Cliff Bleszinski Says "Too Good" Publishing Deal Worked Against Studio
In our exclusive interview, Cliff Bleszinski reflects on what exactly brought down Boss Key, including the publishing deal that was too favorable.
Cliff Bleszinski negotiated a deal with Nexon that let Boss Key Productions keep the rights to LawBreakers and retain more ownership than usual.
In our new interview, he explains why that "ironclad" deal may have actually worked against the studio and why giving a publisher less incentive to fight for a game can be just as dangerous as a bad deal.
Bleszinski admits the publishing deal was too one-sided in Boss Key's favor, and that ultimately worked against them. "When the deal is so good for one side, the other side isn't as incentivized," he said, noting that Nexon's CEO Owen Mahoney was left wondering how the deal had been signed at all. With little profit to gain, the publisher had little reason to make LawBreakers a priority.
It was one of the things on Cliff Bleszinski's list – a personal accounting of everything that went wrong with Boss Key Productions. The rundown also covers the wrong console choice, the co-founder he turned down, and the missed opportunities that compounded into the studio's eventual closure.