Edinburgh-based developer Outerlight caused quite a stir with their first title, The Ship, a game based around assassination and murder, set on an art deco steamer. Everyone from Penny Arcade and Gamespot through to Scotland's very own Consolevania picked up on the game's quirky approach to the run/shoot/repeat FPS standard.
Since then it's all be kinda quiet. We've been waiting for nearly a year, since the sequel to The Ship was announced to the world - via the CV fluff piece created for EIF 2007.
We visited Outerlight in their damn cool Leith offices and spoke to Operations Director Ailsa Bates and Managing Director Chris Peck about the sequel, their experience working with their first major publisher and what the future holds for the company...
SG: The last time we saw you - in the now infamous Fluff Piece - you told the world that Outerlight had just signed a new deal with a publisher for a sequel to The Ship. Can you tell us who the publisher is yet?
Ailsa: No, we can't! We're still not allowed to discuss our contract. I am hoping this will change soon.
SG: What's happening with the sequel, can you tell us anything about it - platform/s, setting, characters, release date?
Ailsa:
Again, I'm very limited in what I can say about the new title.
The hope is that the new game will be released before Christmas.
Chris: I can also say it's not a direct sequel to The Ship, although it retains a lot of the good gameplay elements from The Ship, and it is a lot of fun to play. It will be a PC & Xbox360 release. The settings are no longer only on Ships, which widens the scope of the gameplay, and the characters are all more contemporary than those on The Ship.
SG: This is your first title with a publisher. How does it compare to the independent approach you took with the first game?
Ailsa:
It's very different working with a publisher on the development
to working independently. We're used to making decisions ourselves on
the basis of whether we like a feature or think it's fun whereas
publishers have to take a much more structured and pre-planned approach
to development. The relationship has not always been easy as there is a
bit of a clash of corporate cultures but I would say that our
publisher's knowledge and long history of game development has helped a
lot in improving the game, making it more accessible and more
marketable. In the end we have had to admit that they really do know
what they're doing. Sobering but also encouraging in many ways.
Chris: At the end of the day, they are paying for development, so we have to listen to them!
SG: How is The Ship doing on Steam? It's still available, are people still buying/playing it?
Ailsa:
The Ship is still selling on Steam, a good number of units per
month and yes, people are still playing it! We've now sold over 100,000
units which for a budget game on the PC platform with zero marketing is
really quite impressive! We've also been told by some of the biggest
developers and publishers in the business that they play the game
internally which is great news. We're planning a minor update in the
next few months to reward these faithful players.
SG: The Ship got some great reviews and coverage from the games press,
but seemed to slip entirely under the radar here in Scotland. Were you
disappointed with the lack of support from your home territory?
Ailsa:
Yes, we were. Even the review we did get from The Metro (a great
paper, if I say so myself, and not just because they gave us 4 stars)
didn't seem to realise we were a Scottish company and we didn't feature
anywhere in the major Scottish papers. I know the press are a little
"once bitten, twice shy" about the games industry but a review here and
there would have been very encouraging.
SG: What can we expect from the sequel? Is it a straightforward follow-on to The Ship?
Ailsa:
No, it's not. All I can really say is it's no longer called The
Ship. So no more nautical puns in the Outerlight offices... Shame...
Chris: The game still contains the Hunter & Hunted kill loop, but also features improved security, simplified needs, greater accessibility, plus a host of new features that I can’t really tell you anything about. Oh, and its lots of fun to play…did I say that already?! J
SG: Dammit, I thought I had you there. If I keep asking, will you let ANYTHING slip? No?
Fair enough...
So what else is Outerlight up to these days?
Ailsa:
We're looking to sign another unique IP project once this game
is finished which as I said should be towards the end of this year if
all goes well. We have a great title in the pipeline which I'm sure
will give everyone a good laugh but, obviously, I can't tell you a
thing about it...
SG: How do you see the industry moving over the next year or two? Is Outerlight interested in any of the new areas like casual games, MMO's or new platforms such as mobile?
