Axiom Verge Creator Discusses The Original’s Success, And The Future Of The Series After The Sequel

Nintendo Enthusiast has published an interview with Axiom Verge creator Tom Happ, who shared a little bit about what he’s been up to since the original game was released, as well as where the series is heading next with the announcement of the sequel.

During the interview Happ shared a little bit about how the success of the original Axiom Verge changed his daily life, mostly from game development going from something he did as a hobby, to a full time job.

NE: Axiom Verge was a bigger success than I think anyone was expecting. How has that impacted your day-to-day life? And did all of that success and attention impact your goals or vision for the sequel or the larger universe you’ve been writing for years? Has player feedback been a factor?

TH: Being a successful indie game dev opens up a whole new strange world. I am at home all day and work for myself, basically never seeing other people during the workday, and when I do it’s the parents of my kid’s friends and they basically are living my previous life of having employers and coworkers and such. It feels almost embarrassing in a way? We moved to a wealthy suburb in SoCal and we have some neighbors that are like TV sitcom caricatures of the rich… I miss where we used to live in Vegas, but we moved here for better healthcare and education.

I guess the main impact is that instead of Axiom Verge being a hobby, it is now a job. But in some ways, it is also what holds me together. I do read player feedback even if I don’t often respond to it. I’ll probably never turn Axiom Verge into a multiplayer game no matter how much people ask for it, but I try to address most other things if I can.

Regarding the sequel, Happ explained that Axiom Verge 2 has a bit more Zelda influence in addition to the obvious Metroid inspiration. He also shared some other recent titles that had a hand in shaping the title’s world.

TH: I think I’m pretty much always digesting every game I’ve ever played and using them to flavor my work in some way, but in Axiom Verge 2 there is a distinctly heavier Zelda influence. Also, the newer Prey has been very influential to me, as well as the modern Tomb Raider games, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Shadow of the Colossus.

Finally, Happ expressed interest in continuing to make games in the Axiom Verge series after 2, provided he didn’t feel too burned out after finishing development.

NE: Last question for the interview. Your website mentions thousands of years of in-game history spanning multiple characters. If Axiom Verge 2 replicates the success of the original, can we expect more games in this universe going forward?

TH: That’s the plan. Though I might be a bit burned out on AV after finishing 2 and interject a different kind of game in-between.

If you’re interested in checking out the full interview, you can find it on Nintendo Enthusiast here.

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