Former staff who had worked on Disco Elysium have founded a brand new developer called Longdue.
GI.biz reports that the venture is based in the UK and features talent not only from ZA/UM but also Bungie, Rockstar and Brave At Night. Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov are not involved in the project.
“As a long-time gamer myself and massive fan of all types of RPGs, gaming is obviously an industry where there can be such a tension between the art and commerce of it all, and when those elements clash, no matter the circumstance, it’s really disruptive and gets in the way of allowing creatives to do what they love and giving gamers the experiences they are looking for,” said Longdue chair and investor representative Riaz Moola.
“I don’t think there’s anyone on the Longdue team who isn’t really passionate about what they do and who isn’t happiest when they’re getting to be creative, and this is why we decided to invest in the business.
“I think that’s what Longdue represents to the team – an environment insulated where these disputes are not a factor and an environment with solid creative drive and mission. That’s something we really want to cultivate.”
Producer Kaur Kender added: “Longdue is its own entity with our own vision, and that’s really important. The studio is certainly inspired by those projects’ ideals — intelligent storytelling, psychological depth, and solid world-building — but we’re focused on innovation and trailblazing, not replication.
“So, if anything, the real takeaway is to keep moving forward, and the real thing to draw from is that if we put the story first, write well, and treat players with respect, they’ll respond to that. Which is easier said than done, but that’s what we’re here to do.”
This new studio has been formed in the wake of a rather messy legal and media battle between the developers of Disco Elysium and the management at ZA/UM.
