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We caught up with the director of Hazelight to learn about how the studio has been adjusting now that Split Fiction is in the wild, all while discussing what it has in store next.
"Hi Gamereactor friends, this is day three of the San Diego Comic Con in Malaga and it's always so nice to catch up with you. Josef, how are you doing? How are you enjoying the show?
Well, it's very nice, very hectic, a lot of people, but actually it's kind of like a controlled chaos."
"I love it. I've never seen so many people in the same place, but it's nice to see so many fans out there.
It's nice to see the good mood, people dressing up with all these costumes. It's quite fun actually.
We loved Split Fiction. Now that you mentioned hectic, did you fear it was going to be a little bit too hectic or gamey coming from It Takes Two, like more action-packed for the audiences?
Not at all, man. I don't fear when we start making games. I just follow the passion and where it takes us and then we just fuck shit up, as I say. And there's a meaning to it. We say fuck shit up because we want to take stuff to the next level."
"We just feel this is what we want to do and then we just trust it and go with it.
And there is some IP development to it that we didn't see with previous games. There is a movie that is coming out.
There is Sidney Sweeney. So what can you tell me about that process? Did it start in parallel together when it was born as a game or it came shortly after or it's completely forbidden to talk about that?
No, no. We focus solely on the games. But here's the thing. There's a lot of bullshit in Hollywood."
"Who knows if it's going to happen or not. There's a lot of talk. I mean, come on, let's be serious.
How many games haven't they bought and blah, blah, blah. If it happens, it happens. I really don't care.
I just focus on gaming. It would be fun if it happened, but it's definitely not being planned.
But yeah, if Hollywood is listening to this, make shit happen. That's what I care about. If it doesn't..."
"Just imagine if it wins the Oscar.
Oh my God. Then it's definitely going to be "fuck the Oscars".
That would be ironic.
Yeah, that would be something to look at."
"What would you say is there left to do in your trademark co-op genre? Tons of things?
Oh my God. If I could tell you, I mean, we're doing something amazing right now, but I don't even know what we're going to do here next.
Even my team doesn't know yet. That's even next fucking level amazing.
I'm telling you, there's so much stuff to be explored here."
"The kind of mandatory co-op that Hazelight has kind of created, I just wish more people did it out there.
I mean, obviously people love to play it.
There's so much to explore. This dynamic between two people sitting on the couch or playing together online.
There's something with having these two characters interacting with each other, exploring a story together."
"It's just that we have something going that I'm really excited for, and I think we can explore so many other stuff.
I wish I could talk about it, but you know how it is in video games.
I'm looking forward to that, but you mentioned two things that are of my interest, which is coach co-op and online.
When you run tests for this game and for It Takes Two, what was the feedback like?
Were you trying for it to feel the same?
Were you worried that people wouldn't communicate properly if it was online, or you were just fine?
This experience was flowing."
"The testing we do is always people sitting in the same room.
We at Hazelight make sure that people communicate all the time.
We design and make sure that our games are done that way, because I think that's what makes them unique and special.
If you're just playing a co-op game, you can play it alone and drop in and drop out."
"We want communication to be there, because that is part of the experience itself.
We don't want it to be too dependent on the other player, but still, you need the other player.
You feel like you're doing it together. I think that's very important.
Of course, every game has its pacing and how it's going."
"It's really hard to say, just because we did this for A Way Out or It Takes Two, it works for Split Fiction.
Obviously, they all have their own way of approaching it.
But the only important thing when we test our games is that they understand what we are trying to do.
So if there's something they don't like, we make sure they understand what we're doing."
"We don't adapt our vision. We make sure they understand our vision.
See the difference there?
Tell me a little bit about the development pace you guys are running at the studio at Hazelight.
It is incredible. With all the things that are going on in the industry, it's getting trickier and trickier."
"But you guys put out a game every two years-ish?
Three every two years.
So how do you manage to do that in the current situation?
Well, I'm telling you, I wish I could invite everybody to Hazelight and see how it is."
"I explained, Hazelight is like a Formula One car today.
It drives perfectly. It really is.
It's impressive, after 10 years in the studio, how good everybody is feeling, how happy they are.
We are like 83 developers, and I'm telling you, everybody's nice."
"Everybody. We don't have a single one that is weird or crazy.
Everybody is nice, I'm telling you.
And I think that passion is what is showing in our games.
People are really feeling that passion."
"And once you have that energy in the studio, you see it in the game.
But also, from a perspective of how it becomes so effective, it's because we have done a lot of games, we know how to do it, we have built the right technology for it, we know how to approach it."
"But obviously you do have challenges, but we're just a very focused studio.
And we also have a clear vision of what to do, even if we experiment a lot.
We have a clear vision and we stick with it.
And I think that's very important. That's what makes it more efficient."
"Okay, and I know you said, fuck the Oscars again today, but there is something more related to us, which is The Game Awards.
We've seen you there several times.
The Game of the Year in many publications, such as Gamereactor."
"And this year is crazy packed.
We've seen Split Fiction, we've seen Donkey Kong, we've seen Silksong, Hades, Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2.
I could keep talking, but from all of these games, of course removing Split Fiction, I won't tell you to pick a GOTY for you."
"But something mechanically very interesting to you that you saw, game design-wise, in any of these games?
Well, to be honest, if I would decide who would win Game of the Year, I would say Expedition."
"I think that's the game that's made the most impact, that has come with the most innovation this year.
And I would be surprised if they didn't win, and I think they deserve to win, actually."
"And to be honest, I met some of them.
I met the director as well, Guillaume.
He's here.
Super cool dude.
After meeting, I even want them more to win the Game of the Year, but I think they should win anyway."
"But this whole year has been amazing, and I just hope every year becomes amazing.
So it's actually a good year for all gamers.
I'm just happy to be part of such an amazing year, to be honest."
"Okay, and final one.
I have to ask you about Kojima-san.
You were sharing the other day that you met.
You were at their premises, super cool premises, of course."
"So anything that you would like to share about that?
Would you like to work together?
There's something cooking in the oven?
I mean, not like that."
"Look, we had some really nice talks.
He's super cool, and I really like him.
And he's very special in a good way.
And he has a really cool office."
"I wish people could see how it is.
And he's a real… Kojima is like a real humble guy.
Like a real cool… He's as humble as you see him in the interviews, actually."
"He's really cool.
He's really cool.
And I really like him.
And I think that he also has a very unique personality.
And I love that about him."
"There's something crazy about him that I love.
And we have Norman Reedus right after this interview.
So this links to Death Stranding somehow.
So everything clicks together in the San Diego Comic-Con in Malaga."
"Enjoy the rest of the show.
As always, a pleasure to catch up with you, Josef.
Thank you, my man.
Always a pleasure.
Take care."
