Dishonored director Harvey Smith thinks there’s still room for big-budget immersive sims: ‘When it really comes together and it has the budget behind it and the team, you end up with Deus Ex or Dishonored’
Dishonored director Harvey Smith has weighed in on the budget debate surrounding immersive sim games, recently after departing Arkane Studios. Smith argues there remains viable potential for large-budget immersive sims when the right conditions align, citing landmark successes like Deus Ex and Dishonored as evidence that proper funding and experienced development teams can deliver critically and commercially successful titles in the genre.
This optimistic perspective stands in contrast to fellow immersive sim designer Randy Smith Evergreen, who believes the genre is trapped in an unsustainable “arms race to be bigger and better.” Evergreen contends that immersive sims face a structural challenge: their relatively niche audience makes large budgets a risky proposition when competing against other blockbuster releases for player attention and marketing resources.
The disagreement highlights a broader strategic tension in game development. Smith’s position reflects confidence in the design and production lessons learned from acclaimed titles that successfully balanced complex, player-driven gameplay with substantial production resources. Conversely, Evergreen’s concern suggests a more cautious approach focused on financial sustainability and design focus over bloated budgets. The outcome of this philosophical debate may shape how studios green-light and develop immersive sims in coming years, particularly as Harvey Smith establishes his new independent venture.