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Whatboy Games devs talk going from AAA to indie

The developers open up about how they met, what it's like starting an indie studio, and how they approach balance in a game like Nexus 5X.
Sam Chandler
Sam Chandler
2

The video game space is an ever-changing landscape with developers moving from one style to another. While some indie devs move to a triple-A studio, there are some that go the other way. This is the case for Whatboy Games studio director Dax Ginn and game director Adam Doherty. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with these two about how they met, what they’re working on, and what it’s like going from a triple-A studio to becoming an independent developer.

Ginn and Doherty offered us a little bit of insight into their backgrounds prior to teaming up to create Whatboy Games. The two met at Rocksteady working on Arkham games but in about 2018 they shifted gears into the indie space.

“Triple-A is a fairly exhausting monster to be a part of for a long time,” Ginn said. “There was always something really exciting about the indie space that I think both of us were really drawn to.” The indie space certainly gives developers more creative control, as there are often fewer employees than a massive studio with devs taking on more than one role. But there are also plenty of challenges.

We covered a lot of topics in this interview, including talking about tabletop games and balancing Whatboy Games’ titles. If you enjoyed what you heard here, make sure you go and check out Nexus 5X on Steam and even read over our Nexus 5X review. There’s also our Shacknews Interviews YouTube channel for more developer interviews, insights, and discussions.

Head of Guides
Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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