In 2021, Luca Galante, a game developer, found himself at a crossroads. Seeking an escape from the draining demands of his day job on a mobile gambling game, he created Vampire Survivors. This seemingly simple project unexpectedly ignited a new genre, characterized by whimsical Italian names and an avalanche of virtual bats. Reflecting on his journey in a recent interview with GamesRadar, Galante candidly expressed his views on the current landscape of the gaming industry, stating, “I see a lot of publishers I don’t like.”
Fast forward to today, and Poncle, the studio behind Vampire Survivors, has expanded to include over 25 employees. Last November, they ventured into publishing with the launch of Poncle Presents. Galante articulated a vision for this new division, aiming to provide a refreshing alternative to traditional publishers who prioritize profit over creativity. “We want to offer something different,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of supporting developers in realizing their artistic visions.
Supporting Indie Developers
As Poncle explores publishing partnerships with other game developers, Galante remains committed to fostering an environment where creativity thrives. He stated, “My responsibility is to try and let the developer realize their vision by enriching their vision, and not by trying to force a developer’s vision in a direction so that the game can make more money.”
While acknowledging that his perspective on the publisher-developer relationship might be somewhat idealistic, Galante sees Poncle’s publishing endeavors as a means to uplift the indie game community. “We got very lucky with Vampire Survivors. The game has been so successful that—we definitely made some mistakes when it comes to putting the game out there, but we learned a lot and wanted to try to sort of share what we learned with other indies,” he shared. “It was a way to try and give something back to the indie community, share the luck.”
