You might expect a big new game studio emerging in 2023 to be caught up in the buzzwords of the moment, especially since the very idea of forming a heavyweight development company requires investors to come on board, and investors have the unfortunate tendency to obsess over trends. UK-based newcomer Maverick Games, however, is sticking to what it knows, and that means shunning talk of, for example, the Metaverse. “I’m not sure the idea of a Metaverse is that clearly defined,” says co-founder Mike Brown. “For us, we want to make games that are a destination for players to visit and a place to share experiences. Some might call that a Metaverse, but it’s what we’ve been doing in the game industry for many, many years.” How about blockchain games? “I think all emerging tech is interesting for game developers,” says Maverick COO Harinder Sangha, who previously ran operations at UK studios including Sumo Leamington and Codemasters. “However, it’s not something we’re planning on working on at Maverick.”
Refreshingly, discussions with investors have instead focused on more important factors. “From the very first conversation that I had with [the investment team],” Brown recalls, “their goal for us was to try and make a game that could go and win game of the year. They are quality driven, which appealed to me.”