Developer Hazelight Studios’ name has carved out its place in the game industry through acclaimed successful games like It Takes Two and Split Fiction, doubling down on co-op elements and heartfelt narratives while successfully capturing the magic of older games that supported split-screen play.
In a recent interview, Founder and Game Director Josef Fares has shed some light on what contributed to his studio’s success, delving into both its philosophy to developing games and its relationship with publisher Electronic Arts.
Josef Fares Discusses Hazelight’s Philiosophy and Relationship with Electronic Arts
“Every decision, every single decision taken for Hazelight will be based on what we feel is great for the game. We will not go through data, thinking what will sell or not sell; that’s not how we do it. It’s very important for us,” Fares told The Game Business.
“I’m not saying that business is not important. It’s important to combine [business and creativity]. If you lean too much on either side, either too much on creativity or too much on business, it’s going to be bad for the game. I think you need to find a good combination, actually.”
When asked about his relationship with publisher Electronic Arts, Fares’ response was very positive, to an extent that might surprise many people who have followed the publisher over the years.
Despite having many high-profile franchises in its portfolio, EA is no stranger to questionable decisions that were meet with plenty of backlash from fans. As far as Hazelight’s collaboration with the company goes, its founder seems quite pleased:
“There [are] a lot of great people at EA. They know how we at Hazelight work. They respect it and they leave us be,” Fares noted.
He went on to say, in a direct, unfiltered fashion, that “there’s not a publisher in the world” that hasn’t made mistakes while admitting that he sometimes feels EA has received more criticism than it deserved.
“For us, it’s a super good collaboration. If it was bad, I would have said it […] We have a great relationship and there are some really great people there.”
Fares then clarified that he isn’t claiming EA’s past is entirely free of missteps.
In his view, “the only problem with publishers in general” stems from the “stupid decisions” they are often forced to take as a result of the companies being publicly traded. This is the reason why, he says, Hazelight will never make that jump.
Fares further notes that “all the people [he is] surrounded with at EA are gamers that love games” assuring fans that they “should not worry because Hazelight will always do what it wants to do.”
It’s hard to see his comments convincing Battlefront 2 fans who were there for its loot box debacle and Battlefield 6 players who think the latest entry in the series is leaning too much into CoD territory in order to chase profits.
At the same time, Hazelight’s ascension happened thanks, in part, to its partnership with Electronic Arts, and its games have yet to attempt to fleece fans, continuing to offer a Friend’s Pass that allows two players to play together by using a single purchased copy.
We don’t know yet what the future holds for Hazelight, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see the studio’s partnership with EA continuing, given Josef Fares’ comments.
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