Ex-Modern Warfare Creative Strategist Launches New Studio, Pushing Back Against Live Service Trends
Robert Bowling, the former creative strategist of Infinity Ward during the original Modern Warfare trilogy , is launching a new studio that pushes back against destructive gaming trends.
Bowling announced his new studio, known as //18.bravo, on LinkedIn and revealed that his new team will be working to radically rethink the way modern games are made. Bowling confirmed that while they will have an online component to their game, it will not be "live service." The goal is to make a game that can be enjoyed, even if the studio behind it collapses.
"While we will support dedicated servers during our peak / launch periods, the foundation of the game is focused around supporting 'forever play,' which means optimized P2P architecture that allows the community to play together even if the company moves on," said Bowling.
He confirmed exclusively to IGN that //18.bravo's first game will be a first-person shooter with a single-player narrative and PvP multiplayer.
“Video games are over commercialized," Bowling told us. "As an industry, we’ve neglected our players and abused our staff to focus on ever increasing profits projections. Live service is killing development teams, unending content treadmills of [free-to-play] gaming are draining players, and the AAA studio system has failed. It’s time for a radically different approach, and we’re doing it or will die trying.”
//18.bravo is also taking a unique approach to rewarding those who work on the game. Leadership compensation will be tied to employee success, there will be a royalty program for staff, and the studio will also offer profit sharing opportunities for external talent such as voice actors, mocap performers, and contractors.
Additionally, Bowling confirmed via his LinkedIn post that the studio will make its assets and code open source if the studio ever shuts down, ensuring that the game won't evaporate out of existence if the studio has to close its doors.
"It is written into our bylaws that if our studio shuts down, our assets, code, and everything required to extend the game (except 3rd party integrations and licensed music) will become open source by default," said Bowling. "Most importantly, we will be releasing all the legal paperwork and processes that make this possible publicly so the model can be replicated easily and at low cost to those who decide to mimic the model."
Bowling's comments and mission statement come during a tumultuous time in the gaming industry. Bungie just laid off nearly half of its studio after winding down support on Destiny 2, and Xbox is preparing to execute massive cuts , which will likely result in studio closures and game cancellations. Microsoft is reportedly considering cancelling Marvel's Blade in addition to shutting down studios like Undead Labs .
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.