AdHoc Studios CEO Calls Episodic Business Model a Risky Venture

According to AdHoc Studios, the developer of Dispatch, adopting an episodic business model requires careful consideration. In an interview, CEO and executive producer Michael Choung stated that releasing the game in a single installment would have been the traditional approach. However, the studio chose to take a riskier path with an episodic release schedule, which Choung described as 'an insane thing to do'. He noted that 'everyone was telling us not to do it', and from a production perspective, the decision seemed unwise. Choung emphasized that the success of an episodic model relies heavily on the strength of the creative content. If the story is compelling, the release format is less critical, but a weak narrative can lead to poor results. The studio ultimately decided on a release schedule of two episodes per week, which has yielded positive outcomes. Choung explained that this approach created a sense of anticipation, with concurrent user numbers doubling each week. Dispatch has achieved significant commercial success, selling over one million copies within ten days of its launch and surpassing two million units within a month.