Prey Title Was Forced Upon Arkane by Bethesda, Says Ex Studio Head
On: September 1, 2022
In the most recent episode of the AIAS Game Maker’s Notebook Podcast, former Arkane Austin studio head Raphael Colantonio talked about a few of the causes that led to his departure again in 2017.
For instance, Colantonio actually didn’t like being pressured to name Prey with the identical title as Human Head Studios’ 2006 title.
Another factor, I’ll admit it, I feel that I used to be a bit at odds with a few of the administration. The determination of calling Prey Prey, that was very very hurtful to me. I didn’t need to name this game Prey and I needed to say I wished to anyway in entrance of journalists, which isn’t my pleasure. I hate to lie and people are gross sales lies, it isn’t like private life, but it surely nonetheless felt unhealthy I needed to assist a message I didn’t need. Not solely me however no person on the workforce wished to name this game Prey, our game had nothing to do with Prey. Yes, I’m grateful that an organization will give me the means to make a game and belief my skill with so many tens of millions of {dollars}, I’m grateful of that, however there’s a little bit of the artist, the artistic aspect that’s insulted whenever you inform this artist your game goes to be referred to as Prey.
You go like, I do not suppose it ought to, I feel it is a mistake, it is a gross sales mistake as a result of we’re gonna get the backfires from the individuals who need one other Prey made. These ones usually are not gonna be pleased. Then those who did not like Prey, they don’t seem to be even gonna search for the brand new game, so it is a actually actually bizarre factor. I used to be like, I gotta go at this level as a result of I’m not answerable for my very own boat. Again, it is by no means type of one factor, it is plenty of issues.
As a few of you might bear in mind, Bethesda even pushed indie developer No Matter Studios to alter the title of their game Prey for the Gods as a means of defending the model. Interestingly, Human Head Studios joined Bethesda as Roundhouse Studios practically three years in the past, so there’s a likelihood the unique Prey would possibly get a sequel sooner or later.
As for Raphael Colantonio, he based WolfEye Studios, the indie workforce behind topdown immersive sim game Weird West.
