On his first visit to India since taking on the role as President of Technicolor Games, Andy Emery took the time to reflect on the busy week, offer some perspective on the Gaming industry and share insight into what the future of Technicolor Games looks like.
What has been the best part of your visit to India and meeting the Technicolor Games team?
It’s been absolutely fantastic to meet the team, see all the work that I hadn’t yet seen, learn about the processes and get an insight into how the teams are working together.
What are your key takeaways from the time spent in the Bangalore studio?
I was impressed by how onboard the team was with the strategy I wish to implement. The first thing you always have to do whenever you start a new role is understand the team’s vision, so it was fantastic to see how aligned we are and how we know and understand what needs to be done to reach our future goals. The variety of projects and content will excite the team and I am confident it will contribute greatly to our continued success.
What excites you most about the Gaming industry’s future and Technicolor Games role in it?
Over the past 20 years, I have found the video game industry to be one of the most exciting in the way it has evolved. When I first started working in the video games business, people were rather dismissive and didn’t quite get it. Today, we work in a sector that leads in so many ways. For one, financially it is now worth more than the film and music business combined, which is a remarkable achievement.
I am always amazed by how the industry continues to push the boundaries with technology, in particular the evolution of not only the quality of photorealistic characters, but the variety as well. Games used to be more pigeonholed in their content, but now we see such a broad expanse of unique storytelling and objectives that appeal to a much wider set of demographics. From intriguing independent games to hardcore horror and deep-narrative story driven titles, it’s exciting and it is maturing.
Another factor that excites me is that other media types are now adopting games techniques. For instance, the use of the Unreal Engine 5 in film and the experiential in VR games. It is most definitely a great time to be working in the Games business.
What’s your favourite game title and why?
“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” has to be up there as one of my favourites, not only for its highly-acclaimed critical reception but because it’s a project I worked on personally. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, it is a narrative-driven game which involved over 150 actors participating in the production. We directed, produced and recorded almost half a million words of dialogue, culminating in the project winning several awards. People loved the characters, the way they spoke and the interaction between them. Unsurprisingly, this is a piece of work that I am extremely proud of.
How do you feel about virtual reality in games and immersive tactics that may redefine gaming?
VR has been around for a long time and has had an interesting evolution. As someone who has worked in the industry for many years, I remember the early clunky and heavy-anchored headsets. Now VR has evolved and headsets are widely available and highly mobile. I do however believe that the use of augmented reality will play a greater role in shaping how we interact in a virtual environment. While it is likely that many people will still be interested in VR, I believe its enclosed and immersive nature may be too challenging for widespread adoption. Whereas AR has the potential to enhance everyday interactions in casual gaming, and we have only scratched the surface of what will be possible.
The metaverse has been another big talking point within the industry and has been the subject of much debate. Undeniably though, it has been an integral part of gaming for some time now with the likes of Minecraft and Fortnight as the flagship projects.
Finally, what excites you the most about being a part of the Creative and Game industry?
Simply put, the people I have met and been fortunate enough to work with have been the most critical element as to why I have enjoyed this business for so long. As a relatively new industry, gaming has a sense of honesty and fun that is so refreshing. As much as seeing our hard efforts pay off in the end product is always rewarding, I have really enjoyed the interactions with clients and colleagues over my career.
