Whip it good!

By: John Breeden II
GiN Chief Editor

There are times when companies can be described as rising stars, and Whiptail Interactive certainly falls into that category. In their short lifespan the company with the angry fish on their logo has already had a number one hit with the release of the controversial and critically acclaimed Postal 2.

Not resting on their fins, they have quickly moved to diversify their portfolio and have caught three new titles. RC Cars is a fun racing game developed by 1C Company. Blade and Sword is a Diablo-like kung-fu fighting title. And Gangland looks like it could be the next big mafia title to hit the market in that popular yet underserved genre. That's not bad for a company that is barely a year old.

We baited Whiptail president Fred Heslop with a few questions about why he, a successful publishing executive at another company, chose to take a gamble and create a new company, and on his recipe for such an astounding early track record.

Whiptail Interactive - http://www.whiptailinteractive.com

GiN: You were a successful executive with TriSynergy. Was it difficult to leave that job for a much more risky venture founding a publishing house?

Heslop: Not really. With greater risk comes greater reward. As well, I believe that Whiptail Interactive offers a model with different strengths to the development community. Strengths that I strongly believe in, and am proud to represent.

GiN: Can you tell us a little bit about why you decided to start Whiptail Interactive?

Heslop: Because we had the opportunity. But more importantly, because we saw a need for a company like Whiptail.

GiN: Once you had decided to form Whiptail Interactive, what was the next step?

Heslop: The first thing I did was look for partners that could bring to the equation strengths and abilities that would complement my own. Luckily I was able to find exactly that; partners that had pertinent experience and who were as excited as I was about starting a new publishing house.

GiN: Was it difficult to find high-quality titles to publish?

Heslop: Finding high-quality titles is very easy. Finding affordable high-quality titles is the challenge.

GiN: The first game you published was the highly controversial Postal 2. How difficult was it to decide to become the publisher for a title that you knew would generate at least some negative publicity?

Heslop: Not difficult at all. The PC gaming industry encompasses a wide variety of genres. One of the reasons I first became involved in this industry is I loved the way it pushed the boundaries of not only technology, but of what was socially acceptable. I feel the industry does a great job of regulating itself, through our own personal choices as industry professionals, and through the help of organizations like the ESRB.

As long as that continues then developers like RWS, creators of Postal and Postal 2, should not only have the opportunity to develop games with their own vision, but should also have free access to the consumer market, where their games will be judged by the greatest evaluators around… our customers.

GiN: The game industry has experienced an incredible amount of consolidation in recent years, with the top five companies seeming to buy up most of the others. How does a startup publisher like Whiptail compete with some of the huge firms?

Heslop: Like anyone else in our situation, regardless of the industry. It requires a huge amount of confidence, determination, willpower and hard work. A small company like Whiptail Interactive isn't necessarily disadvantaged in comparison to a large publishing house. It merely has a different set of strengths and skill sets than its competitors. Focusing on its strengths and not its weaknesses is exactly what will allow any "small" company to compete with larger competitors.

GiN: Your new title list seems like a pretty diverse slate. You have an RC cars game and the swords and sorcery action RPG coming out. How important is it to have a wide variety of titles?

Heslop: Variety can be important, as can be consistency, or focus within a specific genre. What is more important to us is to offer our consumers great value for their money. To make certain that regardless of the genre or price point, that our customers will be satisfied with every Whiptail Interactive game they purchase.

GiN: How do you find out about games that are being developed that you might want to publish?

Heslop: Through a wide variety of means; many people in the development community contact us directly, there are a variety of groups that represent developers as agents, trade shows, and most importantly, keeping our ears to the ground.

GiN: Once you find a group of potential games for Whiptail, how do you select the ones that you want to back?

Heslop: All of the core partners in Whiptail review each of the games we consider. In each instance we consider a wide variety of factors, but it boils down to two important areas; is it a sound business opportunity for both Whiptail Interactive and the proposed developer partner, and, is it a good game and can we offer our customers great value if we release it?

GiN: Most people would say surviving in this industry for a year is the mark of success and Whiptail has certainly had some shining moments even early in its life. But what are your goals for the future, and what do you want Whiptail to ultimately become?

Heslop: Our goal is to continue to build our consumer base, and earn its respect and loyalty. As long as we can responsibly advance those goals, we will, regardless of genre or platform.