In the gaming industry, there are plenty of changes that happen within certain teams. Just as important, though, is that when a team disbands, they have the option of going just about anywhere to try and continue making video games. The team we’re focusing on today was the group formerly known as The Initiative. This collection of veterans from across the industry was once owned by Microsoft and meant to make a certain high-profile revival of a legendary franchise from generations past. Instead, the game never came out, and the studio was shut down. 2K Games, though, has decided to pick up some of the pieces of said group.
In a post on LinkedIn, the former leader of the group, David Gallagher, revealed that he was joining 2K Games:
“I’m excited to share that I will be joining 2K as SVP, Studio Head, where I’ll be building a new studio and leading an ambitious opportunity unlike anything I’ve taken on before. I’ve spent my career believing in what’s possible when great people come together with a bold vision. I can’t wait to get started with the exceptional team at 2K!“
If that sounds familiar, that’s not unlike what was stated when The Initiative was first made, as it was meant to be a “bold” kind of studio, pushing to create special video games. Yet, as we noted earlier, it didn’t get the chance to fully do so before Microsoft pulled the plug on them.
A key thing to note here is that he won’t be alone. Another former member of The Initiative, Brian Horton, also went on LinkedIn and made the following announcement:
“Happy to announce I joined 2K as VP, Head of Creative at a new studio with Darrell Gallagher!”
So, that’s two industry veterans coming together to try and make something special happen once again. The question now becomes, what kind of game will they make for 2K?
That isn’t easy to answer. After all, 2K is owned by Take-Two Interactive, and 2K itself has a wide range of titles and studios that it’s connected with. We will say that Gallagher noted that he was “leading an ambitious opportunity” that wasn’t like anything he’d done in the past, which could mean he’s trying to “carry the baton” for what The Initiative attempted to do before.
No matter what, we hope that this experience is a lot better than the last one he had and that he gets to make the games he wants.
