Blackstar IP Acquisition Interview

Jonric: At what point did you decide you wanted to acquire the IP? What hurdles arose, if any? Why do you think NCsoft was willing to sell it?

Gary Gattis: We always knew we wanted the IP back... we poured out hearts and souls into it.

First and foremost, we want to make a kick-ass game, a revolutionary game... and we strongly feel we are solidly on that path. Now that we own the IP, we are interested in meeting with publishers

There were no real hurdles in reacquiring it. I think NCsoft was willing to sell it to us because, ultimately, we are the best ones to pull it off. The visual direction of this product is like nothing ever seen before. We have the best space combat and MMOG designers out there, as well as our programming and production art teams; we are completely geared towards making this product. So of course, it was a natural fit... it was like our baby came back home.

Jonric: To what extent is the game playable? Where do you stand with respect to developing systems versus content? What's your funding status? How far are you from launch?

Gary Gattis: Oh man, we have been playing this game since early 2006 - and it has been fun since then! Not just single-player either... we have been doing good ol' PvP and killing the hell out of each other. Well, Cinco kills the hell out of me. I can dog a few of our younger guys, but Cinco and Anthony beat the snot out of everyone.

I would say that 90 percent of the systems are complete, and we have already developed substantial amounts of content. We have plenty of cash on-hand to maintain development while we find our next partner. As far as when it will launch, that ultimately depends on the scope of the product, which will be largely influenced by our partner.

Jonric: What are your plans in regard to looking for another publishing deal? Are you willing to consider other options?

Gary Gattis: First and foremost, we want to make a kick-ass game, a revolutionary game... and we strongly feel we are solidly on that path. Now that we own the IP, we are interested in meeting with publishers and seeing if our philosophies align. We are looking forward to finding the right partner, but in the meantime, we are cruising on with making the game.

We have the team, we have an amazing engine and tool set, and now we have the IP. All pre-production risks have been mitigated. The game is fun and we know exactly how to make the assets... so it makes perfect sense for us to make the game. Other funding options are always available, but we would prefer finding the right developer / publisher deal if possible.

Jonric: To finish up, is there anything else that you'd like to tell our readers at this moment?

Gary Gattis: Nope - just thank you very much for opportunity to talk about our product with you!

Since we've been curious for the better part of three years what Gary Gattis and his colleagues at Spacetime Studios have been up to, we owe him a debt of thanks for the information he was willing to disclose in this interview. Obviously, we'd like to know much more about the Blackstar IP, the game itself and the various elements he mentioned. We hope the time to learn about them in greater detail isn't far off. We'll certainly be waiting.

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