Studio Spotlight: FuturLab

Could you tell us a bit about FuturLab, for those unfamiliar with the studio?
Founded in 2003, FuturLab is an award-winning independent game studio responsible for the critically acclaimed Velocity 2Xon PS4, Xbox One, PC and PS Vita. 

We are fortunate enough to be based in Brighton, one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the UK. Our studio has incredible 270-degree views across Brighton and Hove, and is just a block from the beach – we can go swimming in the sea at lunchtime. 

What makes your studio different from other studios?
FuturLab focuses primarily on gameplay; we strive to create that ‘one more go’ feeling in our games. Ultimately, we want to make games that we want to play. We don’t believe that gameplay should take a back seat to pushing graphical capabilities or dubious business models.

FuturLab doesn’t do crunch. Tired teams lose enthusiasm and make mistakes, which is often reflected in the overall quality of a game. I believe that the reason our games consistently gain critical acclaim is that they are made by a healthy and happy team.

What was the biggest development for FuturLab in the last year?
Forging a fantastic relationship with Sierra and taking Velocity 2X to new platforms. Now PC and Xbox One players can enjoy the giddy thrill of teleporting through space at high speed as Lt. Kai Tana.

What are your goals and priorities for the year ahead?
We’re creating a new project team within FuturLab, so our main goal right now is to find some enthusiastic and talented people to join us.

Development of our new IP has been going really well, and we need to maintain that momentum to ensure that all our games continue to be of the same high standard. FuturLab’s studio Metacritic average is in the green and we want it to stay that way. 

We’ve just signed an incredibly exciting new project and we need some very talented artists and coders to come and help us make it.

Will you be returning to your existing IP in future or are you always looking at something completely new and original?
We currently have two projects at different stages of development; both are totally new and exciting IPs. 

It’s good for the team to be able to work on something completely fresh and I think it’s exciting for our fans to be able to see what else we can come up with.

We do love the Velocity franchise and judging by consumer reception, so do a lot of other people. We’d need to think of a way of pushing the IP in a unique direction, without deviating from the core gameplay. 

If we can, and the players want it, then we’d love to see Lt. Kai Tana in action again.