At Digital Dragons 2023 in Krakow, indie developers talked about the pressure to create prototypes to attract publisher support. Tom Francis from Suspicious Developments explained that these prototypes are crucial proof of concept. With publishers like 11 Bit and Bloober Team wanting playable builds upfront, smaller studios feel the heat to deliver quickly.
Hubert Popławski from Maverick Souls shared how they built a prototype for Before Darkness Falls in six months, showing that a skilled team can help secure funding. However, rising costs are making publishers cautious, often favoring established developers. While generative AI tools are popping up as potential shortcuts, many developers worry about relying too much on them. Do you think AI should play a role in game development, or should it stay human-focused?