Mad Max creator George Miller expressed disappointment with the 2015 Mad Max game, sparking a heated response from Avalanche Studio founder Christofer Sundberg, who defended the game's development and execution.
Mad Max Creator Criticizes Previous Mad Max Game That Flopped
George Miller Eyes Hideo Kojima for Another Game Adaptation
In an exclusive interview with GAMINGbible last Monday during the Furiosa red carpet premiere, George Miller, the acclaimed creator of the Mad Max franchise, shared candid insights about the video game adaptation of his iconic series. When asked about the potential for a future Mad Max game, Miller expressed his dissatisfaction with the previous game’s execution.
"It wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be," Miller admitted, reflecting on the 2015 Mad Max game developed by Avalanche Studio. He elaborated, "I’m one of those people that I’d rather not do something unless you can do it at the highest level." Miller went on to reveal his ideal collaborator for a new Mad Max game: Hideo Kojima, the visionary creator behind the Metal Gear series. "He’s got so much fantastic stuff in his own head that I would never ask him," Miller added, acknowledging Kojima’s own busy creative agenda.
While there's been no official indication from Kojima regarding a potential collaboration, excitement has surged within the gaming community. Kojima's reputation as a master storyteller, evident in his groundbreaking work like Death Stranding, has sparked speculation about how his distinctive narrative style could seamlessly integrate into the gritty, post-apocalyptic universe of Mad Max.
Avalanche Studio Founder Responds
Miller's comments did not sit well with Avalanche Studio's founder, Christofer Sundberg, who took to Twitter (X) to express his displeasure. Sundberg criticized Miller’s remarks as “complete nonsense” and accused the director of misunderstanding the game development process.
"They did everything they could to make this a complete linear game after having signed up with a developer of open-world games," Sundberg tweeted. "I'm sure Hideo Kojima would make an awesome Mad Max game, but it would be a completely different experience." He revealed that Avalanche Studio was initially tasked with creating a linear game, but midway through development, they were forced to shift to what Avalance Studio is known for creating, open-world games, which led to a significant setback. "After the first year of development they realized that they had forced us to make a linear experience rather than the open world game we pitched. We threw away a year of work and got to hear that ‘players want autonomy in this day and age’. Well, no sh*t..."
Sundberg also pointed out the unfortunate timing of the game’s release, which coincided with the launch of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. “As we were forced to release Mad Max on the same day as MGS, they blamed us for the bad sales and cancelled a bunch of awesome DLC that was just sitting there waiting to be released,” he revealed.
While many fans of the Mad Max series would love to see a game developed by Kojima, there is also significant empathy for Avalanche Studio. Many believe that the 2015 Mad Max game was underrated and suffered from insufficient marketing. Those who played it often attest to its quality and the immersive experience it provided, highlighting that the game was indeed a solid entry in the franchise despite the challenges it faced.
Source:
Gaming Bible Interview
Avalanche Studio Founder’s Response
Avalanche Studio Founder on Being Blamed For Poor Sales
