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Focus Home Interactive reveals "what's next" for them in 2019 (Dontnod, Sumo, Deck13 partnerships, new Switch games, more)

DarkDetective

DarkDetective

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,906
The Netherlands
French publisher Focus Home Interactive have held a press event called "What's Next 2019", where they have revealed their plans for upcoming year.

Their report in French can be found here: https://cdn.focus-home.com/admin/in...LES/Communiques/20190410-PR-WhatsNext2019.pdf

Dontnod
- Focus Home Interactive has announced a new partnership with Dontnod Entertainment, after the success of Vampyr, which has sold over one million units (thread). This new co-production is one of the most ambitious projects in the history of both companies.

Deck13
- The Surge 2 will be released "in a few months".
- Focus and The Surge 2 developer Deck13 are pleased to announce the renewal of their cooperation with the development of a new franchise benefiting from all the know-how and expertise of the studio.

Nintendo Switch ports
- Focus is bringing three titles to Nintendo Switch this year: a new installment of Farming Simulator (dev by Giants Software), as well as ports of Vampyr and Call to Cthulhu (both ported by Saber Interactive).

Saber Interactive
- Focus and MudRunner developer Saber Interactive have started development on two new titles, one of which uses a license from the Games Workshop universe.
- MudRunner 2 will be released this year not just for PC and consoles, but also for Android and iOS devices.

Sumo Digital
- Focus is partnering with Sumo Digital. Their Newcastle studio behind EVE: Valkyrie is working with Focus on "an uncompromising multiplayer experience", set in a dark and violent world.

Call of Cthulhu license
- Focus has secured a new ten-year exclusive license for video game adaptations of the Call of Cthulhu series.

Other projects
- Focus will also continue to work with Asobo Studio after they have released A Plague Tale: Innocence on 14 May.
- Gasket Games, a studio formed by former members of Relic Games (Dawn of War, Company of Heroes) and Blackbird Interactive (Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak) are working with Focus on a strategy game set in a Games Workshop universe.
- Focus is publishing the title of a young indie studio called Lightbulb Crew, as well as the game of Estonian indie studio Limestone Games.
- GreedFall is still scheduled for a 2019 release.
 
Theorry

Theorry

Member
Oct 27, 2017
60,959
Love we have Focus Home they are doing a great job in publishing games of all genres and not huge budgets so games dont have to sell crazy amount to be successful
 
Hadok

Hadok

Member
Feb 14, 2018
5,788
i am curious to see Vampyr on Switch.Probably a lot of downgrades,but hey,still a very cool game for the console.
the Call to Cthulhu game(altough reviews were not really good) could also work well on Switch.
 
Menchin

Menchin

Member
Apr 1, 2019
5,166
I really hope Surge 2 has more creative enemy and equipment designs.

I mean I like Metal Gears and Alien exosuits as much as the next guy but come on.
 
Mentalist

Mentalist

Member
Mar 14, 2019
17,949
Greedfall is one of my most anticipated games this year. Guess they're going with a Q4 release. Going toe to toe with Doom Eternal and Respawn's Star Wars game isn't a great move though.

Plague Tale will be Day 1 purchase as long as it doesn't bomb in reviews and stays away from EGS.

And I guess it's crickets for "Fear the Wolves" ? And probably Vostok games as a whole?
 
Ronnie Poncho

Ronnie Poncho

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
2,129
DarkDetective said:
MudRunner 2 will be released this year not just for PC and consoles, but also for Android and iOS devices.
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I'm so ready for this. Mudrunner is so unique, and such a great time.

DarkDetective said:
- Focus and MudRunner developer Saber Interactive have started development on two new titles, one of which uses a license from the Games Workshop universe.
- Gasket Games, a studio formed by former members of Relic Games (Dawn of War, Company of Heroes) and Blackbird Interactive (Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak) are working with Focus on a strategy game set in a Games Workshop universe.
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Oh. My. God. Big fan of Dawn of War, and look forward to seeing these games, presumably an RTS and maybe something different from Saber? Warhammer Mudrunner!
 
Hero of Legend

Hero of Legend

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,596
Sabre's fucking EATING on Switch.

- NBA Playgrounds
- NBA Playgrounds 2
- Shag-Fu: The Legend Reborn
- Bass Pro Shops: The Strike
- Cabela's The Hunt
- Party Arcade
- Spintires: Mudrunners
- Vampyr
- Call of Cuthulu

Plus they said they had some kind of 4-player co-op shooter coming? What happened with that?

I hope they get Sumo and Asobo on cool Switch games also. They could help add some racing games to Switch which lacks some (though thankfully Grid Autosport is coming).
 
lcap

lcap

Member
Oct 27, 2017
159
Man, can't wait to see The Surge 2, this weekend I've been replaying the A Walk in the Park expansion and was wondering when we would see the sequel again.

I'm actually one of the few that enjoyed Warren's story and would like to play with him again.

But thankfully they said on Twitter that his story is not finished yet and there'll be something on the sequel.
 
Kelanflyter

Kelanflyter

Banned
Nov 9, 2017
1,730
France
Hero of Legend said:
Sabre's fucking EATING on Switch.

- NBA Playgrounds
- NBA Playgrounds 2
- Shag-Fu: The Legend Reborn
- Bass Pro Shops: The Strike
- Cabela's The Hunt
- Party Arcade
- Spintires: Mudrunners
- Vampyr
- Call of Cuthulu

Plus they said they had some kind of 4-player co-op shooter coming? What happened with that?

