Dean Rocket Hall recently had an interview about DayZ, where he talked about the game going on Early Access, and finishing it, among others.
Dean freely admits the mod’s success was completely unexpected. He would have been happy making a quarter of a million sales over the course of a quarter, because that would have been enough money to justify continued development.
As it is now, he ended up taking a transitional role, as the developers from Black Element Software would themselves make the transfer to Bohemia Interactive. Dean still switches roles from artist, designer, to executive producer.
The community plays a big role in the game’s continuing development, but he concedes the grind of social can be a hamper, especially when it comes to drawing the line, particularly when individuals want to get more involved than usual.
He also feels that, rather than benefit from Steam Early Access, DayZ’s success proves that it can work. The game’s financial success has definitely made the big developers pay attention, and may change the nature of early releases in the future.
Finally, regarding ending development, Dean thinks there will be a point where he and the fans can agree that he can step back and end his full-on involvement. He recognizes that he has ideas that could be dangerous to the project, and so he is thinking of giving up his role over to someone who can keep development, as well as community involvement, going.
Since Dayz was released on Steam Early Access on December 16, it has reached one million sales.
