Oct 18, 2025
3 min read
A Dead Space producer and a Call of Duty director talk AI, E3, and what's to come...
Interview: Glenn Schofield's plan to save the games industry
Dead Space producer and Call of Duty director talks AI, E3 and what's next
Few developers working today can speak as authoritatively about TRIPE games as Glen Schofield.
The American artist and designer has worked on such notable games as Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, 007: From Russia With Love, Dead Space and three Call of Duty titles (Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare and WWII).
Most recently, Schodald helped Prediso Protecol in his workroom, before leaving his position in 2023.
I interviewed an intern from Schofield twice: once in ea and once during her activation period.So this week's Gamessescom in Bangkok, Thailand offered the first opportunity for some really trash talk, and it didn't hold back.
The game designer opened his keynote at Gamescom by announcing that he supports generative AI for game development, which he says is one of his three ideas to "save" the gaming industry.His other idea includes restarting E3, which he says left the industry worse off after its cancellation.
VGC caught up with the late Hijild to discuss his ideas and find out what's next in his successful career.
During GameCom Asia at GameCom Asia you came up with your three ideas for "fixing" the gaming industry.Can you repeat your ideas to me?
Most of the choirs are now.Right?Before we lose our grain.We haven't lost our ability to play.But there are people who may say ... I also heard video games promoting apotations put the Aaba down.
This guy said, "Anyone who works for AAA games, you have to work because nobody's going to make AAA games. You've been doing this, you've done that."
And I just wrote him and said, “Hey, if you're still an executive in the gaming industry, how do you think your new employees would feel if you threw away their last paycheck?
The industry needs to be healed.So, with my three things, I tried to set about what I thought was going to bring some of that shine back.
First of all, let's train everyone [with AI].We know this new wave is coming.And people say "well, the software isn't ready yet".If you are telling me about it, it is ready.I mean, ready to play at least.You play with it.You learn it.You grew up with it.Agitate?
"First, we're training everyone [with AI]. We know this new wave is coming. And people are saying."
Companies, companies, I'm begging you, if you all train your people ... it's not a big investment, it's a real investment.Training Now people are getting excited, "I'm going to learn this."Now you can really talk, hey, maybe this will save money in the long run.
The second thing, I was like, "They won't make any more AAA games".But then they said to do something to make the ASA battery like $25 million.They still want them.They believe it can be fixed.
But what I say to managers is that you know that the games will make a lot of money if you do the right ones.And so I had no problem investing in sports.I found it a problem that you chose to start these meetings.
I bet every one of them you saw failed miserably, I can name five, six - look at Bungie.How much did they spend?Billions?What did they get?31 Alliance.What did they get?$300 million.Six and a half years.there is nothing.
You picked the wrong people.Right;I'm asking the two people talking about it, I'm talking about you, how many games have you shipped as a director?" Well, no, but I was a creative director. Same thing. "Well, you probably didn't.
Well, I had over 350 people in Call of Duty and 500 worldwide.And I've directed a lot, but that's something you're still learning.
So, ask: "How many games have you shipped as a manager?"And you might say, hey, everybody starts somewhere.But I don't think those questions were asked, or they looked past them, because everyone would say: "Yeah, you're going to give me a studio and my own game? I'll do it."
And I'll be damned if the people we discussed said, "Did that make $200 million for so-and-so person."
So they have to find directors and let those directors.My creative director has worked for me for 20 years.And after a career change, he eventually went out on his own to become a director.Bret Robbins.And now he works for Houser, right?
I know a guy named Chris Stone who has been working for 27 years.And now he has a space.So they need to be trained to run the game.
Part of what you're getting a lot of feedback online today is that a lot of people are afraid to talk about the benefits of using AI as a tool.I've seen a lot of comments from people who don't like the idea, clarifying that the real results of generative AI are useful today.What do you say to some doubters?
Then make your own rules about how you want to deal with it.So I... I don't do this too much.I make a lot of suggestions.But if I'm mixing images to try to do something, I'll use my photos and pictures.And that's what I do.And then, of course, I will make great recommendations.