Ailsa: We're interested in MMO's and casual games but mobile games aren't really our area of expertise so we won't be moving into that area. I think the casual games market is going to grow substantially so we are looking at that and we've always wanted to do an MMO, if we can find the funding plus we have a very original if rather ambitious idea that I hope we get to make one day.
SG: Here's our normal million dollar question, do you think the games industry - as a business - is starting to be taken more seriously here in Scotland?
Ailsa: Not really no. It astonishes me the bad press that games get
across the board in Britain and around the world. I think there is very
little understanding at the moment of what a game is, how diverse
products can be from Brain Training to GTA and the press at the moment
are perhaps a little technophobic and extremely game-phobic! I think
the industry makes an easy target and at the moment, although the
demographic expands each year as gamers get older, it's still a very
new industry. Maybe it's easier to write a sensationalist story about
how games cause all the evils in society than it is to actually look at
the facts of what underlies anti social behaviour. I'm sure that as
time progresses, games become more ubiquitous and journalists who
played games as children and continue to do so as adults are the norm
rather than the exception, then we'll actually start to get occasional
praise as well as vitriol. I hope so... It would seem a shame if the
Scottish or even the British game industry died when as a global
industry it's doing so well.
SG: So which issues do you think developers and games companies as a
whole struggle with here in Scotland - and in the UK as a whole?
Ailsa:
I think we struggle from a lack of support both from the media
and from the government. Countries like Canada have a booming game
industry because of government support. It's very hard for companies
here to compete hence we have a dwindling number of struggling
developers and no big publishers. Obviously there are a few exceptions
to that rule but overall the industry needs some form of development
funding support and I don't just mean R&D tax credits, helpful as
they may be. Developers in particular are going to find it harder and
harder to produce new and innovative games because it's becoming more
and more expensive to produce even a basic prototype and publishers are
very risk averse and reluctant to sign a new game without some kind of
prototype they can look at. When it can take up to 6 months of work to
sign a development contract and 6 months to make any kind of decent
prototype, it's not surprising that developers struggle a bit and very
few new ones start up unless they rolled out of the Dare to be
Digital competition! This is a very difficult industry to be in, in
the UK and despite massive global growth, no one in the UK seems to
want it to succeed here. A strange situation given the support given to
the film industry.
Chris: I think the inherent structure of the industry is taking it in a
direction which is unsustainable. For a developer, there are two paths
to success; taking on outsourcing work for big publishers, making a
small profit on wages, but this takes years to accumulate enough money
to try your own venture, and can never pay off big; the other method is
pitching IP’s to publishers and signing innovative titles. Given that
you need to fund it and pitch it as a developer, often now costing more
than £300,000 to do so, with no guarantee of it being taken on, this is
a lot of risk for a developer. Even if you do get signed, your royalty
deal of roughly 20% for you and 80% for the publisher will mean that
only a number one hit will result in you seeing any money back for your
effort. Clearly, as a publisher, who is funding development, and
therefore taking the financial risk, this makes sense. But for the
developer, this means there are few avenues to making a profit and
having some cash. Given increased game budgets (averaging £8m) then
pre-production costs are only going to increase, which will make
pitching ideas harder and harder. As Ailsa said, soon only Dare to be
Digital and a few successful independent developers will be able to
pitch new ideas. We are in danger of having a few big publishers, and
no more innovation.
This situation is exacerbated by the differences between independent or small developers, who have a family feeling and work on a very creative basis, and large publishers, who have to adopt a more corporate strategy and work culture. As an entity, publishers are inherently risk aversive and not as creative as developers. One suggestion I have for moving things forward, is for the publishers to take some of their profits, and invest them in working on pre-production for new IP with developers, so that the ones with the money are taking the risks, instead of the developers. Otherwise we will end up with only sports games, movie tie-ins, and sequels.
Oh, and one final point, the actual act of making games, the creative process involved in the day to day workings of a game company, that is an amazing experience, and that is what drives most developers to keep going. It’s not the profits, it’s not working with publishers, it’s working with talented team-mates in a very creative industry, with an interesting mix of scientists and artists that keeps us going, despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges.
