A senior CD Projekt Red official has gone on record to state that the studio doesn't believe microtransactions have a place in single-player games. And while that move effectively reiterated the company's long-standing stance on game monetization, CD Projekt Red isn't entirely ruling out the possibility of implementing microtransactions in the future.
Respawn veteran Stig Asmussen forms Giant Skull to build AAA single player games
12.03.2024 - 14:03 / gamesindustry.biz / Stig Asmussen
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Experienced veterans from EA's Respawn studio have formed a new AAA team called Giant Skull.
The developer is led by Stig Asmussen, who is best known as the game director for 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and 2023's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Giant Skull has an office in LA, although employs people from around the world.
The leadership team also includes Star Wars: Jedi Survivor alumni Jon Carr (CTO) and Jeff Magers (design director), Fortnite veterans Patrick Murphy (art director), Lauren McLemore (lead producer) and Brian Campbell (animation director). Meanwhile, Unbroken Studio's Anthony Scott takes the roles of COO and CFO.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Asmussen explains that the idea for Giant Skull started while he was at EA, but he was "committed to seeing Jedi: Survivor through" first. He says launching his own studio wasn't something he was looking to do, but when the opportunity came his way, he felt compelled to do it.
"I really enjoyed my time at Respawn, and the Jedi team is incredible," he tells us. "EA was a very supportive company. But this opportunity presented itself, and… there was this itch that as soon as I started thinking about it, I just couldn't shake.
"The early days of Respawn was really fun. We were like a garage band. That was one of my favourite times of my career. Building a team was so much fun. The ability to bring great people together, build a studio from the ground up, defining what our pillars are, what our culture is… that seemed incredible exciting to me."
The press release announcing Giant Skull describes the projects it's building as a 'gameplay-driven, story-immersed action-adventure games'. And fans of Asmussen's previous work, which also includes the first three God of War games, will have an idea of what to expect.
"For us, it would be somewhat foolish to try and make something that we're not experienced with or really good at," he explains. "But also, I've been grateful that I can work on the types of games I like to play."
He adds: "We don't want to try and do something we're not comfortable with. We are single player-focused. That being said, it is early days and we are always looking for opportunities to engage players in different ways. So if there was something that could make the experience better, and it's not going to pose a challenge to us in being able to execute… we are very open minded about that. But I make single player games. That is what excites me, and I want to continue doing that."
The team is funded by private investors, and Asmussen says there is sufficient money available to support "our vision and build our studio."
"And from day one, it was very important for
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