Bossa Studios Shifts Focus to Co-op PvE Games

In a recent move, Bossa Studios sold its catalog of internally developed IPs to TinyBuild, including popular titles such as Surgeon Simulator, I am Bread, and I am Fish. This decision was made to concentrate on co-op PvE games, a new direction for the studio. At the Game Developers Conference, Bossa CEO Henrique Olifiers provided insight into the reasoning behind this strategic shift. The studio decided to pivot approximately two years ago, driven in part by its previous game development approach. All of Bossa's titles had originated from internal game jams, which allowed for a diverse range of games but also presented some drawbacks. Olifiers explained that when working on I am Bread, the team couldn't leverage technology or learnings from Surgeon Simulator, and the same applied when moving from one game to the next. As a result, the studio chose to find a niche and focus on it, aiming to become the best in the world by releasing new games, reusing technology, and building on previous learnings. The choice to pursue co-op PvE games was influenced by the team's capabilities, strengths, and market considerations. Olifiers noted that the PvP and battle royale markets have high production values, large teams, and significant design pressure. In contrast, the PvE arena offers opportunities for creative innovation, with successful games emerging from smaller teams. Bossa has experience in co-op PvE, having developed Hogwash for Apple Arcade, and many team members have worked on multiplayer-focused titles. The studio produces around 100 playable prototypes annually, with most recent ones focusing on co-op PvE. Olifiers emphasized the importance of making games more social and meaningful to play with friends, highlighting the depth of cooperation as a key aspect. Although the studio struggled to apply learnings from previous titles to new projects, the current PvE project builds upon user-generated content elements from Surgeon Simulator 2, which allowed players to create new levels with friends. This feature sparked the studio's interest in co-op PvE, and Olifiers believes that user-generated content has immense power, citing examples like Roblox, Counter-Strike, DayZ, and Dota 2. However, this raises the issue of compensating creators, with Olifiers suggesting that there should be a space for creators to monetize their work, whether for recognition or to make a living. The next Bossa title might incorporate a way for creators to monetize from the outset, although the company is not currently working with blockchain technology. When asked about the decision to sell its old IPs, Olifiers explained that the studio wanted to ensure these beloved IPs continued to thrive, even if they no longer aligned with Bossa's strategy. By selling the IPs, the studio can focus on its new direction, avoid community management and game maintenance, and allocate resources to its new project. With the team committed to the new project, Olifiers expressed excitement about the future of Bossa Studios in the co-op PvE genre.