SG: Thank you both. Now, can you tell us anything about the sequel to your first game, The Ship?
Guys...?
Great interview, and a pretty spot on analysis of the challenges developers face. All the best to the Outerlight folks.
Posted by: Nick | May 23, 2008 at 01:18 PM
Awesome interview.
Posted by: e cigarettes | February 12, 2010 at 09:07 PM
Perfect questions to ask. Great interview.
Your girl Mary :)
Posted by: E Cig | February 27, 2010 at 07:02 AM
Impressive! Now not only have buses, hybrid or electric cars but boats!, I feel great this new revolution in transport.
Posted by: viagra online | May 20, 2010 at 08:56 PM
The blog article very surprised to me! Your writing is good. In this I learned a lot! Thank you!
Posted by: Rerto Jordans | June 24, 2010 at 03:42 AM
I'm glad to visit this site, Great Interview, learned a thing or two :)
Posted by: electronic cigarette | July 09, 2010 at 04:43 AM
Hey very nice blog!!
Posted by: Ashley | September 15, 2010 at 06:42 PM
Now not only have buses, hybrid or electric cars but boats!, I feel great this new revolution in transport.
Posted by: how to grow taller 4 idiots | October 09, 2010 at 03:16 PM
Truth is better than a thousand gold pieces, a warm WanLiHan frost, Can arrive a salute sent sweet, A salute all take my thoughts, Busy day take good care of yourself all gold and silver, A LuBao from a prairie greetings, Bring me fragrant smell. From the north's blessing, Let me feel friendship is precious.
Posted by: Jordan retro 5 | October 29, 2010 at 02:19 AM
He is a good friend that speaks well of us behind our backs.
Posted by: Air Max Shoes | November 13, 2010 at 07:09 AM
the ship2 is a boring game! i like the 1st one better than this.
Posted by: Internet Marketing Chicago | January 27, 2011 at 02:58 PM
this one of the most boring game i played so far, the gameplay is very repeatetive and there's not much to offer for you to enjoy
Posted by: Pet Sitter | February 15, 2011 at 07:37 AM
boring game indeed! it only took me 2 hrs of game time before i totally stop playing this game
Posted by: social media marketing | March 04, 2011 at 02:14 AM
contrary to everyone says! this game offers some new perspective
Posted by: cell phone spyware | March 20, 2011 at 12:17 AM
i wonder if there gonna release a sequel to this, the story of the game seems to have a sequel
Posted by: phone spy | March 25, 2011 at 10:20 AM
The Ship 2 looks fantastic so far. I can't wait to try it.
Posted by: waiting room furniture | March 30, 2011 at 08:22 PM
i find your blog very interesting lots of good post and readable articles. Keep it up i will surely bookmark your site and visit it for future readings!
Posted by: phone location | March 31, 2011 at 04:02 AM
this far is one of the worst game i played, very boring and repetitive. I think the developer of this game could have done something to make it a little bit more interesting.
Posted by: android cell phone apps | April 02, 2011 at 10:54 AM
this game seriously lack some gameplay
Posted by: cell phone spy software | April 05, 2011 at 12:38 PM
Well said, remind me of a lot of things this past few years! anyways you have a very nice blog here and good articles including this which i love reading and gives me a lot of insight on the topic.
Posted by: spy phone | April 12, 2011 at 09:29 AM
I'm sure that as time progresses, games become more ubiquitous and journalists who played games as children and continue to do so as adults are the norm rather than the exception
Posted by: buy essay | May 23, 2011 at 01:08 PM
I was truly enjoy reading your post..thanks for some wonderful information's...
Posted by: Orlando Electrician | August 04, 2011 at 03:32 PM
I also been informed by some of the greatest programmers and marketers in the business that they play the sport internal which is very good announcement. I preparing a minimal up date in the next few weeks to incentive these true gamers.
Posted by: לחץ כאן | December 01, 2011 at 10:00 PM
wow.. I used to be searching for this and at last acquired it from this post. Thanks for making it easier.
Posted by: vitiligo | December 15, 2011 at 07:06 PM