I hope they get Sumo and Asobo on cool Switch games also. They could help add some racing games to Switch which lacks some (though thankfully Grid Autosport is coming).
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Click to shrink...

Sumo is already doing the Sega Racing game
 
FHIZ

FHIZ

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,942
Wow cool to see Vampyr broke a million. I had some issues with it but enjoyed it nevertheless, that said I thought it sort of came and went without a blip, cool to be wrong.

Focus has really kept my interest the past couple years. They've yet to get that real standout hit but they've been been putting out a decent amount of good stuff in a day and age where the B publisher seems to be back on the rise in a post Midway and THQ world
 
Jakady

Jakady

Member
Jun 16, 2018
6
New pictures of Greedfall > https://multiplayer.it/notizie/greedfall-nuove-immagini.html


greedfall-screenshot_7_jpg_1400x0_q85.jpg
greedfall-screenshot_6_jpg_1400x0_q85.jpg
greedfall-screenshot_3_jpg_1400x0_q85.jpg
greedfall-screenshot_4_jpg_1400x0_q85.jpg
greedfall-screenshot_5_jpg_1400x0_q85.jpg
 
Mentalist

Mentalist

Member
Mar 14, 2019
17,949
FHIZ said:
Wow cool to see Vampyr broke a million. I had some issues with it but enjoyed it nevertheless, that said I thought it sort of came and went without a blip, cool to be wrong.

Focus has really kept my interest the past couple years. They've yet to get that real standout hit but they've been been putting out a decent amount of good stuff in a day and age where the B publisher seems to be back on the rise in a post Midway and THQ world
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Focus Home, Kalypso and Deep Silver/THQN
are my go-to pubs for mid-tier action games, RPGs and pretty much everything else these days.

With all the big publisher's reducing the number of IPs they put out to release some ultra-polished but largely formulaic to stuff, the mid-tier pubs are where most of the creativity is these days.
 
FallenGrace

FallenGrace

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,034
Greedfall looking good, Plague Tale looking good, more Don't Nod and Surge 2. Focus hitting the right notes for me.
 

Scion

Member
Oct 27, 2017
271
I'm really starting to appreciate Focus Home as a nice mid-tier publisher. A Plague Tale: Innocence may just be my next day one purchase.
 
YaBish

YaBish

Unshakable Resolve - One Winged Slayer
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Oct 27, 2017
5,337
Wish all the best luck to Focus Home. They're definitely filling roles that big publishers put by the wayside.
 
Mentalist

Mentalist

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Mar 14, 2019
17,949
Mifec said:
So more mediocre Cthulhu games sadly...feels bad.
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I dunno if this affected the game, but during the development Focus tried to acquire the developer (Cyanide). Cyanide refused and instead were acquired by a different French Publisher, BigBen.

I can only speculate, of course, but it may have been in Focus Home's interests to sabotage Cyanide's game given they were going over to work for a rival publisher.

The next Call of Cthulhu game will be done by a different developer, and while that doesn't guarantee it'll be good, it might be- if they give it to the team that did The Council, for example.
 
Mentalist

Mentalist

Member
Mar 14, 2019
17,949
Slam Tilt said:
That's not how you spell "indies." :-)
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Very few indies are making 3d action-adventure, or 3d action-RPGs.

Indies are solid for top-down stuff or 2d platforms, but as someone who didn't grow up with consoles and has no attachment to the nostalgia many of these games seem to trigger. So I like the kinds of games mid-tier pubs are putting out more than most indies.

Not to say there aren't some exceptional indie games out there.
 
Teeth

Teeth

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,926
This may seem weird, but the main thing I want from Surge 2 is more/better helmets and armor to cover up the main character. They should take (another) note out of Dark Souls' playbook and realize that cool ass full-face helmets are always better than seeing your goober.
 
Theorry

Theorry

Member
Oct 27, 2017
60,959
Best thing about Focus is imo how the handle budget and success. I mean Surge 1 budget was between 4 and 6 million euro's and then it sold 500k in 6 months. Resulted in a big success for them.
Wich meant Surge 2 was greenlit right away.
 
Vic_Viper

Vic_Viper

Thanked By SGM
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Oct 25, 2017
29,009
Did they say anything about STYX? I would like to see them release the first 2 on Switch at least, if they arent working on a new one.
 
Mifec

Mifec

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,696
Mentalist said:
I dunno if this affected the game, but during the development Focus tried to acquire the developer (Cyanide). Cyanide refused and instead were acquired by a different French Publisher, BigBen.

I can only speculate, of course, but it may have been in Focus Home's interests to sabotage Cyanide's game given they were going over to work for a rival publisher.

The next Call of Cthulhu game will be done by a different developer, and while that doesn't guarantee it'll be good, it might be- if they give it to the team that did The Council, for example.
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Oh I just mean I want like a really polished expensively made Lovecraft game is what I mean, with actual licensed characters. Don't think Focus Home would ever funnel that kind of cash into a game so ya. That said I have no issues with them actually making games like they are now, minus Denuvo.
 

FantaSoda

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,992
I've been wanting to play Vampyr and right now I'm only playing on Switch so I'm super excited about this.
 
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