TinyBuild opens new studio

Developer tinyBuild has opened a new studio with the help of one of their solo developer partners.

The company has confirmed that they’re working with Jed ‘Hakjak’ Steen to create this new studio in Boise, Idaho. The pair have previously worked together, with TinyBuild publishing Steen’s game Guts and Glory. The game launched for PC and consoles in July 2018.

TinyBuild has described the focus of this new studio as emergent gameplay. The company says that the studio is already working on a proven IP, indicating that the first game it produces will already have an established fan base.

Alex Nichiporchick, CEO of TinyBuild, explained that they believe that smaller studios should work together on larger projects. They see this sort of collaboration as essential for the industry, pushing small companies to work as one on something larger than themselves, or even all the collaborating companies put together.

Nichiporchick described this sort of collaboration as a trend that they’ve been seeing in the industry. With more and more solo and indie developers coming together to produce great games, it only makes sense for TinyBuild to do the same.

The TinyBuild CEO also mentioned that when they hear pitches now, they consider the potential for that pitch to become a franchise. The idea behind this sort of thinking is to see whether a pitch could become a project that will keep players entertained for five or ten years. This would not only create a great pipeline for players to receive content through, but generate a regular revenue stream for TinyBuild and the project’s other developers.

It’s easy to see why TinyBuild would want to take on more long-term games. Destiny 2 is into its third year of growth, with more and more players joining each year, in addition to those who still enjoy the first game.

Fortnite is another example of a game that may last five to ten years. It has enough players to keep generating revenue and justifying the creation of new content. TinyBuild needs to find a game with that same level of potential, and nurture it.