Martin Klima: From Dragon's Lair to Warhorse

Hello, here is a link to somewhat dated interview with KD:C producer Martin Klíma, which we just finished translating.

Normally I’d put a short summary of main points that were revealed about the game here, but this time the interview is not about the game, but about the person behind it, so I decided to break the tradition.

https://googledrive.com/host/0B_fWzGOXFR3NVnN2eTBxOEJNU1k/

If you find any mistake that you want fixed, please tell @bebuce or @PhanTom_CZ in a PM.

BTW: the 1989 speech mentioned in the interview is probably this one right at the beginning of the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICObhsG4mOo ;D

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Translation of that speech (it’s actually just a little part) for those interested.

MK: "…back then they didn’t doubt that subjugation is worse than death and that one must fight for the freedom, but can not live without it."
crowd: “freedom, freedom,…”

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Very good read! Thanks for the link. :slight_smile:

It’s quite sad that Level is only available in Czech and not in English. Seems to be a pretty solid magazine…

Does anyone know whether Dan still writes the column?

About half of the discussion under the article is about Petr Benda and the other half about whether or not is Level a solid magazine :wink:

Thanks for translating it.

Yeah, he does. It’s called Hell’s pit of Dan Vávra if I recall corectly.

Are there English translations of this column available somewhere? I would love to read them…

I doubt it. As far as I know, he wasn’t that much known outside the Czech Republic before KC:D, so I don’t know why would anyone do that.

Interesting interview, but also in some places a bit depressing. Especially the last sentence. Also, that the industry alone the reputation of a person determines whether an idea is accepted, is questionable. But also explains the standstill in recent years in terms of truly new game concepts.

I am almost certain it was meant as a joke. Alternatively it might be is a reflection on the rise of let’s playing and live streaming on Twitch which demonstrated that actual playing is not always the preferred mode of consumption for video games. The suggestion of game playing robots is taking the idea ad absurdum.

It is not questionable at all, that’s just how the world works: What determines if you get a job? Your CV and job interview, i.e. reputation. What determines if you get money on Kickstarter? Your ability to persuade potential buyers/funders that you are able to deliver that product; again, reputation. The difference between Kickstarter and a big publisher is that there is less money involved and Kickstarter is splitting the risk between a large number of funders. As we all learned from the 2008 US housing crisis, risk splitting lowers the aversion towards that risk.

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say … how it works today. There was once a time :slight_smile: , where successful, highly profitable companies the advice of advertising agencies and other specialists have sought to keep it that way. If one had an idea and was able to successfully defend in a briefing, it was not important whether he had a name. Now he had him. When I think of Sid Meier, Peter Molyneux and many other colorful names in the industry, had one brilliant idea. And many ordinary ideas, partially below-average. At the same time Einstigshürde for game designers was so high set, which largely remains the elite among themselves. From my own experience I know that there are only two possibilities, but it is only one real is to come into the industry with an idea. 1) It is already a club member 2) to follow the call “they send us their idea times to”. Preferably by e-mail.
Anyone who once had to do with copyright is gratefully refuse unless he wants to give away intellectual property.
Affordability and the way to get to capital is certainly a point. But a good idea is also capital. You must only be presented accordingly. Just can not everyone who has an idea to program a game. These days I can also fly without to have designed and assembled an aircraft. Only the laws of aerodynamics I must be fluent. The rest can be other better, the fewest of them can fly, however. Game developers are looking for any specialist to reinvent the same wheel x times again and again as “new”. What they are not looking outside the industry, ideas, not even an idea to an idea. So progress did not work.