IO Interactive hits the brakes on third-party publishing after MindsEye flop

MindsEye had a lot going for it pre-launch. The game was a new open-world shooter produced by former Rockstar alumni but the game launched in a rough state and ultimately flopped. Now, IO Interactive has spoken up about the project, which may have killed the company's future plans for publishing third-party games. 

MindsEye was developed by Build a Rocket Boy, a new studio founded by former Rockstar producer, Leslie Benzies. However, IO Interactive acted as the publisher for this game. It was the first major third-party publishing deal at the company and because of the game's poor commercial and critical performance, IO is unsure if it will risk doing more publishing deals like this.

Speaking with IGN in an interview, IO Interactive CEO, Hakan Abrak, commented on the impact of MindsEye on the company's future publishing plans, saying:

“It was a tough reception. It wasn't what they hoped for, and also what we didn't hope for at IOI Partners. So, IO Interactive will publish our own games internally. IOI Partners? That remains to be seen.”

The statement leaves the door open for future deals but it is likely that IO will be more cautious moving forward with potential publishing deals outside of the games it develops in-house.

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KitGuru Says: Did any of you play MindsEye? How was your experience with the game? 

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