with players. It seems like people are actually preferring games that weren’t made with huge teams and years of development. Morgan Juinio thinks that’s exactly what’s happening – we’re drawn to those more focused, less sprawling experiences.
She also thinks players are drawn to these games instead of more expensive ones because they offer fresh and exciting new ideas.
As a huge fan, I really loved hearing Morgan Juinio talk about what makes a great game. She basically said they’re focused on making games that are genuinely *fun*. It doesn’t matter how amazing a game looks if it isn’t engaging and doesn’t grab you – it just won’t connect with players, and she’s so right!
She advises large publishing companies that to prevent repeated layoffs, studio shutdowns, and project cancellations, they need to expand into different areas.
There’s Still a Potential for a Really Large Payoff for AAA Games
Even so, Morgan Juinio doesn’t completely rule out AAA games. She believes that a successful major game release can still be incredibly rewarding.
However, if studios keep focusing most of their money on the same types of games and don’t invest in more original ideas, they won’t be able to solve the problems the gaming industry is currently facing.
For example, 2025 alone saw the rising number of layoffs across several gaming studios.
Recently, Microsoft made headlines by laying off thousands of workers. Similarly, game developer Funcom also reduced its staff, even after the promising start of their new game, Dune: Awakening.
And we’re not even talking about the long list of canceled AAA games from major studios.
Big-budget AAA games are still thriving, as shown by the popularity of titles like Battlefield 6 and Ghost of Yotei. But the gaming industry is changing, and many experts think major companies should explore new types of games and projects to stay successful.
Morgan Juinio believes that developers and creators naturally push back against negativity. “We won’t accept a bleak future,” she explains. She’s confident in the power of creativity and innovation within the gaming industry, and believes that strong demand for quality games will remain even if the industry undergoes major changes.
Even with recent layoffs, rising game prices, and disappointing sales, Morgan Juinio remains optimistic about the future of the gaming industry.
As long as creativity and innovation exist, the demand for great games will always be out there.
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2025-10-18 11:36