In continuation of our discussions regarding John Gibson and his insights about gaming’s “underrepresented majority”and the drawbacks of remote work, we are excited to share the full transcript of our extensive, over 60-minute conversation. This exchange has been carefully edited and condensed to prioritize clarity and conciseness.
John Gibson is not only a gaming veteran with over 25 years of experience; he is also the co-founder of Tripwire Interactive (from which he stepped down in September 2021).With several successful game titles under his belt, he now leads Templar Media. In his new role, Gibson has been vocal in critiquing what he deems a “monolithic political block”within modern game development, advocating for a revival of the “Entertainment First” ethos that defined the gaming landscape in the 80s and 90s.
Throughout the transcript, Gibson openly addresses the phenomenon he describes as the “video game apocalypse, ” characterized by widespread layoffs and project delays. He discusses current development challenges, particularly concerning their Bible-based adventure game, Gate Zero—a recent acquisition from developer Bible X. Additionally, he shares his pragmatic views on integrating AI in game development.
In This Interview:
- From Tripwire to Templar Media: A Shift to “Entertainment First”
- Gate Zero: Addressing the Vast Underserved Faith-Based Market
- Kickstarter Success: Evidence of Gate Zero’s Popularity
- The “Video Game Apocalypse”: Remote Work and Salary Inflation
- Gameplay Influences: Blending Assassin’s Creed with Narrative Choice
- Smartphone Co-Play: Transforming Single-Player Gaming into a Social Experience
- The AI Discussion: Enhancing Creativity While Maintaining Integrity
From Tripwire to Templar Media: A Shift to “Entertainment First”
John, for readers unfamiliar with your transition, can you explain your journey from heading Tripwire Interactive to founding Templar Media?
John Gibson: Absolutely. I was the co-founder and CEO of Tripwire Interactive, but I established Templar Media earlier this year after stepping away from Tripwire. My return to gaming was motivated by a desire to refocus on creating player-centric content. The industry has shifted toward developing narratives that may emphasize a particular message rather than prioritizing the delight of players. This shift is what inspired our “Entertainment First” motto. Our mission is simply to craft enjoyable content, steering clear of any obligatory agendas. Players can easily identify when entertainment is not genuinely entertaining.
We plan to cater to a largely neglected mainstream audience. While creators in the entertainment industry often reflect a homogenous political viewpoint, the audience is not uniform. There is a substantial underrepresented majority that seeks entertainment devoid of a heavy-handed agenda. In my youth, films like Star Wars and Indiana Jones prioritized entertainment, not ideological messages. This focus appears to have diminished in contemporary media—evidenced recently in titles like the new Dragon Age, where narratives dive into personal pronouns. We create entertainment to escape everyday political discourse and simply have fun. Our initial offering may be faith-themed, but we aim to provide valuable content to those who appreciate good storytelling without the prevailing modern agendas.
Gate Zero: Addressing the Vast Underserved Faith-Based Market
John Gibson: Our inaugural game invites players to immerse themselves in biblical tales. We recognize the prominence of faith-based content in the entertainment sector today, paralleling the cinematic success of shows like The Chosen and films such as Jesus Revolution. These narratives form the backbone of Western storytelling traditions, offering compelling narratives for any audience. Our aim is straightforward: to create engaging content while not shying away from exploring faith-based themes.
What spurred your collaboration with the Norwegian studio Bible X? Did you believe in this project right from the start?
John Gibson: My initial contact with Bible X began a couple of years ago when their promotional content for Gate Zero caught my attention on social media. My early expectations for faith-centered entertainment were low. Yet, their project kept appearing, prompting me to connect. Despite my retirement, I found the project intriguing. I offered to advise the team to enhance their game.
Upon playing their early development, I was impressed by their narrative prowess and artistic vision, although there were areas needing refinement for enjoyable gameplay. With BCC Media’s background across multiple media platforms, including film and animation, coupled with their experience in Unreal Engine technology, I sensed an opportunity to apply my extensive game design experience collaboratively.