So, you know, use your own rules.If you have rules that make you feel comfortable, go for it.
The other thing is to use it.Let the lawyers figure it out.It will be clear one day.Because the work I show you, thousands and thousands and thousands of files, you will not find on the Internet anymore.
You won't find where I'm borrowing other people's work, where I'm borrowing images of tentacles or anything else.But no.
"Let the lawyers figure it out. One day it will be figured out. Because the work I'm going to show you, thousands and thousands and thousands of files, you won't find on the Internet anymore."
What I like is the most interesting person about him is very skiy.This is the biggest thing in photography that you sometimes worry about and overcome it?
Of course I started with this.I heard all these things, and I heard, "Hey, people are deceived by others," and I gave it all up.And you know, you know, Picasso said: "Good artists always owe, great artists steal."
Every artist, every conceptual artist is already making photography.They have been doing it for 5-10 years.It's not your job, it's not your photos, you're taking someone else's photos.And this same person, I tell you, was the one who said, "I don't want them to take the job," and all that, and I say, you've got to be kidding me.
“Every artist, every concept artist has done photo attacks.
I get the impression that you are someone who is quite methodical about it in the sense of "this happens, and whatever my personal views are about whether I want it to be that way, it happens so we have to use it".
Right.PC...or Phones At first there was a lot of litigation, "you do my phone, you do this".
First PC in radioshack and IBM.They are no longer in business.So it took a while for a lot of things to come into focus.But what I'm really talking about is going through all the big steps in technology, man.Yes, at first everyone was afraid of everything.
And yes, it is.The first people will lose their jobs.what.Likewise, they will lose their jobs.Part of business is “this is wrong.”That's what people do.But then it rolls back again.I really think so.And I think the industry needs to come back too.
All living things are cycles.Fans will go back and go "where is my game?"And they don't have them.
Do you have an idea, or do you see it as a practical product?Do you see it as part of using it for sporting goods, for production?
Because it's all good.Not only did I check some of them out, I actually went and looked at the animation.They say, "Greatest animation ever, Blah Blah Blah, you can make your own animation."
And then I go in and you have to choose from their cartoons. It's done. You just come to life. I'm like, 'I'm going to bring one of my monsters to life.'
The only other thing people told me was, "We can make movies, we can make all your movies now."And I said, "That's great. Except the fans don't want the movies. So why did you do it? Not for me."
But technology has a way, it gets better and better and better, and that's what's going to happen.
So for you it's more like an idea, like a concept stage, preparation for production.
Independence, it is.
Can you give me an example?Let's say the Callisto protocol.If you were to do it all over again with the tools you have now, how could you do it faster, faster, better with those tools?
[pause] I'm not sure.It wouldn't help my writing.Because I won't let him do the writing part.Ideas here and there maybe.As for concept art?Maybe.But when I'm designing the monsters, I sit down with the artists and they draw them while I'm talking—'let's make those eyes bigger,' you know, that kind of thing—and so, yeah, it took a while.
Now I've made a totally weird figure for one of my rings. They're mummified, they're mummified, but the crab legs come out.So all I can do is say, "Try the fish, try the frog."and go in there.And I can come to a conclusion.
So to me it's more important where you believe in the potential of the technology than where it is now?
There is a lot of potential there.But yeah, I mean, let's look at it this way.I could go there, that's how he can speed things up these days, and write a couple of different challenges and say "Migviaje? I need a brick wall ravaged."And then I can say, "Okay, make it longer, make it bigger, and now I have a giant brick thing."This is just one.
I would say, 'Bricks, give me stones.'
The third point he addresses in his idea of saving the gaming industry is E3 and how he missed it.
Geoff [Keighley] and I talked about it.I said, "I wish you would turn the awards show into an Academy Awards show."But he doesn't.It's saying... It's a bit like the Spike TV Awards.
