Philip Oliver hails success of new Volatile label
In a candid interview with <i>GamesIndustry.biz</i>, Blitz Games founder Philip Oliver has lauded the "fantastic response" to the firm's new Volatile label, which is currently working on projects including a title based on Reservoir Dogs.
In a candid interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Blitz Games founder Philip Oliver has lauded the "fantastic response" to the firm's new Volatile label, which is currently working on projects including a title based on Reservoir Dogs.
"It's definitely been the right thing to do," Oliver enthused. "We have the shine of being a new label, the new kids on the block, and that attracts interest - but underneath, we're running with all the tried and tested technology and people and practice that we've got at Blitz, which is really important."
Volatile's current projects include a videogame based on Quentin Tarantino's cult classic film Reservoir Dogs for British publisher SCi, and the as-yet unsigned next generation title Possession.
Oliver revealed that the decision to start a new brand to focus on mature games was taken both in order to attract publisher interest to the new initiative, and to avoid spoiling Blitz' reputation as a successful developer of kids' titles.
"We basically decided that it was pushing water uphill, trying to teach everybody out there that Blitz isn't just kids' cartoon games," he explained. "To be honest, if we've sold that message so bloody well, why tarnish it? Why tarnish the image that we're the best at kids' licensed games - just start another one, and say, hey, we can do this as well!"
Oliver, who is one of the UK's longest-established videogame developers, made the comments as part of an extensive interview with GamesIndustry.biz where he discussed the origins of his career in the industry in the early eighties, the growth of Blitz and his views on the rapidly evolving game development market.