How Eternal Stands Leverages The Industry Expertise of Yellow Brick Games
Explore how How Eternal Stands benefits from the industry expertise of Yellow Brick Games, blending innovative design and decades of experience to create a standout title in the gaming world
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When a new studio launches its debut game, it often serves as a bold declaration of the team’s vision and capabilities. For Yellow Brick Games, a studio formed by former BioWare and Ubisoft veterans, their debut title, Eternal Strands, is the culmination of years of industry experience, lessons learned from working on major projects, and a shared commitment to creating something truly special. Set for release on January 28, Eternal Strands blends expansive, emergent gameplay with a rich narrative, all grounded in the expertise of its developers.
A Consistent Vision Throughout Development
For many developers, especially those working on their first game as a studio, maintaining a consistent vision from concept to release can be a challenge. However, for Yellow Brick Games, the deep collective experience of its team members helped Eternal Strands stay true to its core ideas. Mike Laidlaw, the former creative director behind Dragon Age, alongside Frederic St-Laurent, have been instrumental in guiding the game’s direction. According to Laidlaw, the defining features of Eternal Strands—such as its physics system, the large creatures, and climbing mechanics—were all part of the original proposal and remain key elements of the game.
While Laidlaw admits that the game went through "one major evolution," the changes that occurred were part of a natural and beneficial development process, one that focused on expanding the player’s toolkit to support the game’s main focus: emergent gameplay. "You need to know when it’s time to make some shifts," Laidlaw explains, highlighting the balance between staying on course and being adaptable based on feedback.
Leveraging Industry Experience to Stay On-Track
The path to Eternal Strands’s completion hasn’t been without challenges, particularly as the pandemic forced the studio to rapidly adapt to new working conditions. Laidlaw notes that the industry veterans at Yellow Brick Games brought a level of discipline and project management experience that many indie studios may not have had at their disposal. This experience proved invaluable, as the team was able to predict project schedules, make necessary cuts, and pivot when required.
Laidlaw reflects on the benefits of having seasoned professionals: "There’s a degree of maturity required to predict how things will play out," he says, explaining how their experience with major game titles allowed them to manage the project effectively even in uncertain times. The knowledge gained from working on high-profile games gave the team the foresight to make the right adjustments, ensuring that the game remained on schedule and within scope.
A Leap of Faith in Uncertain Times
The formation of Yellow Brick Games and the development of Eternal Strands coincided with the global disruption caused by COVID-19, making the project all the more challenging. Despite these obstacles, Laidlaw and St-Laurent remained committed to delivering a game that reflected both their personal vision and the collective experience of the studio.
With Eternal Strands now gold-certified and its demo ready for release, Laidlaw feels a deep sense of pride and anticipation. “Fred and I have both been involved kind of from the beginning,” he shares, "so there is this sensation of thinking and hoping that we have managed to stick the landing on