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Criterion is in a state. The once mighty Guildford studio has been hobbled by the transferral of the Need for Speed series to the Gothenburg-based Ghost Games, as well as the departure of its racing-focussed staff who formed Ghost UK and, more pertinently, the departure of two of its founding members, Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry. Or, Criterion is in the best place it's been for years. Stripped down to a core team of 25, its office stripped of corporate clutter and instilled with an easy-going, creative feel, it's returned to the independent spirit that birthed the Burnout games - and in its all-new IP, it's about to embark on its most significant game since the arcade racer that forged its reputation.
Which one of these to believe? Matt Webster, a long-time employee at Criterion who was appointed its general manager earlier this year, makes a strong case for the latter, of course. Criterion, he says, hasn't lost its spirit. It hasn't lost what's made it a success in a past. "When you make games, it's a team game," he says of the departure of the outspoken Alex Ward, a fiery character often identified as the heart of the studio. "It can't ever just be one person. The spirit of Criterion is not just defined by one person - it's the people who are in it. It's different for sure."
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