Develop keynote hears call for daring originality

The 2010 Develop Conference opened today with a call for greater originality, fresher ideas, and a braver approach to game design.

Louis Castle, the CEO of InstantAction, made the call in a keynote address entitled ‘Traditional Games Breaking Into Social Networks’ – where the game design veteran revealed his surprise after surveying the E3 show floor last month.

”I was at E3 and I couldn’t believe how few new [original] projects have been started,” said Castle, speaking in a busy conference hall at the Metropole Hotel.

He said that the only title that struck him as taking a fresh approach was BulletStorm – a score-driven FPS title developed by People Can Fly.

Castle, who began his career in the early eighties, observed that the game business today has developed into a hit-driven business, where big brands dominate, and awareness of the biggest IPs is crucial for survival.

The conference, now in is fifth year, begins today with the Evolve track – a string of panels, speaker sessions and lectures that are each focused on the social and mobile spaces.