Interview with Joe Ybarra, Vice President of Product Development, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment

April 13, 2007

Today we bring you an interview with an incredibly accomplished game developer, Joe Ybarra of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment. For the rare reader who does not know all about him, Joe has produced more than 50 computer and video game titles for platforms ranging from early personal computers, consoles to the latest Windows based PCs. Some of his titles, such as Bards Tale, M.U.L.E., Starflight and Wasteland have been voted into Computer Gaming World's Hall of Fame. In his long and varied career, Joe has been one of the founding members of Electronic Arts, and an early pioneer of MMORPG development.

Joe shares insight with us from his session Building a World Class MMO While Building a Company – Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and Stargate Worlds. Definitely worth the read!

Edward Van Duering

Edward Van Duering: Joe, we appreciate your time in answering our questions! Tell us a bit about Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and what makes your company newsworthy these days.

Joe Ybarra: First of all, thank you for the opportunity to take part in this interview series. To answer your question, I think there are two things that make Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment newsworthy. The first is our current project, Stargate Worlds. This is a next-generation MMORPG that will bring the longest-running science fiction series in history to life for PC gamers.

The second thing that makes us newsworthy is our expansion as a developer. When we started out, all we had was Stargate Worlds. Right now we’re hiring for two new studios, Handcranked Games and Superstition Studios. We’re building a great foundation with Stargate Worlds and the new studios can leverage the great work already underway to kick start development on exciting new products that will push the online entertainment sector in unexpected and exciting directions.

What lessons have you learned about growing a company from your experiences with Cheyenne Mountain?

The big thing that I’ve learned is the importance of hiring quality people. Quite frankly, it’s the most important thing in the industry. If you hire good, talented people, then everything else falls into place.

Another lesson I think we’ve taken to heart is the value of buying technology when it is available. There are incredibly powerful tools available, like the Unreal engine and Big World server technology. If we were to develop these technologies on our own, it would add years to our projects.

What are a few examples of mistakes ambitious game developers make when launching a company?

I would say trying to do too much too soon, but that’s just the nature of the business. Mistakes are easy, from hiring the wrong people to picking a hot, but short-lived IP to build around. Going into any start up without developing a business plan is a bad idea.

If you use common sense and treat your company like a real business, you can avoid the big mistakes that destroy start-ups.

Before a person considers starting a new game company, what basic steps should they take?

Probably the best first step anyone can take is to create a business plan. The worst thing you can do is just wing it. A business plan keeps everyone focused on the goal and provides the template for success.

There are other important things to consider. IP is extremely important. The decision to work with a licensed property or to develop something new is one that should be made very early in the life of a project. There are advantages and disadvantages on each side of that argument that must be weighed carefully in making that decision.

Are any areas of game development easier to break into for a start-up business, like casual games, console or PC games for example?

I certainly think that casual games, while not an easy project, are a logical starting point in the business. Casual games don’t require a large team or the financing needed for AAA titles. Consoles are also an interesting place to start, especially with the advent of systems like Microsoft’s XNA Studio that allows programmers of all skill levels access to development tools. In many ways, XNA Studio, Xbox Live, the Nintendo Virtual Console and the PlayStation Network are blurring the line between casual games and console games, and that’s an exciting development.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the MMORPG is absolutely the toughest project, so of course that’s where we started.

How much harder is it for a businessman to consider starting in an international market as opposed to their native market?

In videogame development, that depends a great deal on your publication plans. A self-published title faces the most difficult task, but there are solutions available. There are many talented localization firms that specialize in translating games for global markets. For a developer working with an outside publisher, the international market is a much easier target because the publisher will generally handle localization of your title for the global market.

What the publisher can’t help you with is creating an IP that will go over well in the international market. An original IP that is well suited for western audiences may not be a hit in Asian markets and the opposite is true as well. The real challenge is hitting on an IP that is attractive to global markets.

In addition to what you've shared here, touch upon a few of the topics you plan to share with Online Game Development Conference attendees.

I want to talk a little about Arizona and the southwest as the next big thing in game development. Arizona is a great place for doing business. Unlike other hotbeds on the west coast and in Texas, the cost of living is affordable for employees and there is plentiful room for building a new company.

I’m also going to talk about working with a license like MGM’s Stargate franchise. In my time as a developer, I’ve worked with many franchises ranging from Battletech to the NFL and each one presented a unique set of advantages and challenges.

As part of a growing company, where do you hope to see Cheyenne Mountain in the near future?

I expect us to be the leaders in the online game development field. We’re putting together fantastic teams for our second and third studios and we’re going to announce some new games soon that are really exciting and open up new online gaming possibilities.

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