--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Publishers are very risk-averse, so they…" description: "\"Publishers are very risk-averse, so they lean towards licenses and sequels. But the fact is that even those are not guaranteed hits. So, if 'playing it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afd/tim-schafer-18855_any_publishers-are-very-risk-averse-so-they_610231.jpg" --- # Publishers are very risk-averse, so they lean towards… ![“Publishers are very risk-averse, so they lean towards licenses and sequels. But the fact is that even those are not guaranteed hits. So, if 'playing it safe' does not guarantee hits, they might as well leave it up to the really creative, risk-taking people, because they couldn't do any worse.” quote by Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afd/tim-schafer-18855_any_publishers-are-very-risk-averse-so-they_610231.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afd/tim-schafer-18855_any_publishers-are-very-risk-averse-so-they_610231.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afd/tim-schafer-18855_any_publishers-are-very-risk-averse-so-they_610231.jpg) > “Publishers are very risk-averse, so they lean towards licenses and sequels. But the fact is that even those are not guaranteed hits. So, if 'playing it safe' does not guarantee hits, they might as well leave it up to the really creative, risk-taking people, because they couldn't do any worse.” [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Publishers avoid risk, but even safe choices aren't guaranteed; creative risk-takers should lead. **In simple terms:** Safe publishing isn’t always successful; bold creators may succeed. Key Takeaway Give creative risks more freedom. Themes industry creativity risk Mood optimistic strategic Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - indie game development - venture capital - marketing strategies Key Concepts publishing innovation creative freedom Questions to Reflect On - How can publishers balance risk and support? - What structures help risk‑takers succeed? A Different Perspective It may underestimate market realities and resource limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-risk-2281764/) [Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact/) [Guarantee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantee/) [Guaranteed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guaranteed/) [Guaranteed Hits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guaranteed-hits-4956861/) [Hits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hits/) [Lean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lean/) [Leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leave/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Playing Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-safe/) [Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishers/) [Publishers Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishers-risk-4956860/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Risk taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-taking/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Sequels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sequels/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Towards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/towards/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well/) [Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse/) ## Related quotes > [Creative risk taking is essential to success in any goal where the stakes are high. Thoughtless risks are destructive, of course, but perhaps even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/creative-risk-taking-is-essential-to-success-in-any-goal-where-the/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [I would say Colin Jost is Kanye West because he takes like the creative risk a lot of times, whereas I'm like, "Uh, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-che/i-would-say-colin-jost-is-kanye-west-because-he-takes-like-the/) [Michael Che](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-che/) > [If you aren't failing every now and then, you're probably playing it too safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/if-you-aren-t-failing-every-now-and-then-you-re-probably-playing-it/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [It is playing safe that we create a world of utmost insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dag-hammarskj-ld/it-is-playing-safe-that-we-create-a-world-of-utmost-insecurity/) [Dag Hammarskjold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dag-hammarskj-ld/) > [I don't want to play safe, because there are a lot of people who are playing it safe, and I don't want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-tripathi/i-don-t-want-to-play-safe-because-there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-are/) [Shweta Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-tripathi/) > [“We rarely hear warnings about playing it safe. We don't see headlines that say, ... Man retires after a mediocre career and feels painful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-sundheim/we-rarely-hear-warnings-about-playing-it-safe-we-don-t-see-headlines/) [Doug Sundheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-sundheim/) > [Playing it safe isn't fun; you have to take a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/playing-it-safe-isn-t-fun-you-have-to-take-a-chance/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Life is about risk. Playing it safe doesn’t make you safe. All it does is keep you from experiencing as much of life as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ward/life-is-about-risk-playing-it-safe-doesn-t-make-you-safe-all-it-does/) [Keith Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ward/) > [As a general rule, the more precious the chips you'd consider betting, the more you should lean toward playing it safe. Check it down;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/as-a-general-rule-the-more-precious-the-chips-you-d-consider-betting/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [If you aren't making any mistakes, it's a sure sign you're playing it too safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/if-you-aren-t-making-any-mistakes-it-s-a-sure-sign-you-re-playing-it/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Nobody got anything great by playing it safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/nobody-got-anything-great-by-playing-it-safe/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [“Playing it safe and tiptoeing through life is exhausting. Keeping all of your gifts trapped inside tires the crap out of you. It takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-mateu/playing-it-safe-and-tiptoeing-through-life-is-exhausting-keeping-all/) [Lysa Mateu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-mateu/) > [“Are you a believer or just playing safe?