Insomniac Games released its first multiplatform game Fuse today, and chief executive Ted Price took a moment to write about the title on the company's website.
"Of course, I’m well aware that we’ve taken some heat over our switch from 'Overstrike' to Fuse," he wrote in reference to the name — and design — change. "We read the YouTube comments. We watch the forums. And we listen."
He added, "No, we didn’t make aesthetic changes because of a 12 year-old’s focus test comments. We did what we thought was right for the Fuse universe."
Price is responding to complaints that the transition from a cartoony shooter to a more realistic one has diminished the game's quality and appeal. We agreed in our review, saying Fuse "has lost its identity" and is "a tired, worn-out shooter with very little to offer outside of a generic action shooter experience."
"While I know there are some who will never be convinced that moving to Fuse was the right decision, I know there are many who appreciate what we’ve done," wrote Price.
And Insomniac isn't done. "We’ve already begun expanding what we’ve begun with Fuse," he wrote. "Right now, as I write this, we’re taking the core concepts behind Fuse and prototyping new stuff … stuff that leverages this bizarre alien substance which is at the heart of the game. No, I’m not talking about DLC. I’m talking about new Fuse experiences altogether.
"What’s wonderful about creating and owning one’s IP is that you can take it any direction you want," he wrote. "And that’s what we’re going to do. Stay tuned!"
The question is, are "new Fuse experiences" a way to fix what's broken or give fans more of the same? What could they be?