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Former Gathering of Developer bosses Mike Wilson and Harry Miller announced Gamecock’s founding a few weeks back. The new publisher promises to treat developers much more equally than their stock market listed contemporaries, putting studio logos on the front of the box and only favouring new IP.
But the company isn’t interested in acquiring any studios, with Wilson keen to quash the idea that publishers must merge with their development partners to build a business.
“We look at ourselves as a service company that helps developers reach gamers and we’ll use any and all means necessary to get a game into gamers hands,” he told Develop.
“We’re not looking to buy up developers or buy their IP, we just want to publish their games and have a good relationship with them.”
He added: “Right now for the current model the only answer when there is trouble between a publisher and a developer is either all-out war or the publisher just buys them and takes control. The idea of buying artists is really not the best model long-term; it just doesn’t make sense.”
Gamecock will be bucking another trend, as well, relying on standard bricks and mortar retail for the bulk of its profits – the company isn’t yet convinced that digital distribution is the quick-fix lifeline many independents say it is.
He said: “Realistically if you’re making big games then you have to go through retail – that’s where the big business is. Digital distribution is wonderful and is a great alternative but it doesn’t work for big console games.
“We’ll keep our ears to the ground and be involved in any and all technologies that emerge – but that still means retail stores and a box by and large.
The full Q&A with Mike Wilson will be published later this week.
