Bungie co-founder sets up new studio

By Fred Dutton Published 23 February, 2012

Industrial Toys to focus on mobile titles for core gamers.

Bungie co-founder and former Disney Interactive Studios chief Alex Seropian has set up a new outfit to develop core games for mobile platforms.

As reported by Pocket Gamer, it's called Industrial Toys and also boasts ex-Dreamworks R&D manager Brent Pease and "some kickass art talent from ex-Marvel and DC guys" on its payroll.

"We believe in the future of mobile. No more excuses for inferior game play, graphics, and idle time-wasters with cute names and elementary mechanics," reads the mission statement on its Facebook page.

"We believe in the audience of core gamers who are waiting, demanding respect. And we're prepared to over deliver with something they've never seen in the world of mobile - artistically-envisioned high-quality production, intricately advanced layers of narrative and gameplay in a free-to-play model designed to inspire rather than exploit."

No specific projects have yet been announced.

Seropian set up Bungie back in 1991 with programmer Jason Jones. He left in 2002 to start the short-lived Wideload Games which was bought by Disney Interactive in 2009, for whom he served as head of in-house game development.

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (9) Latest comment 3 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • thatdudeinthecotton #1 3 months ago

    Its good to see a developer with some hardcore credentials focusing on mobile platforms. I,d be interested to see if they do anything with the new vita.

  • Spazgadget #2 3 months ago

    I appreciate him calling out the "idle time-wasters with cute names and elementary mechanics" that makes up the general landscape of mobile gaming currently. While I know there's a (huge) place for those sort of games, I just don't find that experience at all compelling (which is why I am gaming on a Vita on the go). Interesting to see what sort of engaging experience he can create in the mobile space, and more importantly to me, whether they can make something that can control great on just a touchpad.

  • captain_Elsley35 #3 3 months ago

    I own an ipad and now a VITA, it's even more apprent when proper control is required. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with. I gather 'mobile platforms' refers to phones and tablets rather than VITA and 3DS which would be a shame.

    I'm certainly up for more games like PvZ, Peggle, Where's My Water etc that use touch appropriatly but certainly not games that involve on screen controls. Has anyone actually managed to complete Dead Space HD or a Mega Drive port without giving up after ten mins?

    Plus can you have a 'hardcore'...shudders.. game that doesn't at least involve decent controls?

  • Kygzab #4 3 months ago

    Too bad inferior gameplay comes automatically with the platform they chose. Starting piss me off that whole industry is trying their luck with smartphones and Facebook. The good thing is that shovelware is mostly exclusive to these two from now on, I guess.

  • oceanmotion #5 3 months ago

    I don't blame these devs for going mobile. Money is there and some are old, been there done that, why not make some serious money and enjoy life. Great devs come and go.

  • nimzy #6 3 months ago

    I was wondering what Seropian would do after Disney. Too bad he didn't revisit Bungie now that they're independent again.

  • ctankep #7 3 months ago

    " .. Intricately advanced layers of narrative and gameplay in a free-to-play model designed to inspire rather than exploit."

    < Oh please ..! >


    -


    @Spazgadget

    Know what you mean -- I'd love to have a slower paced and more fleshed out game on my iPhone that I could go back to and enjoy over a longer stretch. The 'endless running' type "Doodle Jump" and "Canabalt" clones as well as the thinly veiled management sims seem to have reached a saturation point. I keep looking for something that might be a bit more satisfying instead of the gaming equivalent of junk food that's out there but it's hard to find.

    If we look at the top end "Infinity Blade" as a hardcore portable is ok but the mechanic is pretty shallow and still geared towards repetition and really short chunks of intense gameplay. Apart from the conversions of board games like "Carcasonne" et al I haven't found anything really good that provides a more thought out experience.

    A recent guilty pleasure has been the free "Grisly Manor" which is like a miniature of "Myst" though these smaller but fully formed games that are well crafted seem to be the exception instead of the norm of endless spazzing. I have a real fondness for Frotz and "Deep Green" [ yes chess ..! ] because they're complete games and feel like they reciprocate beyond just time -wasting. I suppose it's just where developers are at right now as the grinding & purchase driven games are dominating the highest grossing charts.


    -- Chuan
    Edited by ctankep at 24/02/12 @ 05:33

  • Vlad27145 #8 3 months ago

    "core games for mobile platforms" is a nice thing to set out to do. Like many others have said though, it sounds like a paradox. Many have already promised to do this, but nothing came out of this yet. We'll see, but apart from VERY few exceptions and ports of older games that mostly play like crap on the new platform (mobiles), there's really nothing to prove that so called "hardcore" gaming can be achieved on smartphones/tablets.

  • cw- #9 3 months ago

    @captain_Elsley35 I'm about half way through Dead Space HD on my iPad, enjoying it, but the controls are a bit fiddly !

    Spend most my time playing:
    - Diamond Dash
    - Tetris (the new EA one released before Christmas)
    - Amazing Breaker
    - Batman Arkham City Lockdown (occasionally)