“hits” on that cartridge, and then there’s a lot of “b-sides” from that developer that maybe you don’t know and suddenly what you find is when you spend a bit of time with those carts, and they’re curated in that kind of way that you find that some of those b-sides are actually your favourite titles that you never would have played otherwise. But if you give them love, affection and context, then they really have value and I think that’s what we’re doing in classic games.
Dominic: The key thing here is that this is for the long term. We’re trying to build a platform for the future, so that it’s in step with what becomes retro. We will try to revise the hardware as we go. But I think it’s got a long term future. What we want is to be on the right types of shelves for the long term, because once you’ve got the hardware into homes, the cadence of software releases and pick-up can be more measured, particularly as a lot will be satisfied online.
MCV: The recently revealed Evercade Alpha is more recognisable as a retro arcade machine. What was the thinking behind that? Andrew: It’s another way to play these collections. It’s a higher price point product and it’s also a big market, especially in America with its arcade
culture. So, whereas some people want to play on a handheld, some people want to play on the TV via a controller, some people want to play all these games with original arcade controls.
MCV: Dominic, you launched Tomb Raider all those years ago. Was the prospect of launching the game again on Evercade a factor behind you joining Blaze? Dominic: It wasn’t my idea, but it certainly got my endorsement and it’s this serendipity that Lara is now back where she started. Going forward, we will be
doing more packs like the Tomb Raider pack. It could be Bond, Star Wars, whatever. Branding hardware with examples of what games that can play on it and actually come with the box is a tried and tested marketing device. Software sells hardware. I think it’s great fun and I think retail has been grateful to have something that they can actually sell. This is a way for retailers to get back in the game.
August/September 2024 MCV/DEVELOP | 21
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