The new software gaming company Digital Anvil announced an equity agreement with Microsoft on Wednesday, a major coup for its plan to create cinematic games with cross-media potential. Though the gaming market is becoming increasingly cluttered, Digital Anvil has more than just Microsoft's pocketbook to ensure a competitive edge: The company has assembled an unusual powerhouse team of gaming and filmmaking stars to formulate a new content-developing strategy.
Formed by former Origin VP Chris Roberts, who is renowned for creating the smash hit Wing Commander, Digital Anvil has siphoned off some of the gaming industry's top talent to work on PC and online-based action games. Award-winning creative talents include Erin Roberts, associate producer of Strike Commander; Tony Zurovec, creator of the Crusader series; and John Miles, whose audio work and technology is a staple of half the industry's games. Each of the creative forces leading the company, many of whom formerly worked at Origin with Roberts, has more than six years' experience and a hit under their belt.
A more unusual addition to the team is Robert Rodriguez, the indie film producer and director famous for creating the hit El Mariachi on a US$7,000 budget, as well as directing Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn. The addition of a name filmmaker on the staff is part of a thrust by Digital Anvil to create movielike gaming experiences - as well as attempting to turn the games into movies themselves.
"[It's important to] incorporate live action and storytelling techniques into games. Rather than just getting the high score, the action actually brings context to the story," says Chris Roberts. "We want to create worlds so intense that you spend 30 hours in them at a time ... and then take our worlds across into other media, books and TV. That's where Robert comes in."
Digital Anvil plans to release only three or four titles a year, and will produce games on both PC and online platforms. The first title in a line of "action-strategy 3-D stories with a multiplayer aspect" will be released in fall '98, and under the agreement with Microsoft, will be distributed and marketed by Gates' team.
"I've been a fan of Chris's work forever - he was the first to come up with real storylines and characters in games, with Wing Commander, and do it right," says Ed Fries, general manager of Microsoft's Game Group. "The idea of a game having a storyline and real characters is something we need if we're going to compete with other media, TV and movies."
Still, despite the assemblage of industry top-dogs and Microsoft backing, Digital Anvil could well turn into yet another nondescript boutique house. "They're one more player in an industry that is absolutely swamped," says Jupiter analyst Sreema Chowdhury. "But they've got some great talent and leftover glow from previous successes. They realize that the game industry is like the entertainment industry: It's hit driven. You just need one title to top the charts."
