A Way Out – “Not A Penny Goes To EA”

CEO of Hazelight, Joseph Fares has boldly stated in an interview that not a single penny of profits from his game, A Way Out, will go to EA. The man is fast becoming known for his brash and unfiltered behaviour in the public eye, making him one of the more entertaining gaming public figures these days.

A Way Out - “Not A Penny Goes To EA”
In the interview in question, Fares goes on to state "Here’s the thing, and you have to understand this: with this deal that I have for this game, EA is not making a single dollar out of this. Every single dollar is going to the developer. They’re not even making any money and all I’ve got is support from EA. They’ve not questioned the vision – they can’t because I won’t allow it – so they’ve been super supportive all the way. Even with this buy one [Friend Pass] thing, no problem."

As a rule of thumb in games development, details on divulging “behind the scenes” business arrangements between developer and publisher are expected to be kept secret. In the interest of a company’s continued success, it’s generally accepted that, some things, the public just doesn’t need to know. Yet Faris’ typically unfiltered voice has broken down expectations yet again. The first instance of this kind of behaviour from Faris came near the end of last year, during his explosive and profanity ridden speech at The Game Awards. The frankly refreshing behaviour at such a formal event gained Fares quite the PR boost. Is the man really just a PR genius?  

He even mentions his idea of the Friend Pass, implying that usually, it is not something EA would greenlight. Indeed, it is unconventional, not just EA for the wider gaming industry. The idea is that two friends can play the exclusively two-player title online even when only one of them has bought the game. This normally goes against the well established rule of “two players = two purchases”. It will indeed be interesting to see how the wider gaming community reacts to this after A Way Out’s release and what kind of discussions regarding game distribution it will undoubtedly spark. 

A Way Out - “Not A Penny Goes To EA” - Two player gameplay
A Way Out is right around the corner with a release date of March 23rd. It offers up an exclusively two-player, linear, action-adventure story. Joseph Faris has stated that the game will not be any one genre but, throughout its story, will offer different kinds of gameplay as the two jail-breaking protagonists fight their way to the end. “A Way Out wants to feel like a different game in every scene.”

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