Dr. Anika Thun: "Like Tropico, Dungeons, Sudden Strike and Railway Empire, we see Commandos as a core IP ..."

The return of Commandos is imminent. Managing Director of Kalypso Media, Dr. Anika Thun, spoke to GamesMarkt about the importance of the franchise to the publisher and the challenges of bringing back a game from a long-dormant series.

GamesMarkt: How challenging is it to develop a title based on a franchise that has been dormant for almost 20 years and is only really known to 'older' gamers? In other words, what were the specific challenges in developing the title and what are the marketing strategies?

Dr. Anika Thun: "The real-time tactics genre and Commandos in particular peaked in the late '90s and early 2000s, yet a passionate community still exists. The biggest challenge for Commandos: Origins was bringing this legendary franchise into a modern gameplay design while also tapping into the recent revival of the genre. The UI needed to appeal to today's gamers, gameplay mechanics needed to be refined, and, finally, the visuals had to be completely modernized. Most importantly, throughout every step of development, the essence of the original Commandos had to be preserved. From a marketing perspective, we are leveraging the strong nostalgia factor among long time fans while introducing the game to a new generation. Community engagement, targeted digital campaigns and collaborations with influencers are key pillars of our strategy to make Commandos: Origins a success. "

GamesMarkt: How important is the franchise to Kalypso Media? Ideally, Commandos would establish itself alongside your franchises such as Dungeons, Railway Empire and Tropico...

Dr. Anika Thun: "Absolutely. At Kalypso Media, we focus on long-term support for our franchises. Like Tropico, Dungeons, Sudden Strike and Railway Empire, we see Commandos as a core IP with a dedicated fanbase that deserves ongoing support and content. Our goal is to keep the Commandos' legacy alive and evolve it over time. We are excited to see where the journey takes us after the release of Commandos: Origins."

The full interview, which covers more about the founding of Claymore Game Studios and the studio's development over the years, as well as possible post-release plans for Commandos: Origins, can be found as a Plus article here.

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