14 DAY TRIAL // Respawn Entertainment, the developer of the successful Titanfall first-person shooter, is looking towards new areas for expansion, including the realms of free-to-play and mobile, and has specifically drafted in God of War 3 Director Stig Asmussen.
Respawn Entertainment was a small studio that launched a big game this spring, with Titanfall impressing millions of fans around the world on the PC, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 platforms with its multiplayer shooter action and the many new elements added to the old genre.
However, while it's emphasized that a sequel might enter development soon enough, the studio is also looking towards other areas for expansion.
According to COO Dusty Welch, who talked with CVG, some of these new segments of the gaming market that have piqued the interest of the studio are mobile and free-to-play, and in order to further examine them, it's recently hired God of War 3 Director Stig Asmussen.
"We've just hired Stig [Asmussen] and I love the passion he is bringing to the company right now. Of course, he has more of an action-adventure background, and I can tell you that part of his role here is thinking about how the studio can expand and where the growth sectors are in free-to-play and mobile. Looking at those possibilities is part of what we do, but right now, we're focused on Titanfall."
"I think it's always important to have your eye on the market and know what you long-term vision is, and see if you're able to test the waters in other ways like with mobile or free-to-play."
Welch exemplified his statement by using the well-known animation studio Pixar, which helps secure funds to develop more offbeat projects by releasing sequels in its established franchises.
"Look at what model Pixar has adopted. They try new IP over a two-to-three year period, while at the same time supporting their key franchises. Their major successes allow them to take the risk with other projects."
As such, it's possible that, using the profit from the release of Titanfall earlier this spring, Respawn Entertainment will work on another sequel for the multiplayer shooter while trying out new projects in the mobile and free-to-play segments of the market, in order to make sure it can diversify revenue streams.
As of yet, however, it's clear that those ideas are still in their infancy and that Respawn won't reveal anything major until they're more polished and ready for release.