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/are-you-a-believer-or-just-playing-safe/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“There is no playing safe with me any longer. I only take huge risks. I know this means I can lose big time, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sahndra-fon-dufe/there-is-no-playing-safe-with-me-any-longer-i-only-take-huge-risks-i/) [Sahndra Fon Dufe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sahndra-fon-dufe/) > [To be sure, playing it safe isn't a flashy style of poker. Some even claim that it's too weak and passive. That being said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/to-be-sure-playing-it-safe-isn-t-a-flashy-style-of-poker-some-even/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) ## More by Tim Schafer > [I've now met, I would say, almost every single one of my rock idols. I feel like I should just drive off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-ve-now-met-i-would-say-almost-every-single-one-of-my-rock-idols-i/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [In the future, we will play games while floating naked in a tank of warm, sensory-depriving gelatin. Games will be distributed chemically, into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/in-the-future-we-will-play-games-while-floating-naked-in-a-tank-of/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [Adventure games are all about details - if you happen to take this one object and use it with this other object, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/adventure-games-are-all-about-details-if-you-happen-to-take-this-one/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I enjoy everything. I actually do listen to everything. In high school, I listened to a lot of metal and punk rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-enjoy-everything-i-actually-do-listen-to-everything-in-high-school/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I think I just have an idea in my head about how big an adventure game should be, so it's hard for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-think-i-just-have-an-idea-in-my-head-about-how-big-an-adventure/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [The Internet has allowed a lot of access - people feel entitled to change the ending of games, for example. So there are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/the-internet-has-allowed-a-lot-of-access-people-feel-entitled-to/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I've always hated superheroes. I cannot stand them. I love Norse mythology, but I hate superheroes. They ruined movies, then comics, and now games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-ve-always-hated-superheroes-i-cannot-stand-them-i-love-norse/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [When you have a programmer-founded company it often gets really techy, if you have a producer or a business-person, it all really sets the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/when-you-have-a-programmer-founded-company-it-often-gets-really-techy/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [If I had done a sequel to 'Day of the Tentacle,' there probably wouldn't have been a 'Full Throttle.' If I did a 'Full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/if-i-had-done-a-sequel-to-day-of-the-tentacle-there-probably-wouldn-t/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [Kinect is such a great new entry into the field because it takes away one of the big barriers to little kids to playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/kinect-is-such-a-great-new-entry-into-the-field-because-it-takes-away/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [If you're not loyal to your team, you can get by for a while, but eventually you will need to rely on their loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/if-you-re-not-loyal-to-your-team-you-can-get-by-for-a-while-but/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I think when you play 'Psychonauts,' you are kind of playing inside of my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-think-when-you-play-psychonauts-you-are-kind-of-playing-inside-of/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [After 'Psychonauts,' we could have laid off half our team so that we'd have more money and time to sign 'Brutal Legend.' But doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/after-psychonauts-we-could-have-laid-off-half-our-team-so-that-we-d/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [There was a 'magic rock' my mom would lift up, and under the rock was a bunch of bugs. Roly-poly bugs and worms. Somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/there-was-a-magic-rock-my-mom-would-lift-up-and-under-the-rock-was-a/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I would like to reach non-gamers. It's always great when guys come up to me who are gamers and represent my usual audience, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-would-like-to-reach-non-gamers-it-s-always-great-when-guys-come-up/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) [Explore all 34 Tim Schafer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) ## More Any quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [We earned any fans with the way we play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/we-earned-any-fans-with-the-way-we-play/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [Hard work and a good education will take you further than any government program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-schock/hard-work-and-a-good-education-will-take-you-further-than-any/) [Aaron Schock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-schock/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/) [Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/) [Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/) > [I love the sea, but I avoid any sort of seaside resort that has skyscrapers or seaside entertainments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-blake/i-love-the-sea-but-i-avoid-any-sort-of-seaside-resort-that-has/) [Quentin Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-blake/) [Browse all 6,938 Any quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Publishers are very risk-averse, so they lean towards licenses and sequels. But the fact is that even those are not guaranteed hits. 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