Why Dark Souls Is The 'Ikea' Of Games

In this 2017 GDC talk, producer and consultant Justin Fischer shows you the framework for establishing a competitive advantage like the ones made by Dark Souls and...Ikea?

GDC talks cover a range of developmental topics including game design, programming, audio, visual arts, business management, production, online games, and much more. We post a fresh GDC video every day. Subscribe to the channel to stay on top of regular updates, and check out GDC Vault for thousands of more in-depth talks from our archives.

[toniofalconpunch]

>Bed broke
>Go to IKEA to buy new bed
>Weird fog at bedroom spot
>Cutscene triggers
>TROMSÖ, KEEPER OF DREAMS












Edit: damn that's a lot of likes. Also, spelling.

[Gellus]

Ikea is the Dark Souls of furniture stores

[theTYTAN]

Dark Souls is a game I didn't realize I wanted till I played it.

[joeychipp]

“Passionate fans make viable brands” It’s amazing that this even needs to be said these days.

[noxanneballadynasowacka]

This talk reminds me of why I love Sekiro so much. When Sekiro first came out, I scoffed at it for being so much unlike Dark Souls or Bloodborne. I didn't like the platforming, the invisible walls, the contextual executions; they came across as FromSoft trying to appeal to the normies. I hate to admit it, but I just wanted an eastern-themed Dark Souls with samurais, rather than a whole different game. But something stuck with me after I watched the game on Twitch. I keep thinking about those visceral sword fights and the fast moving protagonist with no stamina bar. I eventually received the game for birthday and was blown away after finishing it, with the final boss taking me three days to beat. In hindsight, I would've hated Sekiro if it were just Dark Souls with (more) katanas. FromSoft gave me an experience I didn't even know I wanted, until I trusted them enough to play their new game. In many ways, Sekiro is my favorite game to date, because it accentuates everything I already loved about the Soulsborne series.
If Dark Souls is the Ikea of games, then Sekiro is this small cafeteria in Ikea that serves perfect cherry-flavoured cheesecakes.

[jprec]

TL:DR Dark souls is successful because it was intentionally designed to serve a niche market within the gaming industry (hardcore/hardcorish gamers) and because of that it's considered a resounding success within that market. Devs should know who they want to target instead of trying to please every kind of gamer.

[EViLeleven]

the camera operator was not prepared for this guy

[num]

This camera work was the dark souls of presentations.

[frostreaper]

Yes but thats the problem with AAA these days isn't it, they do not want a 'target audience' they want everyone.
And thus they please no one.

[Lmlil]

“Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.” -Kurt Vonnegut.

[MansBestFriend_]

"if you wanna be like star wars, don't spend so much time making something everyone will buy"

this statement did not age well at all

[Frostgiantbutsmall]

This is un-ironically one of the greatest talks I've ever heard, as life advice.

[rev-y]

"Toilet paper. Very valuable, not unique." Those words have never been more true now.

[anthonysilvernail]

"the more people you are trying to target, the less specific you can get to their needs"
best line about game development i have ever heard.

[cappujhino]

Just realised that 'know thy enemy and know thyself and in one hundred battles you will never be in peril' is just old school language for 'how to win mobas'

[longleaf]

this was a really good talk. game developers should watch this and take notes. it seems like we are seeing a lot of AAA games these days trying to reach for mass appeal and falling flat on their face because of it.

[rendiggietydog]

wasn't expecting to learn so much about business from this talk but damn am I loving every second

[Jakeball]

It's so nice how he asks people if he has answered their question

[nnother]

This is a great video to counter the “If From made their games with easy mode they would sell more games to more people” argument.

[CERTAINDM]

“Be like George W. Bush… High and to the Right.”

Political humor is typically bland but that up there is actually a pretty solid joke and the fact that he doesn’t even get it only makes the whole bit funnier.