The discussion about the lack of video games with original IP (intellectual property---that is, new characters, settings, and plots unseen in other media) began with statistics: 2002 saw only two games in the top 25 with original IP, and 2003 saw only one.

The reason for this scarcity, the panelists seemed to think, has its root in the rising cost of video game development and, accordingly, in increasingly risk-averse publishers. The days of coming to a publisher merely with a crazy idea ("think Halo meets Grand Theft Auto") are over. Profitability is paramount, and qualitative and quantitative metrics are commonly being used to evaluate the feasibility of a game concept. (Welch, in fact, carries with him a laminated sheet detailing his 10-stage process for greenlighting video games.) Developers have to come in with polished ideas, detailed budgets, scheduled milestones, demos, a finalized roster of the development team, and, perhaps most importantly, an extensive resume.