Sleeping Dogs dev discusses game's success, responds to Gibeau's 'new IP' comment

Sleeping Dogs developer United Front Games has revealed to VG247 its reaction to the considerable success of its game, and EA's Frank Gibeau's recent statement that releasing new IP so late in a console cycle is a bad idea.

United Front Games has enjoyed strong sales with Sleeping Dogs at a time where new IP often struggles. Formally known as True Crime: Hong Kong, the game was brought back from the brink of cancellation at Activision by publisher Square-Enix.

Sleeping Dogs has hit the top of Britain's official gaming charts on three separate weeks, and shifted 172,000 units in the US in its first two weeks on sale. The studio has discussed its reaction to the game's success in a LittleBigPlanet Karting interview with VG247, that you can read in full on the site soon.

Speaking with VG247, LittleBigPlanet Karting producer Jen Timms explained the team's reaction when it learned the game was a hit, "Oh god we were so happy as a studio. The Sleeping Dogs team just worked so hard, and there had been some trials you know?"

"It's been tough for the studio as a whole at some points," Timms added, "but it's so great because they were sitting on something they knew was really, really good, and we had the talent, the ability and the know-how."

"It was so good to just see the benefits of that now that it's out there in the real world, and as a studio it's just such an exciting time to have such great games that are completely diverse coming out."

"Both [Sleeping Dogs and LittleBigPlanet Karting] will have launched in in the latter half of this year after a lot of tears and a lot of hard work. We're just so happy that it's done so well, and that's really just exciting.

VG247 also asked Timms for her thoughts on comments made recently by EA's Frank Gibeau, in which he stated releasing new IP - like Sleeping Dogs - so late in the current console cycle is a bad idea.

"You do take risks," Timms explained, "but that's what we do as game developers right? We have our ideas, we want to get them out there and then we want to work on something new."

"That's what it's all about and unfortunately we don't always get the opportunity to do that because of the climate of the industry right now," Timms continued, "but when you are an independent triple-a studio like we are - one of the few left around, especially in Vancouver - it's not something you take lightly. We're very proud and feel lucky of the fact that we do what we do."

Timms concluded, "Hopefully with the success of Sleeping Dogs and hopefully the success of LittleBigPlanet Karting, we'll get he ability to do more of that in future."

You can check out our full LittleBigPlanet Karting interview soon.