With The Callisto Protocol, a sci-fi horror game is to be released in December 2022, which is not just reminiscent of Dead Space by coincidence. Because the studio boss is Dead Space creator Glen Schofield. Now the developers are revealing how they plan to add new content to their game after launch. At the same time, however, a tweet from Schofield is making the rounds, which casts a questionable light on the working conditions in his studio.
By the way, if you want to get your first look at Callisto Protocol now, the latest trailer from Gamescom will give you a glimpse of the gameplay:
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The Callisto Protocol: Gameplay from gamescom features absolutely horrible monsters
Callisto Protocol as a service game?
in one Interview with the TrueTrophies website CTO Mark James explains that they plan to support the game with new content for a whole year and see it as a service game (originally there was talk of four years, but this was a transcription error). While specifics have yet to be decided, extensions to Callisto Protocol are definitely planned.
one wants definitely think of the new IP as a franchise, and tell their story either in DLC for Callisto Protocol or entirely new products. Because you have created a world that can be expanded and tell different stories.
In addition to story DLCs, the possibility of introducing new game modes with expansions is also being considered, which might be reminiscent of other survival horror games, for example. So it seems like players have a lot to look forward to once they survive the main game. If you are interested in the latter before future DLC plans, we can also recommend our preview:
Preview
How The Callisto Protocol plans to win the showdown with Dead Space
Under what conditions is the game created?
In addition to plans for a Callisto Protocol franchise, the developers are also causing a stir in a far less pleasant way. Studio boss Glen Schofield was accused of glorifying crunch in his own team and exploiting the developers’ passion for a tweet. Schofield has since deleted the tweet and apologized for his statement.
However, the information in his original tweet casts a questionable light on working conditions in the studio and Schofield’s qualities as a leader. So he wrote there:
I’m only talking about the game during an event. We work 6-7 days a week, nobody forces us to do it. Exhaustion, tiredness, covid but we work. […] 12-15 hours a day. This is gaming. Hard work. Lunch, dinner, work. You do it because you love it.
The tweet has since been deleted, but the screenshot is still around Statement by Jason Schreier to find. In his apologies Schofield later writes:
Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about the people I work with. Previously I tweeted how proud I am of the effort and hours the team puts in. That was wrong. We value passion and creativity, not overtime. I feel sorry for the team for acting like that.
It remains to be seen whether the apparently problematic work culture at Striking Distance Studios will change after Schofield’s apology. You can find out why crunch is a long-overlooked but big problem for the gaming industry in our big plus report.
