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A six person squad of former Monolith developers have formed their own studio, Blackpowder Games.
Some of the founders include Craig Hubbard, David Longo, Brad Pendleton, Larry Paolicelli, and Charles Wes Saulsberry; all veterans of projects like like FEAR and No One Lives Forever.
Their first project, an Unreal Engine 3 FPS called Betrayer, is striving to stand out without being unapproachable or an eye sore, taking advantage of the new options available to developers seeking their own price point on digital distribution.
“Digital distribution has created opportunities that never really existed before,” Hubbard told Gamasutra in an interview.
“Partly it’s that there’s finally room for products of different sizes at lower price points, which had never really been an option. But I think the bigger impact is just that it’s easier than ever for people to make games."
Betrayer is set for release on Steam Early Access next month, boasting an attention grabbing black, white, and red art style and a story centred on one of the greatest mysteries of early modern American history – the disappearance of the English colony at Roanoke.
“There’s a lot more fearlessness and willingness to break from convention because indies haven’t had it grilled into them what they can’t do and shouldn’t try,” said Hubbard.
