“The best way to stay independent is to keep your IP”, says Sundberg

By Stephany Nunneley

Avalanche’s Christofer Sundberg has weighed-in on being an independent studio, and to stay that way – keep your own IP.

Speaking with Develop, Sundberg was asked if like Gas Powered’s Chris Taylor, he felt the same financial pressure other independents feel. Since securing the rights to the Hunter, and buying back AionGuard, Sundberg said it all boils down to keeping your ideas your own in order to maintain company value.

“It’s the only way an independent developer can increase the worth of the company,” he said. “Staff and technology has some value, but this comes and goes.

“The best way to keep your own independent studio valuable is to keep your own ideas and your own IP, because it gives you more creative freedom. There are just so many things that are just so much easier and more fun if you keep your IP.

“American developers tend to sell their companies way too early, and then they whine about not getting enough money when their projects become successful after a couple of years of being owned by a big publisher and not really being in control.

“There are quite a few successful managers when it comes to being acquired by a publisher. But many developers look at this and always see the dollars and not the significance of actually being owned by someone else.

“Being acquired means that, ultimately, you’re not in control of your destiny, or your daily work.

“The strangest thing is that, yes we had a very tough year [citing the layoffs], but we had no financial loss. However, we don’t have external share holders, so we don’t have that pressure to report to directors.

“The motivation to get to work every day should be more than about money”.

During the same interview, Sundberg chatted a bit about the team’s next game, and why Avatar should not have been made into a game.

Just Cause 2 is out March 26.