When Steel City Interactive first set out to create Undisputed, the goal was simple. The studio wanted to build an authentic boxing game made by boxing fans, for boxing fans.<\/p>\n
And after years of development, millions of players, and countless updates, studio founder Ash Habib says one of the biggest lessons learned was that trying to make everyone happy is nearly impossible.<\/p>\n
Speaking with Insider Gaming on the latest episode of the Developer Spotlight, Habib reflected on the development journey and admitted there were decisions he would handle differently if given another opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I probably should have stuck to my guns a little bit more,\u201d Habib said.<\/p>\n
According to Habib, Undisputed launched to largely positive feedback, but a vocal segment of the community pushed for gameplay changes that ultimately put the studio in a difficult position.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe challenge, having kind of not done this before, it was a very loud vocal minority in terms of, \u2018We want these changes. We want to change some things.\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Habib said Steel City responded to many of those requests, only to discover that changes designed to satisfy one group of players often upset another.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we probably kind of listened and changed the game to suit one play style,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then we found there were other people that were unhappy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The challenge of balancing player expectations became particularly clear after the game\u2019s console launch. Habib pointed to a situation involving Deontay Wilder, whose powerful overhand punches created a gameplay issue that allowed players to exploit the boxer online.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe fixed that,\u201d Habib said. \u201cAnd I got personal death threats from people who were not happy that we\u2019d ruined the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, Habib said other players were demanding that the issue be addressed, illustrating the impossible balancing act developers often face.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that kind of gives you a good insight into how do you balance a game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The experience ultimately led Habib to a realization that many veteran developers already understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I have learned is that I will not please everybody,\u201d he said, adding that he spoke to friends at studios like 2K for advice.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to the future of the franchise, Habib believes Steel City has a clearer understanding of what Undisputed should be and intends to stay closer to that vision.<\/p>\n
He says that they have the identity they are going for and look to franchises like Dark Souls, which Habib is a massive fan of, for inspiration.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can imagine the playing tests for Dark Souls, where a million people would have said this game is too hard,\u201d he said. \u201cThe FromSoftware guys probably said, \u2018Well, tough luck. This is the game we\u2019re making.\u2019 And I think to some extent, we probably should have taken a leaf out of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
These comments come from the one-on-one sit-down interview with Ash Habib for the Insider Gaming Developer Spotlight. The interview was available first for Premium Plus subscribers in the Insider Gaming App. Download the app for free today on Google Play<\/a> or the App Store<\/a>. <\/p>\n
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