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DayZ Creator Dean Hall To Depart Bohemia Interactive By Year’s End
With DayZ standalone well into development (and out in the wild for those partial to Steam Early Access), its creator is looking toward a future with the game in the hands of others. Dean Hall has revealed his plans to leave Bohemia Interactive before the end of 2014.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Hall revealed that if it weren’t for the fans and for Bohemia’s need for him to stay on, he wouldn’t have been with the company this year. “I have to be on the project as long as it's important to,” Hall says. “Whether that role is as the leader, whether that role is in a more creative sense... But at a certain point there will be diminishing returns.”
In the interview, Hall likens his departure to Markus “Notch” Persson stepping down as Minecraft’s lead developer. “Yes, I can see people being freaked out about it,” he says.
Hall will be returning to his home country of New Zealand to start his own studio. Earlier this year, DayZ’s Steam Early Access sales topped one million. The title currently sits third on Steam’s “top sellers” list.
[Source: Eurogamer]
Our Take
One of the hardest things for any creator to do is to make a graceful, well-timed exit. This introspective move from Hall shows maturity and self-awareness that should be commended. I am curious how this will translate into running a studio. Hall calls himself a “grenade,” and those don’t always make for good leaders over the long-term.
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