PD CUES

The art of flagging up problems before they happen

The publisher’s assistance goes beyond dev support, particularly for new startups. As much as anything, Murray says, it’s important to relieve the pressure on the studio, even if it’s simply asking questions to nudge them in the right direction. “Do you have a good business partner? Who’s doing payroll? Do you have a good tax accountant? We poke at them like that and say, ‘Make sure you go and find those people because this is stuff that’s going to take up energy.’ Because if you’re an artist we would rather have you making art than figuring out your taxes.” His experiences have taught him a studio needs time and space. “We try to give them the freedom to just create and be along for the ride, and then help guide them when we see some problem down the road.”