Starbreeze "proud" of Syndicate despite poor sales

**Blacksite** · 06-20-2012

CEO admits studio's FPS reboot of beloved strategy series meant "a small but very vocal group [would] hate us whatever route we took."

Mikael Nermark, CEO of Swedish developer Starbreeze, insists he is "proud" of the studio's work on the Syndicate reboot despite the game's lukewarm critical commercial reception.

Speaking to us at the studio's offices earlier today, Nermark said he expected a backlash due to EA's decision to turn a beloved strategy series into an FPS, but insists that he was happy with the game's performance.

"Yes, I'm still proud of it," he said. "To have the courage to reboot the franchise… We knew from the get-go that there was going to be a small but very vocal [group] of gamers and journalists that was going to hate us whatever route we took.

"If we didn't do an exact copy of the game, they'd hate us. If we did do an exact copy, they'd say we didn't innovate. They were never ours to win; it was a lost battle from the get-go.

"But I'm proud of what the team did and what we made, and I'm especially proud of the co-op; I think that really shows what we wanted to do with the game, and Starbreeze's DNA."

But there's no arguing with the figures: Syndicate sold poorly - an estimated 150,000 copies worldwide - prompting EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau to describe the game as "something we took a risk on. It didn't work."

"I don't have any response to what Frank said," Nermark told us. "I think both EA and Starbreeze can look back at it and say that we could have done stuff differently. [But] if you ask anyone about any game in production they probably would say the same thing.

"In comparison to other triple-A teams, in terms of people and money, we're very small. I'm not going to tell you exactly what Syndicate cost to make - I can't due to NDAs - but it was substantially less than what the big in-house publishing studios would have spent, definitely."

Source

**Ghost-Rhayne** · 06-20-2012

Go look at XCOM:EU bitches, see how a reboot is done respectfully, then respectfully go fuck yourselves.

/jadedandbitter

**Blacksite** · 06-20-2012

Respectfully said, Ghost-Rhayne.

**Ghost-Rhayne** · 06-20-2012

Originally Posted by Blacksite

Respectfully said, Ghost-Rhayne.

Haha. I said it in another thread, but I waited long and hard for the day this reboot would be made, it was one of my favorite games ever. What a sorry slap in the face this garbage is. Thank goodness that XCOM isn't going to be gangbanged in the same way.

**Fenix** · 06-20-2012

Plan to pick up syndicate when its $19.99, due to is length.

But XCOM:EU doesnt interest me like XCOM does.

**DarkVincent07** · 06-20-2012

Not every game can be a 10/10 critically acclaimed multi million copy seller..

Via Tapatalk

**grayzon** · 06-20-2012

Its a awesome game but POORLY developed. I amongst others have a buggy game which freezes and sometimes PS3 freezes because of it. The lack of willingness to fix those bugs im giving Starbreeze & EA big thumbs down! I has gone months since release and still no fuging bugfix ???? If i as a developer worked in the same cold way and did not fix any bugs after release i would be freaking un-employed.

**Kuro** · 06-20-2012

Originally Posted by Ghost-Rhayne

Go look at XCOM:EU bitches, see how a reboot is done respectfully, then respectfully go fuck yourselves.

/jadedandbitter

Man I just love the way you word things Ghost..lol

**DreDayDetox** · 06-20-2012

Originally Posted by zzKurozz

Man I just love the way you word things Ghost..lol

I know right, he just knows all the right things to say. And he says it with such style and finesse. I would want him if I was a woman.

**TDbank24** · 06-21-2012

Much like Capcom and their pathetic DMC reboot we want better. Put up or shut up Starbreeze.

**Ghost-Rhayne** · 06-21-2012

Originally Posted by zzKurozz

Man I just love the way you word things Ghost..lol

Originally Posted by DreDayDetox

I know right, he just knows all the right things to say. And he says it with such style and finesse. I would want him if I was a woman.

Haha Thanks guys, I appreciate the sentiments.

Glad I can provide a lil amusement now and then.

**Seasons** · 06-21-2012

Is the co-op still alive for this game though? Is there any point in getting it solely for the multiplayer or are the servers empty wastelands wandered by the occasional elite player with too much time on his hands?