Stardock CEO: In the future, publishers will be partners — and not owners

The rise of self-publishing and raising money via crowdfunding means developers don’t have to work with publishers to release their games. But one studio believes that traditional relationship could still be beneficial — with some tweaks.

In an interview with website GamesIndustry, Stardock Entertainment chief executive Brad Wardell talked about the advantages of the company’s hybrid publisher/developer model. In addition to making its own games, Stardock works with other independent studios to bring their ideas to the PC, handling the business end while creators focus on their projects. It also shares developers across teams if needed.