The past couple of weeks has seen a flood of new game developers putting out press releases announcing their existance. One of them is Austin, Texas based Certain Affinity, founded by long time Bungie team member Max Hoberman. FiringSquad got a chance to chat briefly with Hoberman about the company who will first be creating some new Halo 2 multiplayer maps for Xbox 360 owners.

FiringSquad: First, you have been working at Bungie for a long time. Why did you decide to leave now, especially with Halo 3 still a year or so away from completion?

Max Hoberman: I've been at Bungie for 10 years now, and my wife and I agreed a while back that we'd eventually return to Austin. There's never a good time to leave. In this case I stayed on to help lay a strong foundation for Halo 3 and to build a team capable of carrying on where I left off. I ended up working remotely most of this year closing out a few loose ends and keeping an eye on online planning. Everything is going well and now it's time to focus on Certain Affinity.

FiringSquad: Some people are worried that your departure at Bungie could adversely affect the multiplayer design of Halo 3. How do you respond to this?

Max Hoberman: The multiplayer team at Bungie is great at what they do and I have every confidence that Halo 3 will be awesome.

FiringSquad: Your company's name is certainly unusual. How did the name Certain Affinity come about?

Max Hoberman: The name came to me a couple years back when we were going through some turmoil, and it has stuck around ever since.

FiringSquad: How hard is it to create a new start up game developer these days?

Max Hoberman: You'll probably have to get back to me on that one after we see how this works out! So far one of the most difficult jobs has been attracting talent. My reputation and the reputation of our other leads helps, but that only goes so far. Announcing our relationship with Bungie and Microsoft developing Halo 2 multiplayer maps has given a lot of credibility to our venture, and with it we've seen interest pick up.

FiringSquad: What is Certain Affinity's philosophy in developing games?

Max Hoberman: I learned a ton about running a successful business from Alex Seropian, one of Bungie's founders, and a ton about making games from Jason Jones, the other. I also learned from years of experience that the two are one and the same--you can't make great games unless you're also making sound business decisions. I've seen awesome ideas and talented people brought low by carelessness, lack of planning, ego, and the like. There's no room for any of this at Certain Affinity, and I've sought out people that share this philosophy.

FiringSquad: The company's first project is creating the exclusive Xbox 360 levels for Halo 2. Will there be any different design philosophies in making these maps compared to the previous Halo 2 maps?

Max Hoberman: Every map we create builds on our experiences with previous maps, but our philosophy is fundamentally the same.

FiringSquad: You are also working on a new game. What can you tell us about this game at this stage?

Max Hoberman: Sorry, I can't really say much. We've been in development since November 1st, and we're excited about where it's going, but it's way too early to discuss!

FiringSquad: What is your's current opinion on the video and PC game industry in general? Is it healthy?

Max Hoberman: I suppose health is best gauged by the happiness of game developers and the quality of the titles they're creating, and I've certainly been exposed to a lot of developers lately. It has been a mixed experience, where a lot of people I've met are being treated well (salary, benefits, schedules, etc.) but still express frustration with a lack of vision and of strong design leadership in particular. As for the quality of the games themselves, solid titles abound, but I've been particularly disappointed at the lack of innovation in the online space. For example, I was really hoping to see parties become the norm, but just a few titles are trying it out, and even those still have a long way to go.

FiringSquad: Finally is there anything else you wish to say about your plans for Certain Affinity at this time?

Max Hoberman: Thanks for your interest and for the coverage. We've made plenty of noise, but it's all pointless if we can't first deliver great Halo 2 maps and then follow up with an outstanding game, so we're going to be heads down for a bit. When we have something ready to show we'd love to talk again!

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