With SOEDESCO making some news with their Owlboy CE, I think this is perfect timing for the interview.
Getting to know you
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m 25 years old, grew up in a small village in the south of the Netherlands and am now living and working in Rotterdam. I’m in love with gaming, movies, cats, shopping, and sunshine.
What was the first console/game you ever owned?
I was a committed PC gamer when I grew up; we didn’t even have a game console at home. The first game I can remember playing a lot as a kid was Freddi Fish.
Do you have any fond childhood memories based around gaming?
Yes I’ve got plenty of those! As a child I loved going on exhilarating adventures in the worlds of Rayman, Tomb Raider and Beyond Good and Evil. I also spent hours and hours trying to obtain victory in strategy games such as Age of Empires and The Patrician. My dad, sister and nephew were also gaming fanatics and in my teenage years we often spread across the house to kill each other in a game of F.E.A.R.
Getting to know SOEDESCO
Founded in 2002, SOEDESCO began as a creator of video game accessories and game bundles for several consoles. During those early years, can you share some words as to the products produced?
In the early years, the focus of SOEDESCO was on selling bundles – combining games with fun accessories, mainly for Nintendo Wii. This went great until eventually the market for the Wii started to decline and SOEDESCO had to reinvent itself and find new purpose. That is when the company became a game publisher.
It wasn’t until 2014 that SOEDESCO entered the video game publisher scene and eventually the developer arena. What was it about wanting to work with developers to bring their games to market?
Due to its previous activities, SOEDESCO already had a solid game distribution network set in place. Around the year 2014, there was a massive surge in successful indie games. This meant there was also an increased need for new game publishers, and SOEDESCO spotted this opportunity at the right moment. From the start, SOEDESCO has always had a special focus on publishing physical editions. Indie developers generally really like to make a boxed version of their games, but it is often difficult for them to realize it, since it requires very specific resources. These days, SOEDESCO offers a lot more services than just boxed releases and we try to support developers in every way they wish.
Can you describe the process of how the company finds new games to publish?
When SOEDESCO just started, it was a challenge to find new games to publish. We visited events, approached developers through social media and relied heavily on word of mouth advertising from developers that were enthusiastic about our services. Since then we have grown a lot and nowadays it’s more of a two-way street and developers approach us with their games every day.
The other side of the business is as developer and SOEDESCO has released Adam’s Venture: Origins and Real Farm. Were there new challenges with these endeavors?
SOEDESCO did not develop these games, but it does own the IP’s. Adam’s Venture: Origin was developed by Vertigo Games and Real Farm was developed by Triangle Studios. Big projects like these of course bring along some challenges. For example, the risks are higher for us because the investments are our own. Working with new studios for the first time is always a challenge, especially when the game isn’t their idea. We, as a publisher, have a very clear idea of what the game should be, but it’s a real challenge to align thoughts with a developer. In the end, you never know for certain if you’re on the right track until the game is done.
Having been through a few console iterations, are there any difficulties with adapting to each new system?
Each platform has its own challenges and advantages, and its own specific requirements your game has to meet in order to qualify. When you are publishing for a new platform you will always have to adapt a little, but over the years we have gained plenty of experience which helps us to adapt more quickly and easily every time.
Are there any upcoming IPs that you can tease today?
We have quite a number of titles coming up this year, at the end of May we are releasing the physical release of Owlboy and earlier this month we announced two new titles called Elea and Omen of Sorrow. In May we will be announcing a bunch of new projects as well, so stay tuned!
As a big fan of the physical media, it must be so exciting for developers to see their games on retail shelves. Can you describe the process it takes to go from concept to retail?
This is an extremely elaborate and intricate process and it’s literally impossible to describe in a few sentences! The process also differs per game and platform. Some of the main steps in the process include: Platform holder submission, localization, requesting age ratings, creating box art, designing other art work, the actual production and distribution of physical games, plus of course taking care of marketing, PR and social media.
Having some fun
Your first Nintendo Switch physical title, Owlboy, is heading to stores on May 29th. How exciting is it to be working on Nintendo’s newest console?
It’s immensely exciting to be able to add a new console to our portfolio! This opens up a lot of new possibilities for us. Especially the physical market for Nintendo Switch games is very promising and it will allow for our titles to be playable on the go!
Can you share with us any upcoming games that will be making its way to the Switch?
I can only share that Owlboy won’t be our last Switch game! You won’t have to wait very much longer for our next Switch announcement though…
Besides your own titles, what upcoming games are you looking forward to playing?
I am really looking forward to Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. I haven’t had the time to try it yet unfortunately, but I’m very excited to give it a go.
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