Chair studio head says Epic acquisition has pushed the development house toward “original and unique” franchises.
A lot has happened with Chair Entertainment since the studio announced its intention to create a game based on famed sci-fi writer Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game in January 2008. Most notably, the Salt Lake City-based development house was purchased by Gears of War manufacturer Epic Games. The studio has also shipped Xbox Live efforts Undertow and Shadow Complex, as well as the Unreal Engine-powered iOS title Infinity Blade.
With that growth has come change, namely in the form of Chair’s Ender’s Game ambitions. Speaking to Joystiq, Chair Entertainment cofounder Donald Mustard confirmed that his studio does not plan to proceed with development on Card’s acclaimed sci-fi novel.
“We have and had an amazing design for the Ender’s Game game,” Mustard told the blog. However, “one of [parent company] Epic’s primary objectives is to create original and unique franchises. I don’t know that Ender’s Game fits into that strategic objective anymore.”
“So, probably not,” he continued. “Not from us.”
The Ender’s Game game was to focus on a portion of the book that sees human children trained to direct massive battles via their lightning-quick young minds. Specifically, events would surround the Battle Room, the zero-gravity chamber where young students engage in tactical combat simulations. Chair intended to release the first installment in this series for downloadable platforms.
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