Former Bungie Executive Switches Gears from Sci-Fi to Football Management

Last month, veteran game developer Jonty Barnes joined forces with Neil Dejyothin, a former Sports Interactive executive, and Alex Horne, the ex-CEO of the English Football Association, at Formation Games. The studio, established in 2021, has been secretly developing Club, a novel football management mobile game set to launch in 2023. With Dejyothin and Horne's backgrounds in Football Manager and the Football Association, respectively, their involvement in Formation Games seems like a natural fit. However, for Barnes, a long-serving Bungie executive who worked on various Halo titles and Destiny, the transition from overseeing sci-fi first-person shooters to developing a football management game may seem unexpected. Yet, as a lifelong football enthusiast, Barnes can explain why this career shift makes perfect sense for him. "I've always been passionate about creating a football game," Barnes explains. "As a child, I used to play a game called Kick Off on my Atari ST, and I would often think about how I could enhance the experience." Barnes recounts attending the 2014 Brazil World Cup, where he played numerous mobile football and sports apps. At the time, he was still working at Bungie, which was on the verge of launching the original Destiny, the studio's first foray into live service titles. "My goal was always to start my own game development company; it was just a matter of when," he adds. "When I came across a proposal for a game focused on being a club owner, I was immediately drawn to it. The nice thing about mobile gaming is that there are many excellent examples of live services, and I believe that my experience working on Destiny can be applied to new ideas. I've always been driven by my passion for innovation and creativity, and I've never been afraid to explore new avenues." The decision to develop a mobile title was straightforward for the team; as a creator, you want to be where the players are. The barrier to entry has never been lower in mobile gaming, and it boasts a larger audience than ever before. "We've seen the quality and production values in mobile games increase significantly over the years, and innovation is happening at a rapid pace," Barnes notes. "Games like Genshin Impact and Apex Legends have demonstrated that mobile gaming can be a viable platform for new franchises. For me, mobile is where I spend most of my personal gaming time, and as a sports fan, it's a logical platform to focus on." The future of the biggest football title is uncertain, with EA and FIFA ending their 30-year partnership. While Formation Games is not looking to compete with established series, it aims to tap into the same fanbase. "I'm a fan of FIFA, and I believe it will continue to thrive," Barnes says. "There's room for other games like Football Manager, and we believe that our game can complement the experience of being a football fan without competing with it. We're excited to be part of the innovation in football games on mobile." Club is currently in its early production stages, but Barnes describes it as "a real-life football RPG with social experiences at its core." Players take on the role of a club owner, with access to real clubs, players, and stories from the football world, all with an alternate twist. They must manage every aspect of the team, from kits to stadium sponsors and player signings, based on real-world events. "The decisions you make will be crucial, and we're creating a unique yet authentic football game that will resonate with the millions of people who live and breathe football every day," Barnes continues. Formation Games is also targeting casual gamers, making mobile a more compelling choice. "We're not looking to create a game that requires four-hour gaming sessions; instead, we're aiming for a more casual experience that can be enjoyed in five or ten minutes," he explains. Barnes is bringing his experience in live games to the project, something he learned from working on Destiny. A significant aspect of this is working alongside an active community, taking feedback on board, and trying new things. "With games like Halo, we wouldn't announce anything unless we were 100% certain it would be in the game," he recalls. "With Destiny, we had to turn that approach on its head and engage with the community to see what they were interested in. We made them a bigger part of our process." When asked about his thoughts on polarizing trends in the industry, such as blockchain and crypto incorporation, Barnes emphasizes that any new technology should enhance the player experience. "I think blockchain gaming is moving rapidly, but it's still unclear where it will land," he says. "We're exploring Web3 technology, and I believe that being at the forefront of new technology helps shape its future. I'm also enthusiastic about the metaverse concept, but I acknowledge that the types of worlds popularized by the term have existed for a long time." Barnes thinks that Gen Z and Gen Alpha players will have the largest voice in shaping these concepts. "It's fascinating to think that Gen Z was at most ten years old when the first iPhone came out; they've never been bored," he says. "They've always had entertainment on demand, which is amazing. They're used to managing social profiles, digital presences, and socializing in virtual environments." Roblox, in particular, has encouraged younger players to discover user-generated content and build their own games. Barnes hopes that this demand will make UGC tools more accessible and faster in the long run. "When we think about creating our game, we're considering how we can accommodate the things that these players are excited about and create a platform for them," he adds. "We just need someone to create an experience that showcases this technology and how it can enhance the gaming experience." Barnes highlights that his time at Bungie taught him the importance of being a good leader, surrounded by a group of people who aren't afraid to hold each other accountable. This is a culture that he aims to bring to Formation Games. "There's a lot to be learned from making games, and you'll make plenty of mistakes, but it's essential to create an environment where taking risks is okay and encouraged, because behind every failure is a valuable lesson," he says. Creating a good culture has inclusion at its core, which is another point Barnes is keen to emphasize. While it's unclear how diverse Formation Games is at this stage, Barnes acknowledges that both the gaming and football industries have long-term issues with diversity and still have work to do. "We're seeing a change in the industry, with people being more comfortable being themselves and attracted to work in game development, which is exciting," he says. "I've seen through coaching city youth teams that things are improving at the grassroots level of football as well. Having underrepresented groups in leadership positions is one of the strongest ways to accelerate change in an organization, and that's been a crucial part of building our team at Formation. Hiring people from diverse backgrounds will help us create better entertainment."