Inside Aspyr: Bringing Games To Mac October 1, 2004 | Tuncer Deniz

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Inside Aspyr is a new and unique IMG column that is penned by Aspyr employees. Our goal with this column is to bring readers interesting tidbits and insights that come from within the culture at Aspyr.

The first column is authored by Karri Scott, the new Public Relations Manager at Aspyr Media and delves into the realm of how Aspyr is able to bring one great Mac title after another onto the platform.

Ever wondered what path a title takes on its way to Macintosh? What steps does it take? If we were to compare porting a title for Mac to the lifecycle of a human being, Licensing and Publishing would be where the title spends its infancy. The game then goes through Development before moving on to Quality Assurance for testing and finally entering the ‘real world’ when the title goes public.

Aspyr Media, Inc.’s Publishing and Licensing Department takes care of securing a game’s rights and setting it on the path to Macs. They work with an array of video game developers, wheeling and dealing, sometimes spending years, sometimes only a few weeks, to ensure a title can be brought to Mac. With the latest release of the heavily anticipated Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Aspyr has continued to flood Mac users with quality titles. Over the years Aspyr has been responsible for bringing huge titles to Mac gamers like Call of Duty, the Tomb Raider series and The Sims.

One of the folks behind the scenes making this happen is Ted Staloch, Aspyr’s Executive Vice President of Publishing. Ted, always full of energy and furiously busy, can sometimes be difficult to find for a few questions. However, one insider trick – he loves trail mix. Put a bucket of trail mix out and Ted comes running like a moth to a flame.

Recently, we took a minute to ask this joker and game industry veteran some of the basics of what he does. As you read through this interview, you should know, Ted is only completely serious when he has to be. Don’t take everything he says too literally.

Aspyr: Aspyr has brought an abundance of titles to Mac. How do you decide what to work on? What factors are weighed when deciding which games to pursue?

Staloch: Grab a quarter
Heads-Pursue
Tails-Pass

Mainly the 'fun factor'. If the game is unique, cool, fun and available for Aspyr to help, we want to be part of the project.

Some code, technologies, and licenses are easier than others to overcome, but mostly we pursue the best of the best.

Aspyr: Once you’ve decided to go after a title, how long does it generally take to get a contract signed?

Staloch: Usually about 5 seconds to sign, including my middle initial, “P.” If I have to include the date, it'll bump up to 7 seconds.

It took over a year to negotiate a title we'll announce next month. The fastest one was within 20 days. The 20 day'ers we like, but usually take dirty cash to complete:)

Aspyr: What is the most common obstacle that you run into when trying to work out a contract?

Staloch: Money, Money, Money.

Certainly, things like licensing huge brands and unique technology are in the equation. But, everything seems to shake loose with cash. The business model on certain platforms limits our cash investment at times, but that is when we rely on charm and lies.

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