When founding Templar Media, identifying promising titles became my focus. Beyond assessing the game’s inherent quality, I also considered key success indicators. Social media engagement served as a significant marker; while my previous company amassed around 40, 000 followers over 17 years, Gate Zero boasted 500, 000 followers quickly, revealing substantial public interest.
Kickstarter Success: Evidence of Gate Zero’s Popularity
John Gibson: Analyzing Kickstarter funding was another essential factor in our decision-making process. While funding levels generally fall short of covering full production costs, they provide insights into audience interest. Most campaigns achieve meager funds of approximately $2, 800 to $3, 000, but Bible X aimed higher. Their initial goal was set at €30, 000, which they quickly deemed insufficient. Instead, they aimed for €200, 000, reaching that milestone in under three days and ultimately securing €300, 000 by the campaign’s conclusion. The traction they gained substantiates a considerable demand for this type of entertainment.
This successful Kickstarter campaign solidified my decision to partner with the game’s development. Observing the ongoing progress has been encouraging. Drawing from my experiences with titles like Killing Floor, which later sold millions, I find even more promising indicators with Gate Zero, suggesting it is poised to create a significant impact.
The “Video Game Apocalypse”: Remote Work and Salary Inflation
What is your assessment of the gaming industry’s current state, especially in light of widespread layoffs affecting companies across the spectrum in recent years?
John Gibson: The industry has experienced what I would call a “video game apocalypse, ”particularly through 2023 and 2024. Following the pandemic’s boom, many games are suffering from inadequate quality and extended development timelines. For example, the recent sequel to Killing Floor 2 took five years to produce. A contributing factor to these delays is the advanced reliance on remote work environments. While working from home presents various perks, it often hampers efficiency and creativity. Some of the best ideas I’ve witnessed emerged from spontaneous discussions. The core team for our project is relocating to our Georgia office, fostering an environment conducive to rapid iteration and collaboration for a more enjoyable player experience.
Another hurdle has been the inflated salary structures observed during the pandemic. Many businesses capitalized on their short-term profits to overpay staff, creating a bubble that ultimately led to mass layoffs as market conditions shifted. Presently, there’s a necessary recalibration regarding salary expectations towards sustainable figures.
We are also focused on budgeting with foresight. An example arises from a previous dialogue with my lead producer regarding a hypothetical budget of $100 million, which prompted me to question how we could justify such spending on a single game. Companies facing bankruptcy commonly exceed their budget and lose sight of their core objectives. Pragmatism and market alignment are essential in this landscape.
Fortnite greatly influences the industry landscape, overshadowing many titles. Competing with it requires offering unique gaming experiences. Reflecting on my experience with Killing Floor, which launched as Left 4 Dead gained traction, we faced skepticism about market capacity. However, our unique approach garnered six million sales. The gaming market has significantly broadened; when I first established our agreement with Steam in 2005, its monthly user base was around 3 to 5 million. It now boasts approximately 180 million users. Each game’s sales figures have evolved—where once a million units marked inexplicable success, now figures between 30 and 50 million indicate success. A single-player experience like Gate Zero is wholly viable within this expanded market.
How large is your development team for Gate Zero?
John Gibson: The Gate Zero team, counting contractors and developers, comprises approximately 25 individuals, along with about 10 from Templar, leading to a total of 30 to 35 collaborators. Though we do not possess a GTA budget, we are positioned to compete against AAA titles with a starting budget exceeding $10 million. It’s pertinent to approach our inaugural game with caution while maintaining the intention to scale resources for future releases upon achieving success. The progression is reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings films—enhancing quality through increased investment as each installment meets audience approval.
During my tenure as CEO at Tripwire, I contributed to 15 distinct games—each turned a profitable venture. A key takeaway from that success involves aligning budgets appropriately with the right title. I impressed upon our team the necessity of achieving excellence, which required a commitment to expanding their original budget.
Can you provide insight into Gate Zero’s pricing and expected launch timeline?
