IGNPC: Why did you guys decide to go with this model? Is self-publishing more of a practical consideration or a necessity for you at this point? How long have you been considering this move?

Ken Levine: Being a small developer is a tough economic. You would think that a company like Irrational that has several hit titles out there would be floating in the cash. But using the traditional publisher model, a game has to earn out several times (5x+) its cost before the developer starts seeing any royalties.

With Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich we thought, "So, we have our own technology. We own the intellectual property. We've worked hard with an incredibly dedicated fanbase to build up one of the strongest gaming communities out there." Why take on a partner who doesn't fully understand the franchise, hasn't made the investment that we (or the community has) in the product, and in the end of the day, might insist on changes to the game which could potentially alienate our fans? We're going to have a lot more freedom to concentrate on giving gamers what they want.