LAS VEGAS -- If attendees of the DICE summit want to learn how to create characters that last, they should look no further than Mickey Mouse, says Namco Bandai's Roger Hector.
The secret to character longevity is to steadily increase a character's equity, a concept the industry veteran learned during his tenure at Disney. "All characters have equity," he explained. "Equity is something that builds up with time through the association of that character with high-quality entertainment."
The more high-quality entertainment the character appears in, the more popular they become and the more equity they have. Mickey Mouse, one of the longest-enduring and most recognizable characters in the world, is an excellent example of character equity, said Hector.
To illustrate that concept in a videogame setting, Hector used Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, who just five years after his debut had "established equal levels of popularity [as Mickey Mouse] in Europe, North American and Japan," and had also "sharply outscored mickey in Q-score popularity rankings."
"The thoughtful process of managing a character's equity can be instrumental in maintaining the character's longevity," he said.
Sonic was created when Sega's CEO issued a challenge to his development teams to create a mascot for the company, a challenge that Hector suggested that members of the audience might consider issuing to their own staffs.
Today's characters are being inspired by sources outside our borders, such as anime and manga, said Hector. Game development and characters are also feeling the influence of more and more designers with "Hollywood" backgrounds who are getting involved with gaming.
However the technology and trends may change, at the end of the day, making great characters is "not really about production values," it's about craftsmanship and passion, said Hector.
The goal is to come up with new and engaging ideas that are fun to play with. "We all want our characters to tell great stories," he said.
