Baldur’s Gate 3 Publisher Says Big Budgets Aren’t a Problem, Criticizes Public Company System in Games Industry

25.11.2025 Comment Views: 11

Not every developer has a clear vision, and managers are often not sufficiently competent.

Michael Daus, Publishing Director at Larian Studios, continues to post his viewpoints on social media. He recently took part in a discussion about the current state of the games industry.

He argues that a large budget doesn’t automatically hinder creativity—provided the whole team is “moving in the same direction”—and that finding an audience for a project is easier now than ever:

I don’t think a big budget automatically guarantees a bad outcome. What matters for success is that literally everyone on the project is heading toward the same goal — and sadly that only happens about one time out of ten. It’s easier than ever to find an audience (even a sizable one), but the problem lies with the people in the traditional “production chain.” They either don’t grasp this, view such an approach as a threat to their business model, or can’t articulate it to investors.

Michael believes the issue stems from the public-company model, which simply doesn’t work well in the entertainment sector:

The public-company model in entertainment is broken — and that’s especially striking at a time when it’s easier than ever to connect creators directly with their audiences. Half the problem is a reflexive instinct for self-preservation, and the other half comes from a lack of vision and leadership (or plain institutional foolishness).

The obligation to report to investors and demonstrate company growth (profits) pushes publishers to shy away from risk, preferring projects that follow proven formulas.

Source: iXBT.games

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