Rebellion’s foray into new intellectual property with Atomfall has been significantly bolstered by the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. Jason Kingsley, CEO and co-founder of Rebellion, shared insights with GI.biz regarding how Microsoft’s financial backing for the game’s inclusion on their platform has alleviated some of the inherent risks associated with launching a new franchise. The game, which debuted in March, quickly garnered attention, attracting 1.5 million players, a feat largely attributed to its availability on Game Pass.
Mitigating Risks and Managing Budgets
“Yes, it does mitigate risk, because without going into details, they guarantee you a certain level of income, regardless of what it will sell for,” Kingsley stated. However, he also acknowledged a potential downside: “You could argue that all the hardcore are on Game Pass, and they’re the ones that might buy a new IP like this, so therefore, are you cannibalising one section of the audience? And I think, perhaps, yes, a little bit. But what you gain from that cost is disproportionate.”
In discussing the financial strategies that guide Rebellion, Kingsley emphasized the importance of budget management. He candidly noted that the company does not possess the luxury of investing 0 million into a single project. “We try our hardest to control budgets and make them the appropriate size for our games,” he explained. “I’m flattered to even be talked about in the same area, or even vaguely occupying similar parts of the charts as fantastic games like Assassin’s Creed, which are costing hundreds of millions, I believe.”
He further elaborated on the realities of game development budgets, stating, “Obviously those games will ultimately sell better than our game. But our game is a very small fraction of that budget.” Kingsley concluded by noting that while Rebellion does not intentionally aim for a mid-range budget, it is a practical necessity for the company. “We literally can’t afford to spend 200 million on making a game. We just don’t have 200 million.”
