Sleeping Dogs dev: 'split from Activision removed expectations of the game'

Sleeping Dogs developer United Front Games has discussed with VG247 the feeling around the studio when the game - then called True Crime: Hong Kong - was dropped by Activision.

As part of a VG247 interview - which you can read here - producer Dan Sochan shed light on the studio's departure from the Activision label.

"I think a lot of us were quite excited, although obviously it was a difficult time" he said, "It gave us the ability to work on a blank page, and instead of people having certain expectations – either positive or negative – of the past titles, we could then focus on, ‘here is what we’re all about’."

"We originated as a new IP, and we were then later branded True Crime: Hong Kong. So to then be, again, a new IP it allowed us to define our own identity. That’s how we started, so yeah, it’s been great."

On the subject of working on a new IP in an industry dominated by established brands, Sochan added, "You know, I’ve heard this same thing as well, but is it a bad time at the end of a console cycle? I think people say the same thing about releasing in the summer. You generally don’t want to do that."

"I think our release window in August was fantastic, and it really allowed us to have some breathing room before some of the big sequel titles came out. We had additional mind-share from people wrapping up from the summer and getting back into games."

"I think it all really depends on the support you have from your publisher, and if they really believe in your game and want to make it a success, as well as a game you’ve worked on and you’re proud of – then I think you can get it out at the end of a life-cycle and it can still be a fantastic game."