Publisher of Manor Lords Emphasizes the Importance of Sustainable Game Development

The CEO of Hooded Horse, the publisher behind Manor Lords, has responded to concerns that the game's early access model is unsustainable. Tim Bender argued that not all games need to become live-service successes, and that the pressure to constantly deliver new content can be detrimental to developers' mental health. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the core vision for the game, rather than trying to meet the expectations of others. This approach has seemingly paid off, with Manor Lords selling over 1 million copies in its first day of early access and over 2 million copies in its first three weeks, and the developer and publisher expressing their satisfaction with the game's performance.