Ex-IO Interactive and Ubisoft Massive devs form new indie studio Sharkmob

A new studio has been set up in the Swedish city of Malmö by ex-Hitman and Division developers from IO Interactive and Ubisoft Massive. Many of these senior developers have been working for a decade or more in the industry and are looking to use that experience on a new multiplayer title based on a ‘cult classic’ IP, according to GamesBeat.

The multiplayer focus of the game appears to be in-line with the direction the industry is headed, with games-as-a-service and competition a priority over a single-player narrative experience. Sharkmob’s CEO, Fredrik Rundqvist, tells GameBeat that this reflects the sort of games members of the new studio want to play.

“We’re not really interested in making a more traditional single-player type of game,” says Rundqvist. “What we play privately, the kind of games we love, are very social, very competitive, always multiplayer. The more the merrier. Of course, in our opinion, the pure mechanics of that are not interesting if you don’t have the right IP, the right setting, the right fantasy to get people really excited about the game mechanics we provide. I guess that also gives you a hint as to what kind of game we’re making.”

The tale of a group of senior developers moving away from triple-A to form an indie studio is becoming very familiar. Here again we hear about the continued desire to work closely on a project and being involved with more nitty gritty design choices than a high-up role at a large studio allows.

“For me, a lot of it was just getting closer to a game again,” said Sharkmob technical director Anders Holmquist. “You get these huge projects, and you get so far away from the game that you’re not really making a game anymore. You’re making a project. I think that for me it was important to get hands on again, to be making a game, and not just some hypothetical project.”

The studio is still hiring in some areas, so make sure you check out the jobs section of its website if you’re in the area and looking for a new gig.

[Via GamesBeat]