Home Gaming Syndicate developer Starbreeze isn’t worried about any competition in the FPS genre

Syndicate developer Starbreeze isn’t worried about any competition in the FPS genre

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Next month sees the release of Syndicate, a brand new take on the classic Bullfrog Squad and Tactics title of the same name. Shifting gears from its strategic roots to a more action FPS title, long-time fans have expressed disappointment over this genre move, but honestly, the latest Syndicate still looks an incredibly fun game that hasn’t completely forgotten its roots.

As for the reason why Syndicate was developed into a shooter, it’s because Starbreeze Studios feels that the game will work best in that particular environment.

“We’d been asked by EA, they came to us, and this is what we know; this is where our expertise lies. So that’s why we made it an FPS,” CEO Mikael Nermark told Gamasutra, while also explaining about how the studio could be comfortable producing an FPS in a saturated genre.

You have to trust your own skills and realize what your strengths are. I think we did that, and I’m extremely proud of the studio and the guys working on the team. But it’s definitely a hard genre to be in, no doubt.

“When we look at any project, when we look at any games, we don’t look at genre. We don’t look at it like we’re making a game; we’re making an experience for the player which is competing with whatever he or she would do, spend time with loved ones and things like that”, Nermark said.

So we have to make a great experience so that you think it’s worthwhile playing our games. If we put shooting in our game, it has to be top-notch shooting, and it has to be competing there, and it has to be right for the game. If it’s driving, it has to be right for the game.

I’m not saying that, if we do a shooting game, we have to go and compete with the Battlefields or Call of Duties, but we have to have the right kind of shooting for the game we’re making. So we don’t look at it from a genre perspective anymore.

I know a lot of gamers are bemoaning the fact that every year in gaming always turns out to be a season of shoot ‘em games at the end, but being able to clearly distinguish your product in the eye of the public also means that the title will have a special hook that will convince players to invest in it.

With a studio such as Starbreeze working on Syndicate, seasoned pros who developed the excellent Riddick game, Syndicate looks like a solid start to the year ahead so far, and I can’t wait to get my hands dirty with a little mega-conglomerate near-future espionage when it does arrive.

Last Updated: January 23, 2012

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