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The developer behind one of the world’s most successful free-to-play games could soon break into the console scene.
Speaking with GamesIndustry International, Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi said that his company was hopes to begin console development following the acquisition of Day 1 in January.
"Free-to-play, which we are big advocates of, can be enjoyed on any hardware device," said Kislyi.
"The hardware cannot constrain the player from getting the experience. Obviously with Day 1, we would like to expand our multi-platform venture. We don’t have much experience working with consoles or mobile, but you should start one day. So we started with both Gas Powered and Day 1."
Day 1 is best known for its work on the console ports of F.E.A.R. and Fracture.
Gas Powered Games is a PC developer aquired by Wargaming in February. Known for Dungeon Siege, Demigod, and Supreme Commander, the studio should add considerable horsepower to the company’s development machine.
But what does the acquisition of these new studios mean for the company in terms of next-gen consoles? Kislyi said this hasn’t been decided yet.
"Right now, we aren’t doing anything for PlayStation 4, but nobody knows what the future holds for us. As I mentioned before, the free-to-play experience can be enjoyed on any device," he explained.
"We will see, and Day 1 will probably be helping us in that endeavor," Kislyi continued.
"It’s all about the game, the platform alone will not do miracles. It has to be a good game concept. But we don’t shut doors. Every possibility in the future, we have the power to review when it is reasonable."
For now, console development is in the experimental stages at Wargaming.
"We are still doing experiments, said Kislyi.
"It’s about selecting the most cool idea for the time being, seeing if it’s technologically possible, and then beginning prototyping and production. Nothing is clear, we recently acquired those two. We just think they are veteran teams making great games."
In the meantime, Kislyi says the company is getting these new teams working within the existing free-to-play model.
"We need to blend that with Wargaming’s free-to-play experience, financial muscle, publishing infrastructure, and the wisdom we have with how to monetize and how you’d rather not monetize," he explained.
