Full Speed Ahead for Casual Gaming: An Interview with Scott Gaeta of Renegade Game Studios

Renegade Game Studios is a brand new game publisher that came seemingly out of the blue, yet has completely sideswiped us with their line of games. We discovered them when we found out about the new edition of Gravwell, which we just highlighted in Casual Game Insider. From the get-go, their game line includes several favorites previously published by Cryptozoic Entertainment and others that also look great. It is abundantly clear that they are heading in a good direction for casual gamers. We wanted to know who was behind this surge in casual gaming, so we reached out to founder Scott Gaeta for an interview.

CGR: Hi Scott! We're glad you could join us for an interview. First off, please tell us more about yourself and your background in gaming.

Scott: Well my earliest days of gaming were when I was in the Dungeons & Dragons club in middle school. I heard chicks dug D&D so I went for it. Turns out that my information was wrong but the game was awesome and I've been a fan ever since. I'm currently running a D&D campaign for my teenage sons. Then years later in 1996 I opened a game store in Colorado. This was in the middle of the CCG boom and we were a big supporter of games like Star Wars CCG, Legend of the Five Rings, and of course Magic: The Gathering. We eventually expanded into Games Workshop and then I discovered games like Settlers of Catan and added a huge board game selection. I loved casual games because I could get my wife to play.

During this time I started to consult for Decipher and eventually sold my store and took a job with them as Senior Vice President. Decipher was fantastic. We made games like How to Host a Murder and lots of great CCGs like Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Lord of the Rings.

CGR: Renegade Game Studios is a new publishing company, yet you already have many years of experience in the industry. I heard you were also involved with Upper Deck and Cryptozoic — could you tell us more about your experiences there? What caused you to want to form your own company?

Scott: My move to Upper Deck allowed me to make games based on Marvel, DC Comics (my personal favorite) and eventually World of Warcraft. They were all great brands to work on. Being a huge comic book fan and WOW player it's hard to call it work. I played a little too much WOW for a couple of years there but It was research, I swear! (At least that's what I told the wife)

When the World of Warcraft license became available it presented a huge opportunity for my partners and I. We formed Cryptozoic at first just to produce that game for Blizzard. My partners and I all had strong backgrounds in making licensed games, comics, and trading cards, so branching out into those areas was a no-brainer. Within a few years we built up a fantastic catalog of licensed games and cards. After nearly 5 years of building that business I decided it was time to do something new, so I started Renegade.

CGR: Renegade has already acquired a great line of games. In fact, we just published a glowing review of Gravwell in the latest issue of Casual Game Insider. When deciding on games to publish, what qualities do you look for?

Scott: I love games that have a broad appeal and that can be played with so-called "non-gamers". I don't really believe in non-gamers. I think people just haven't found the right game yet. That's really what led to Renegade.

CGR: As a game industry veteran, what are your thoughts on casual games and what we call the Casual Game Revolution?

Scott: I think casual games are a major driving force behind the growth that we've seen for board games in North America. They have really helped gaming reach a new audience that traditionally thought of games as just for kids or these weekend long marathon sessions with giant grids and maps.

CGR: What is your vision for the future of your company? What do you ultimately hope to accomplish?

Scott: Ultimately we hope to deliver games that are fun and offer something new. We want to provide an experience that can be shared with the whole family or your friends.

CGR: Renegade Game Studios has our full and undivided attention, and we are anxious to see what the future holds for your company. How might one keep up with the latest news?

Scott: There are lots of ways! Our website is RenegadeGames.com. We are also on Facebook at Facebook.com/playRGS and on Twitter at @PlayRenegade.

CGR: Thanks again for your time, Scott, and we wish you all the best with your new venture!

Scott: Thank you! Keep publishing Casual Game Insider and I'll keep reading it!