John Gibson: While it’s premature to disclose precise pricing, we aim for a more accessible price point than typical AAA titles. While it will not rival an $80 release or a new Switch game, it will not fall to the level of a $19 title either.We are over halfway through our development; while the game will not launch immediately, we anticipate a reasonable timeline rather than a two-year wait.
Gameplay Influences: Blending Assassin’s Creed with Narrative Choice
Gate Zero has drawn comparisons to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise. How would you summarize its gameplay style and the major titles that have influenced its design?
John Gibson: Although parallels exist, I would articulate our gameplay as a harmonious blend of Assassin’s Creed, modern entries in Zelda, and Shadow of Mordor. The connections to Assassin’s Creed are intuitive, thanks to our time travel mechanic that allows players to explore ancient history. Notably, we have several former team members from the Assassin’s Creed series who contribute valuable experience in our development process. The gameplay features stealth mechanics, action-elements, exploration, and puzzle-solving, forming a distinctive amalgamation of genres accompanied by a deep narrative and branching decision paths.
I am passionate about storytelling and highly value games like Mass Effect and Detroit: Become Human, where player choices hold significant weight. In Gate Zero, the protagonist, Max, is a 15-year-old who finds himself in 30 AD via a time machine during pivotal historical events. His journey explores moral dilemmas and decisions that impact dialogues and character alliances, encouraging rich player agency.
Considering your target audience for faith-based entertainment, what can players expect in terms of action and potential violence within the game?
John Gibson: We prefer to hold off on detailed discussions about the action until early next year, as we believe we have compelling elements that could surprise players. There is indeed engaging action in Gate Zero; it is neither a pure “walking simulator”nor limited to puzzles. Additionally, we implement specific rules governing the time travel mechanism to prevent timeline disruptions—Max must navigate his actions carefully, ensuring he does not alter his family’s lineage. These narrative design constraints foster creative gameplay solutions, akin to the hurdles faced in making the shark dynamics interesting in Maneater, as our setting in 30 AD is far removed from the high-conflict era exemplified by figures like Samson or David.
Smartphone Co-Play: Transforming Single-Player Gaming into a Social Experience
John Gibson: Typically, single-player gaming can disengage friends who may resort to their phones out of boredom. Our co-play feature adds an engaging, communal layer—friends can participate by playing mini-games on their devices, aiding the main player and enhancing the overall experience. This feature supports group sizes reaching up to 10 players. A unique opportunity for youth groups arises from the faith-based nature of the content, offering a shared experience that encourages collective participation.
The AI Discussion: Enhancing Creativity While Maintaining Integrity
Finally, let’s address the growing discourse surrounding AI use in the gaming industry. Some developers have encountered backlash from fans due to transparency regarding their AI implementation. What is your perspective on this matter?
John Gibson: When utilized correctly, AI should be viewed as a tool that enhances human creativity rather than substitutes it. In the case of Gate Zero, our concept artists will sketch initial ideas and then employ AI to generate multiple variations, expediting the development process. This tool assists in mitigating rising development costs. However, the notion of having an AI create entire games is still far from maturity.
Looking back to the 1990s, developers manually crafted their game engines. The availability of licensable engines later allowed smaller teams to develop competitive games. Similarly, AI can empower smaller teams to gain an advantage. Nonetheless, the rapid evolution of AI poses challenges that may outpace current governmental frameworks. The intersection of AI, robotics, and advanced computing may herald significant societal shifts—though likely not as extreme as a scenario depicted in ‘The Terminator’, it could resemble situations akin to ‘I, Robot.’
At Templar Media, our guideline is that AI-generated information cannot be taken at face value as truth. While staff members can employ tools like ChatGPT for direction, they must always verify facts with primary sources. I’ve encountered AI inaccuracies firsthand, such as its misleading history regarding the production numbers of a rare vehicle. It is vital to remember that AI is a valuable tool but should not be mistaken for infallibility.
Definitely. Thank you for your time.
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