Exclusive: Flagship Q&A Feature

Out of all the new development teams that have been spawned from Blizzard, and of late there have been quite a few, the most exciting, and the one with the pivotal inspiration and driving force of ex Blizzard leader Bill Roper, is Flagship Studios. Derek dela Fuente was quick off the mark in talking with Bill about past, present and the future of Flagship Studios.

TVG: Over the last few months we have seen a number of new splinter development teams setting up all with ex Blizzard personnel. We appreciate you cannot speak for others but were there that many creative chiefs at Blizzard?

One of the strengths of Blizzard was that a lot of people were given the opportunity to have a hand in the design and the creation of the games. Everyone contributed at different levels on each project, and the level of involvement was different between the two development studios at Blizzard. The core team we have assembled at Flagship Studios comprises the top executives from Blizzard North (who have always worked on the games and are not just a bunch of â??suitsâ??) and team leaders from our projects. We were exceptionally fortunate to have the people who expressed a strong desire to jump on board from the onset join us in our new venture, and I am personally excited about the talented, experienced and passionate team we have assembled.

TVG: What will be the vision for Flagship Studios, what is the makeup of the team and what do you believe your core expertise is?

The single biggest goal of the company is to make a great game. We intend to create an impressive and compelling game with both single and multiplayer gamers in mind. Weâ??re dedicated to making absolutely the best game we can, with our design focused on ease of play, replayability and fun.

Currently there are nine of us here at Flagship, and we all worked together at Blizzard North for many years. One of the great things about the core team we have put together is that we know how to make a game together. We already have a very tight-knit group of developers who are close personally, as well. Weâ??re all excited and energised to be working on something that is both new and truly ours. We will be expanding the size of the company in the near future, but we will be looking for people who fit into our mind set of how games should be made and that we feel will be a good fit with our company culture just as much as how qualified they are or their experience in the industry.

As for our expertise, we have developed numerous titles in the RPG and RTS genres. The concept for our game is different from what weâ??ve done in the past in many regards, but there are certain philosophies of game design that we would incorporate into anything we did, so I also think that fans of our past games will see those immediately and appreciate them.

TVG: What are the real drawbacks of a newly set up company, are you self financed and do you already have in mind or are you working towards the concept of your first title?

To start a new company, you have to have a real love for what youâ??re doing. Companies that get into the game space just because they see it as a way to generate revenues and hop onto the gaming bandwagon, but donâ??t have any real interest in what games are about, almost always fail. The work we do is complex, time consuming and takes a lot of time and energy, so you have to really understand the process of and have a passion for making games.

We started working on a new game design and concept the day after we left Blizzard. The ideas for the game have come streaming out ever since, and weâ??re busy getting them prototyped â?“ either in the engine or in other forms â?“ almost as quickly as we come up with them. The whole team is really energised and excited about the process, and it shows in what weâ??re doing.

In regards to finding a publisher, we have been focused on establishing a relationship with a publishing partner that has the same dedication to creating and supporting great games as we do. Weâ??re focused on creating the best game that we possibly can, and we want to know that the people weâ??re working with to get that game into the hearts and minds of players (as well as on to store shelves), have the same goals in mind. Also, we want to have a high amount of creative freedom, and fortunately the publisher with whom we have spoken recognises how this has benefited the games we have done in the past.

TVG: Having the industry icon Bill Roper as a central figure gives the team added kudos. Are you looking towards creating new ideas and innovations or working on a game that people associate with Bill and the ex Blizzard name?

Although I believe that gamers who have played the other games we have worked on will be excited about our new concept, weâ??re not looking to simply chase our past successes. We want to go in a new direction in many regards, but we will also stay true to the core design philosophies that have been at the centre of any game we have ever made. I think we may surprise a lot of people with our game ideas, but I also think its going to be a pleasant surprise.

TVG: What kind of core code, even 3D engine/tools, do you have in place, will you be targeting any particular format and will the PC be your main machine?

We found that the amount of time we projected to modify an existing engine to do what we specifically needed for our game would take as much time as designing and building the engine ourselves. The engines that have been developed by companies like Id and Valve are undeniably impressive, but we feel that the specific needs of the game we are creating are best served by the creation of our own technology. We have been looking at other tools, such as physics systems, importing and compression tools, and even installers, to supplement our coding.

As for network technology, we are planning on a strong multiplayer component for the game, so we will need to give our network model serious attention and time. As with any decision of this nature, weâ??ll take a long look at the possibilities, discuss it passionately, and then pick what we believe best serves the gameplay experience.

Regardless of what we build and what we license, we think it is best to have the game design drive the technology as opposed to the other way around. Just because there may be an utterly amazing piece of technology out there available to license, that may not be the best thing for the design of the game.

With regard to target platforms, we are currently focusing all of our energies on creating a great game for the PC. We believe that the opportunities to create adaptations of products across platforms (PC/Xbox/PlayStation/Game Cube) are extremely interesting, especially as we learn more about the next generation of systems planned for release within the next 2-3 years. We are looking at all the possibilities, but we also know that it will all stem from the creation of a great game on the PC.

Also, while we have not yet made a decision, I would be remiss if I did not mention that we all come from a tradition of supporting the Mac with our games, and we will certainly be keeping such a great, passionate base of gamers in our thoughts as our development progresses.

TVG: What are you general thoughts on the gaming scene at present in terms of new ideas and the standard of releases? Would you agree that most developers are working to publishersâ?? successful formulas and do you not think this stifles creativity and progression for the future?

Although the size and economics of our industry have put a strong focus on licensed intellectual properties and sequels, it will always also have a place for new, highly creative ideas. These two concepts actually do go hand in hand because publishers are interested in putting out high quality games upon which they can build a franchise, so just because something is new or edgy, that doesnâ??t mean it wonâ??t find a home. In fact, if a publisher looks at that idea and can see how a family of games could be built off the concept or a world being built, that can work in the developerâ??s favour. Hopefully more publishers will look at the new ideas coming out of the newer developers and give them a place to find success. This does take some courage on the part of the publisher as it is not as sure a bet as creating something with a known license, but if you look at how this can pay off (Call of Duty and Metal of Honor are two good examples) it does make sense as long as the idea and the team are great.

TVG: If you could change one aspect pertaining to the gaming industry what would it be?

We all would like to see more recognition of the development teams and their contribution to the success of the game. The relationship between publisher and developer should be as close to one of equals as possible because they both bring so much to the table. It is common for the publisher to fund the development of the game, and do everything necessary to bring it to market â?“ from PR to physically putting boxes on shelves. The developer, however, makes the game that goes in the box. Without their creativity, drive, passion, vision and dedication, the publisher wouldnâ??t exist. It is an intertwined relationship, but the publisher usually pushes to increase the value of their company by promoting their name on the box and advertising while the developer draws royalties, after they have paid the development costs back to the publisher. Changes in distribution models, such as direct sales through the Internet and subscription based pay to play, may shift this balance, but I think that both developers and publishers are starting to see how important we are to each other.

TVG: When can the public expect to see the first images and information on your first title?

Although we have a development timeline in our heads, weâ??re not going to publicly put any dates out there because at this early stage of development it is honestly impossible to foresee all the changes the game will require. Those changes can affect the schedule in 100 different ways and like the development of the game, the schedule is a very organic thing that has to be constantly monitored and adjusted. When we get to a point where we feel we can not only talk about what the game is in specifics, but also let people sit down and play it, weâ??ll know we are at a place where we can announce it.

We have already released a few concept images from our character team, and you can see them for yourself on our website at www.flagshipstudios.com.