Check out our latest products
![[2025 Upgraded] Retractable Car Charger, SUPERONE 69W Car Phone Charger with Cables Fast Charging, Gifts for Men Women Car Accessories for iPhone 16 15 14 13 12, Samsung, Black](https://i1.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61SaegZpsSL._AC_SL1500_.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1)
With the video game industry going through a frustrating downturn, developers need all the insight they can get from studios staying afloat by avoiding huge swings and sticking to what they’re passionate about. This week senior editor Bryant Francis catches up with Sabotage Studio president and creative director Thierry Boulanger for insights on how the studio has stayed financially afloat and creatively inspired.
Earlier this year Sabotage released a free downloadable update for the 2023 retro turn-based role-playing game Sea of Stars called “Throes of the Watchmaker.” It’s a substantial content drop, the kind many other developers would need to charge $5-$20 for to justify development, especially when making a game in a crowded genre.
Self-publishing and Kickstarter funding made Sea of Stars a success
According to Boulanger, Sabotage followed up the 2019 game The Messenger by deciding to turn to Kickstarter and self-publish their next game in order to better control their financial fate. Doing so was a huge risk—but opened the door to making the kind of games the studio thinks will succeed.
“The thing is, we weren’t asking for the full budget of the game….that’s because I don’t want a royalty share where you invested so much that we only get a smaller share.”
We wanted to pick Thierry’s brain about making games in crowded genre,s building sustainable development practices, the best approaches to selling DLC, and the creative “vibe” that makes Sea of Stars and the studio’s first game The Messenger so unique.
About the Game Developer Podcast
The Game Developer podcast is a bi-weekly podcast chronicling the triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in-between of game development, sharing lessons and strategies fellow developers can use to hone their craft. The Game Developer Podcast is hosted by Bryant Francis, edited by Pierre Landriau, and features music by Mike Meehan.
Learn more about Sabotage Studio and Sea of Stars.
![[True Military-Grade] Car Phone Holder【2024 Stronger Suction & Clip】 Universal Cell Phone Holder for Car Mount for Dashboard Windshield Air Vent Long Arm Cell Phone Car Mount Thick Case,Black](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/715PBCuJezL._AC_SL1500_.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1)
![[エレコム] スマホショルダー ショルダーストラップ 肩掛け ストラップホールシート付属 丸紐 8mm P-STSDH2R08](https://i3.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51BMFf06pxL._AC_SL1500_.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1)
