Starbreeze: Indie studios 'always' more creative than corporate studios
by Richard Mitchell 
on May 19th 2009 11:00PM
Speaking with
Develop, Starbreeze Studios CEO Johan Kristiansson discussed his feelings about game development, specifically as it relates to independent studios. The subjects of the interview range from the decision to release
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena in April -- the game
debuted at #2 in the UK but
failed to make the top 10 in North America -- to the advantages of using established franchises versus creating new IP. Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview comes near the end, when Kristiansson discusses the differences between the independent and corporate development environments.
According to Kristiansson, corporate development environments can stifle creativity, as decisions are made more slowly. He stated that independent developers have "a stronger feeling of ownership-attachment to their properties," adding that indie studios can develop "a more tightly knit team" over time.
"An independent studio is always going to be more creative," said Kristiansson, noting that publishers should allow developers to maintain control over production. He concluded, "If indies are too close to their publishers, that can also damage the decision making process and the overall game quality."
