Advertising Could Take Creativity Out of Games, Says Pimp My Ride Developer

Free-to-play PC games are becoming more numerous than ever, but the industry should beware following an advertising-driven business model like television, according to Todd Eckert, the head of the North American branch of European studio Eutechnyx.

"[An advertising model] took a lot of creativity out of television because it became so focused on the money as opposed to the content. I would hate to see that happen to games," Eckert said to GamesIndustry.

That danger is more real than ever in the eyes of his colleague, Eutechnyx business director Darren Jobling. "Personally, I think free-to-play is most probably going to be the future of the industry, it's the way it's going to be," he commented.

Since 2006, Eutechnyx has developed: Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli, The Fast and the Furious, MTV's Pimp My Ride, and Hot Wheels: Beat That!.

The studio is now at work on a "casual MMO," with few details publicly available. "I think a lot of people are going to be extremely surprised," remarked Jobling.