Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight launched to critical acclaim and even won a few awards. Still, its performance wasn’t enough to save the studio at Microsoft, leading to it running the risk of closure before going independent in August.
Now, with his time at the company done, South of Midnight creative director David Sears is talking about his time at the company and what it was like working on the game. But there was one moment that has people talking more than any other part of the nearly 90-minute interview.
Sears Wouldn’t Have Funded South of Midnight
Speaking with MinnMax, Sears spoke about the development and overall cost of South of Midnight. He says that he would tell people that it could get terrible if, one day, they decide to turn off funding for the game because of how much it took to make it.
Ben Hanson then clarified with Sears that, although he’s happy that Microsoft funded the game and the overall time working on South of Midnight was enjoyable, it’s not a game he personally would’ve funded.
To that, Sears said, “Yeah, probably,” before Hanson admitted that was something confusing to hear.
“I mean, I wanted to make it, no doubt, right?” Sears said. “And obviously because we made it. You know, would I have turned off, you know, someone else’s money flow before South Midnight? Yeah, cuz, I’m not completely selfless. But, you know, it just seems like, in hindsight at least, it was unsustainable. So, of course, it was going to have a, you know, shocking outcome.”
For fans of South of Midnight to hear that it wasn’t a game its director would’ve paid to have developed if it was his money, the comments might come as a surprise. Sears has since moved on from Compulsion Games, currently working as the creative director at game development support studio Orphan Toyz LLC.
What do you make of Sears’ comments on South of Midnight? Let us know down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
In other news, read about Chronicles: Medieval developer Raw Power Games facing possible closure before the game can be released. For even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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