If I won a game award, I would be happy.But I still want the best.Do you know?And I think someone has to stand up.I wish the Academy Awards did it.Just like the BAFTAs do, right?The BAFTAs realized 10 years ago - more than 10 years ago, because I won the BAFTA for Dead Space - that video games are a cultural phenomenon.
"Geoff [Keighley] And I've talked about it. I want you to turn the awards show into the awards show."
EA is going private.In your knowledge, as someone who understands this company deeply, do you think it is an opportunity for them to be careless?Last year you talked about taking them to a new place, and they couldn't go.Will we see things like that?
You know, the people who bought themselves... I mean, the Saudis, and there's another... What do they know about video games?Right?
So they bring them private and they said, "We're only going to do this and we're going to do this."That's what they said.
But EA has been conservative.I mean, let them make Dead Space... I love EA, I love who they were.The zei have their hydenysion, they have their haythey.
Basefield 6 in this month and doing well.Like another with deeper point in which you need to build a large flip blodBerbaster, how to fix things in order to adopt the fancy?
First, you probably don't know the answer to this question.But have they appointed new people?
It was Zampella.He took power from Respawn.
That's your number one.You have someone who knows their shit.Good.You put a director in charge who knows what they are doing, it makes all the difference in the world.Everything will fall.The director now hires better people because they've been doing it for a long time, or they have a better bar that's bigger.
And so that would be the first thing - yes, the leadership is more and deserves to be better than the game.That would be the first thing.
And they took their time.right?And I bet they spent a lot of money on it anyway.It's not going anywhere.I mean, I know a lot of AAA games are expensive to make now.So I guess it would.
I think EA management has become very, very conservative and so I think it all depends on who you have in charge of the game.That's the main problem with what happened to investors.
On the other hand, as someone who knows a lot about the Call of Duty engine and what it takes to make it successful, what do you think are the challenges of being at the helm of a big company like Microsoft right now?
huh.Well, first of all, if you don't go every year, you're going to lose a billion dollars every year.This is why Call of Duty didn't do that.
I'm really worried about this, really.Because of what's going on with the blood of war, where is Halo... you know what I mean?And when you look at EA, you look at these big companies, and I'm like: Where are the games?Where is this game?And there are many who just fall by the wayside.
Unfortunately, when you assimilate into one of these companies, I think you take on some of their characteristics.The other thing is, I don't know, but I would guess that the Call of Duty bonus system came out and now you have your own, and people will say, "That's not it."
I'll give you a selfish example, I hate to do this, but since I left Sledgehammer, none of the games have been very good. I mean, the last one [Modern Warfare 3 (2023)] was 50. They're still selling well.
You know, it happens.You try it.I keep thinking "Why did you take such a guy, it won't happen later", and there is very little time.
They are not very good.They are not equal.Treyarch is still really good, but you know... I'm lucky.When I was there I felt like I was in the glory days of EA.I mean there was someone working there.Then I went to Activision and made Modern Warfare 3 (2011).
In fact, Modern Warfare 3 was the last Call of Duty to win Action Game of the Year, and my other two games were nominated for it.But now, you know, you don't see them.
"I'll give you a selfish example: I hate to do this, but since I left a sledgehammer, none of the games have been very good. That is, the last one [Modern War 3 (2023)] was 50. They're still selling well."
Have you played Dead Space Remake yet?
Just a little.
What did you think?
I think he did a great job.I thought everything was fine, and I went online and said.He did a great job.If I make another horror game... I have [one], it's a dark action adventure.
What is the situation?The struggle to get funding for a project and the fact that you directed your last game has been talked about quite a bit this year.Where are you currently?
The truth is that this particular one is perceived a little more negatively.I'm not talking about my last game, I'm saying if they want me to play this $2 million and $5 million game, I'm off…
You're a blockbuster guy.
Well, I can make one [on a smaller budget]…
...but it will compromise your vision.
yes.Give me $75 million and I'll make you something.Because you can save more money with AI than you can with a great creative idea.
