Five Rare veterans have left the company to form a new mobile studio called Flippin Pixels. They have plans to use their years of “console experience and high quality execution” and apply it to “some really nice game mechanics and monetisation structures” to create what they hope will prove to be several popular mobile titles.
The five, who have worked on games like GoldenEye, Viva Pinata, and Kinect Sports, say it might sound clichéd but they just “all fancied the change”, though they back the decision with reference to the fast-growing, fast-moving mobile market. They might well have just wanted a change of scenery, but they're being smart with where they're headed.
While Sony and Microsoft are undoubtedly working on the next generation of home consoles, the end of production for the PlayStation 2 could also be said to mark the end of the console era. After all, no console since has come close to that level of popularity, and with the rise of smartphone and Facebook games it's unlikely another will again. The five guys behind Flippin Pixels are obviously aware of that, and are prepared to adapt to make their way in this new market. Best of luck to them.
