Helldivers2 is a successful video game by almost all means, but given the rush with risks to profitable live service games and the sheer amount of luck they need to keep up, it's likely to be a question that many in the industry are asking. Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Arrowhead Games, who spoke at the Nordic Game conference earlier this week, gave his thoughts on why Helldivers were a big hit.

He is quick to shoot down the frequently repeated theory that it's the price point of the co-op shooter price40 that made all the difference. As he rightly points out, there are a lot of games that sell for440, and not many of them have the same success as Helldivers2. While there are many other factors that people point out, such as the release window, balance and "content cadence," Pilestedt is a set of more abstract factors that contributed to the success of Helldivers2

These include nailing the foundation. "A lot of people have made alien shooters before, but what we did differently was delve into authenticity," he said. People say Helldivers is the most movie-like game they've played, but it's weird. It all happens based on what we're trying to make fantasy play like an action movie.

The basics also include authenticity, and whether the game conforms to the general atmosphere of the audience about how fantasy should be played: "[In] Star Wars, how many strikes do I need to cut someone's hand with a lightsaber?"Pilestedt asks. "It is one, and sticking to fantasy is fundamental. I know it's fake, so don't make it two strikes, and now we're making a Star Wars game anymore

According to Pilestedt, another key element is "style", and the style of the game is not as good as the style of the game's creation or the people involved in the creation.1 It does not allude to the style. "The style comes from the mentality and philosophy of the studio, which is deeper and why decisions are made at every level of the organization. In one day of the organization of a hundred people, perhaps a thousand decisions are made. If you try to solve it by saying "This 1 decision was what made [Helldivers'success] come true," that's not true.

The big problem is success as a live service. "We are asking ourselves what are the rights that live service games have to exist in the gaming industry as a product?Pilestedt said. "It's easy to say that you can make more money by dropping content packs here and there. But that's not why any consumer would want to engage with us. The reason live service is a good thing for the gaming industry is that it's an ongoing hobby that evolves and allows players to get more games they like, and if you forget this when making live service games, I don't want to say it's a problem, but it's a problem. I decided it was a problem, it's a massive problem.

And while price point is not the answer, it's a bit of an answer, at least as far as Helldivers2's live service trap is concerned. "If you want to monetize in the game, it's a fair assumption if you think people will buy new ones in the game, many products will work that way, and Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, etc. all work with additional purchases, but don't pay前払70 upfront and then charge nickel and dime people for the skins." It is not. Be kind to the user and ask yourself what is good for the gamer of this game, not good for the bank account, and do the live service right.

The full presentation can be viewed on the Nordic Game YouTube account. In other Pilestedt news, he wants Arrowhead to be the next FromSoftware or Blizzard.