Envisioning an Italian Game Developer's UK Presence

During the First Playable event in Florence, we engaged with nine Italian game developers, each unique in size and scope. Our conversations included small, independent teams working on artistic projects and larger developers affiliated with major groups like Ubisoft and Embracer. Stormind, however, stands out as a mid-sized, independent AA game developer with 110 employees, unaffiliated with any external group or publisher, a status it takes great pride in. CEO Antonio Cannata discussed Stormind's recent release, Batora: Lost Haven, in partnership with Team17, and its upcoming projects, including cooperations with major IP holders and its own AA game. Cannata emphasized the importance of maintaining independence, facilitated by its current shareholder structure, which consists of the company's founders. Despite receiving acquisition proposals, Stormind has chosen to remain independent, driven by the belief in its untapped potential. The goal, according to Cannata, is to build a sustainable games company capable of producing multiple titles simultaneously, rather than focusing on a single game. He views Stormind as an example for other Italian developers, demonstrating the possibility of organic growth through strategic partnerships and quality products. Cannata stresses that this approach is not a criticism of other businesses but rather a reflection of Stormind's mentality from its inception. The ambition is to create something iconic and uniquely Italian, leveraging the country's artistic legacy while maintaining an international approach to game design. One of the challenges Italy faces is the loss of talented game creators to foreign companies. Cannata hopes that Stormind and similar companies can attract these talents back, offering them a compelling reason to return. He believes that creating an environment that is distinct from the average is crucial, and this can be achieved by showcasing the Italian way of doing things and the growth of the domestic games industry. Cannata also emphasizes the importance of having independent Italian success stories to attract international recognition for the country's games industry. He dreams of an Italian game company expanding its presence abroad, such as opening a studio in the UK, symbolizing the strength and uniqueness of Italian game development.