GRIN's Andersson: Adapting Existing IP Still Gives You Freedom 2

Author: by Staff, Christian Nutt

Talking as part of an in-depth Gamasutra interview, GRIN co-founder Ulf Andersson (Bionic Commando) has been discussing the "developer... misconception" of working with existing IP. Andersson, whose company has also worked on the Ghost Recon series for Ubisoft and Terminator and Wanted games, suggests that you always get a degree of creative freedom, and "using the old noggin" to innovate within it is still very interesting. The developer was talking as part of an interview with himself and Capcom Japan producer Ben Judd about Bionic Commando, the big-budget console/PC title due out early in 2009. He commented in particular about working on existing franchises: "I think developers in general have a misconception of working with [established] IP. It's like, "Oh, it's terrible! We don't get creative freedom!" and blah blah blah. And in the end... you always get the freedom to do stuff. It just depends on what level, and what you're focusing on. We don't necessarily focus on only creating new shit. We try to make good shit instead. So we focus on the gameplay. What's fun to do on [external] IPs, especially stuff like Bionic Commando, is that you get a certain rule set that you have to keep to, and that is very creatively challenging. So instead of saying, "Oh, we can come up with anything. Okay, Let's do a shooter!" (sarcastically) Oh, that's interesting. That puts you in a certain area, where you have to start using the old noggin. It's more interesting, to me." You can now read the full Gamasutra interview with the duo, discussing the nature of the collaboration between the two companies, the pressures of trying to make a globally focused hit game, and more.