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

Harvey Smith, former Arkane director behind *Dishonored*, now leads Black Pony Immersive after leaving the studio. He recently engaged in a friendly debate with Randy Smith Evergreen, designer of *Thief*, over immersive sim budgets. Smith acknowledges the risks of overspending but believes a well-funded project can achieve the depth of *Deus Ex* or *Dishonored*. He emphasizes the need to balance ambition with creative freedom, warning against conservative design choices that stifle innovation.

Smith and Evergreen agree that immersive sims require a balance between scale and creativity. Smith argues that even small projects can succeed if they capture the genre’s core elements, while Evergreen warns that bloated budgets can inflate publisher expectations beyond what niche audiences demand. Both designers stress the importance of avoiding extremes—too small risks lacking depth, too large risks losing focus.

Smith highlights the emergent gameplay in *Deus Ex*, where players discovered unplanned mechanics like using magnetic mines to scale walls. He attributes this to fully featured AI, physics, and player freedom, which allow for unpredictable interactions. For smaller projects, he cautions that limited resources may prevent such depth, risking a shallow experience despite polished aesthetics.

Smith reflects on Arkane’s struggles under publisher pressure, citing *Dishonored 2* and *Prey* failing to meet expectations, and the cancellation of *Redfall*. His new studio, Black Pony Immersive, aims to operate without publisher constraints. While he remains excited by well-funded immersive sims, he urges caution, noting the industry’s shift toward risk-averse blockbusters.