Square Enix Collective®, the platform that brings diverse and quality indie titles to market, has inked a deal with Derby-based Bulkhead Interactive™ to exclusively publish ‘old-school’ multiplayer WW2 shooter Battalion 1944™ on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
This time last year Battalion 1944 smashed its crowdfunding campaign with a promise to recapture the core action of classic multiplayer FPS game and propel WW2 into the next generation. Having grown up playing the sensational WW2 shooters from the turn of the century, the designers at Bulkhead Interactive have utilised the most up-to-date industry technology to create a visceral and heart-thumping multiplayer experience featuring raw, skill-based infantry combat across tight, focused, and competitive maps.
After the huge success of last year’s The Turing Test™, Bulkhead Interactive chose once again to partner with Square Enix Collective for their latest title. Fans are the heart of multiplayer games and by choosing to work with Square Enix Collective, Bulkhead Interactive knows the task of expanding and nurturing Battalion 1944’s community is in very experienced hands.
“From having partnered with Bulkhead before on the hugely successful The Turing Test, we know they’re a very talented studio making great games”, said Phil Elliott, Director of Community & Indie Development at Square Enix® Limited. “We trust Joe and the team as we know what they’re capable of and we see them actively listening to their community. Our relationship is built on a foundation of minimum publisher interference with maximum support where needed. We’ll help nurture and grow the community while Bulkhead can focus on crafting a fantastic FPS experience with Battalion 1944”.
“We received some strong offers from other very big publishers on Battalion 1944. But ultimately, the one team that really stood out for us was Square Enix Collective”, said Bulkhead Interactive’s Senior Game Producer Joe Brammer, “Why? Because they published our previous game, The Turing Test on PC, so we’ve gotten to know them well and that means we know how they work. Crucially, we know that the relationship will be based on trust; and that’s something which works both ways”.
Joe continued: “On the one hand, we know that Phil and the team will come to us with suggestions or ideas but they’ll leave us to make the creative decisions. On the other hand, from past experience we know they’ll trust us (as FPS players) to make those decisions in the best interests of the game and its community and that we’ll keep our heads down, work hard, and design the best game possible. Not only that – and it shouldn’t be assumed even now – but the deal enables us to keep all IP rights to Battalion, and it was exactly the same thing with The Turing Test. So what Collective is doing is helping us build a sustainable business”.