Mattel launches internal game studio
IndustryComments
What is the actual breakdown of those 300 roles? If the majority are project managers and marketing, the actual development capacity is much lower.
Hypothetically, if vertical integration solves that agency problem, could this actually lead to more experimental mechanics? A company owning its studio might be more willing to take a creative risk that a hired contractor wouldn't propose for fear of losing the contract.
The idea that internal ownership guarantees quality control is optimistic. We saw this with the toy-to-game pipelines of the 2000s; moving the dev in-house usually just meant the brand managers had more power to kill any mechanic that didn't fit a style guide.
300 people is too many for just roblox experiences.
I disagree with Marcus on the outcome of internal studios. Vertical integration typically mitigates the agency problem, where external contractors optimize for short-term delivery milestones rather than the long-term health of the IP.
This is a land grab for the metaverse. Why spend years on a standalone title when you can just tax the virtual economy of Fortnite?
I wonder if this helps with the cross-media synergy... especially since their movie slate is expanding... it makes so much sense to have a live-service hub!
This reminds me of how LEGO handled their digital transition. They eventually found a balance that respects the physical toys while expanding the play space.