Amidst all the interviews that were posted during gamescom last week, one involving Metro: Last Light on Joystiq stuck out and worried fans of the series when Deep Silver CEO Dr Klemens Kundratitz said, “Our ambition is to absolutely continue with that brand and we will also, in the next phase, look to making it more accessible for a broader gamer audience.”
This was construed as possibly “dumbing down” the franchise in future iterations to grow its appeal, but Huw Beynon, Global Brand Manager at Deep Silver, issued a statement trying to explain what Kundratitz meant:
Whatever direction a new Metro game takes (and we are still assembling the drawing boards), it will build on the bleak, post apocalyptic pillars of atmosphere, immersion, challenge and depth that sets this franchise apart from the crowd.
However, Deep Silver will seek to make the world of Metro more accessible to a broader audience – through a commitment to ever higher product quality; through greater strategic investment in the brand; and, in the immediate term, through the release of dedicated Mac and Linux versions of Metro: Last Light. This is just the first stage of a broader initiative to bring Metro to a wider audience, without compromising the product’s strengths.
Metro is a pulsating, radioactive gem in Deep Silver’s crown of rotting zombie flesh, and we believe we can build on the success of Metro: Last Light by doubling down on our unique brand of bleak, Russian, post apocalyptic horror.
What do you think the Metro franchise would need to do to reach the success of something like the Fallout games? Let us know in the comments below.
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