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We don't make clones. We'll make our fresh F2P games a success or die, says PlayRaven CEO

Lasse Seppänen on death or glory

We don't make clones. We'll make our fresh F2P games a success or die, says PlayRaven CEO

"Clash of Clans is over 3 years old. There has to be room for more innovation," said PlayRaven's CEO Lasse Seppänen, opening his talk at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2015 as part of the Finnovator track.

Best known for its game SpyMaster, the Finnish developer is focused on making fresh and new F2P mobile games.

"We're taking a lot of risk so we need to have a portfolio," Seppänen said.

Indeed, it currently has three games in development including the new version of SpyMaster. Called The SpyMaster it's a massively multiplayer game and is effectively an entirely new experience.

"With SpyMaster, we went overboard and innovated everything," Seppänen confessed. But the risk worked, with the title being a top 10 strategy game in the US, UK and Asia; something that surprised Seppänen given its European WWII setting.

Off the back of that success, PlayRaven raised more funds and starting making more games.

The other two games currently in development are robot strategy game Robocide and vehicle combat/trading MMOG Winterstate.

"These are games that look fresh and play fresh," Seppänen explained.

"You have to burn the boats. We don't make clones. We make this a success or we die."

Fail to success

Key to the company's success is its culture.

"We are 23 veterans but only 10 Finns. They are treating the minority well," Seppänen joked.

It's the experience of the team that allows such a small number of people to be so productive.

"We all wear different hats. And we've all made mistakes in different companies, different mistakes," he added.

Indeed, learning from mistakes and being open to criticism are what Seppänen says marks out PlayRaven.

"We are obsessed about openness," he says.


Contributing Editor

A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.