If New Blood had made Dusk 2, there'd be no Iron Lung, 'and now David Szymanski has got a movie that made $50 million'—so maybe there's wisdom in not churning out sequels
You don't need to milk your cash cows.
David Szymanski, the maverick behind New Blood, has found a path to success that defies conventional wisdom in the gaming industry. Rather than focusing on sequels and milkable IPs like Ubisoft and Sony, Szymanski prioritizes creativity and financial prudence. He explains that rather than chasing after big hits like Ultrakill and milking them for all they're worth, his studio has invested its profits into fresh projects, including the imaginative Gloomwood and Fallen Aces.
Szymanski argues that this strategy allows his studio to maintain control and make decisions that genuinely excite him and his team, rather than simply appeasing shareholders and investors. He notes that if he had forced his lead developer, David, to create Dusk 2, the critically acclaimed game Iron Lung, which grossed $50 million, might never have come to fruition. Instead, the studio has nurtured Iron Lung, funded by a popular YouTuber, Markiplier.
Szymanski emphasizes that this approach prioritizes making games that genuinely excite him and his team, over games that are merely designed to meet deadlines or appease investors. He points to the recent Xbox reset and layoffs as evidence that the blockbuster game industry is unsustainable, where developers are disposable. Szymanski believes that this is why New Blood is thriving, by making games that align with their vision, rather than blindly following industry trends.
Written by urgent.news from PC Gamer's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
