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Interview: Bill Roper talks about Flagship's start up and looking for publishing partners.
Date: October 30, 2003
Source: EG Core Gaming (dead site, no link)

EG Core Interview

MAW: Before Blizzard North, there was a company called Condor. You all were part of Condor when it was acquired by Blizzard. Is this a revisiting of the days of independence?

Bill Roper: There are some similarities in the way we’re starting up Flagship as to how Condor got off the ground, but there are some very big differences as well. We’ve started by working out of our homes, as I think every start-up should for sake of tradition if nothing else, and the whole endeavor has been run out of pocket. We’re all good friends who are passionate about games and are amazingly energized over working on our own intellectual property, much like in the early Condor days.

MAW: You already have a game in development. What is your ETA on release of this game? (2005?)

BR: It is impossible to set a realistic date this early in the development process since our design philosophy is so organic and iterative. We do have an idea of how long we want to take to create the game, but we’re very wary about setting expectations with the gaming community on when that is. Gamers are a passionate, devoted lot and they have long memories for story details, features and release dates. Even when you’re just chatting about ideas, those tend to get written in stone somewhere. So although we have a reasonable idea of when we will have the game done, it’s still too early to say.

MAW: What pieces of the puzzle are you missing or looking to add to? (staff, publishing, hosting etc.)

BR: We have a great core team and a fantastic game in progress, but we will certainly need to expand our company in the coming year. We’re looking to find a great publishing partner, a hosting center for our online component (which could be one in the same), a cool and creative workspace, you know - the works! The great thing about what we do is that we can be extremely productive with computers, desks, and a place to put them. The rest of the pieces will fall into place as we progress.

MAW: The development of any game can be a very long and expensive process. Are you looking for private investment to get off the ground? Or do you have private investment?

BR: Currently we are our own investors, mainly because we believe in what we ’re doing. Going forward, we’ve looked at everything from private investors to financial organizations to lenders to venture capitol to somewhat more traditional developer / publishing deals. We’ve been taking things at a good pace and feel like things are going quite well.

MAW: What partnerships are you looking for in the future as you develop projects? Are you looking to the big established Publishers or focusing on some of the smaller independents out there?

BR: We want to establish a relationship with a publishing partner who has the same dedication to creating and supporting excellent games as we do. We’ re focused on creating the best game that we possibly can, and we want to know that the people we’re working with to get that game into the hearts and minds of players, as well as on to store shelves and out via the internet, have the same goals in mind. Fortunately, we’ve been meeting with a lot of folks who do have the vision to work with us to make something special, and that has been exciting and reassuring.