game news Game Pass is a giveaway for developers, according to FoamPunch (@Shredders)
While Microsoft revealed earlier this year that Game Pass has 25 million subscribers, many gamers are wondering if small studios really win when they launch their business on the American giant's service. It must be admitted that the subscription model that gives access to the catalog of products has shown its limits in fair reward for artists, when we move to other industries. Is Game Pass against the little hands that deliver its content? That's not the opinion of Dirk Van Welden, co-founder of studio FoamPunch (Shredders). He's back with us about the problems the independent studios have faced, the solutions that exist, and Game Pass.
Interview conditions
Dirk Van Welden interviewed on May 23, 2022. It was conducted by video link via Teams.
free as air
The topic of creative freedom for independent developers is often discussed in the video game world. Often done by Tim Schaeffer from Double Fine explain He was tired of having to run a small studio after financing so that it wouldn't disappear. "We've already been able to work without an editor, but it's always too risky for us' explains Dirk Van Welden, co-founder of FoamPunch to whom we owe the board game Shredders. "Most indie developers want their game to be successful. This is the most important part, you don't want to lose money, so you have to make a balance".
Extreme sports fans understand what motivates small studios to join big groups, like Ninja Theory which married Microsoft or more recently Bungie which collaborated with Sony. "They can be bolder because they have a bigger budget. They also have access to more resources and more knowledgeHe admits. He adds:Most of the time the senior programmers and the core team stays, the team has more money. You can see that the first titles from the earning studios usually show that they are aiming for higher". Did these freelancers sell their souls to Satan to profit from more peace and money? That's not what the CEO of FoamPunch thinks. "I know people whose studios were bought, and everyone maintained their independence. The most important thing is to try to stay as independent as possible while getting budget and supportThere are other solutions for freelancers wanting to publish their creations themselves, and one of them is called Game Pass.
"Game Pass is a gift, a great gift"
Many studios such as No More Robots, Avalanche Studios, Dotemu or Night School Studio have promoted the benefits of Game Pass to developers. FoamPunch joins in and provides more details on how a Microsoft service can help restart shredders. "You also know that there are a lot of people who will try to try your game, so you have to improve itDirk van Welden says. Continue: "With a new IP, and for these types of games, something like Game Pass is a gift, a great gift, because without it we would probably have had less risks in terms of production.". The affinity with Microsoft was natural according to the co-founder of FoamPunch, the Redmond company that developed Amped: "On the Xbox, our contacts didn't have any snowboarding games, so they were careful. There was also marketing support, something that freelancers really need when making a game."Indicates.
I chose Game Pass because Shredders is a new IP, because there are a lot of players involved, and because there is also a legacy with Amped. This gave us some stability in terms of sales. It also allowed us to go further than we could have done without Game Pass. We took more risks, recruited more people, spent more time on it, and added a story, because we knew Shredders would be at Microsoft's service. This is a good thing, especially for new licenses, because it is always difficult to sell a new one. Dirk Van Welden, Co-Founder and CEO of FoamPunch
Shredder is available on PC and Xbox Series X | S. It is included in Game Pass. FoamPunch is currently working on additional content due to be released later this year. "I think it's going to give a new impetus like, OK, new season, it's snowing, what do we do with the chopping? We hope you get some really cool stuffDirk van Welden concludes.
#Game #Pass #giveaway #developers #FoamPunch #Shredders