BUT WHO WATCHES THE SPY?
THE SPY The Spy always knows the fastest way out.
People overestimate the importance of getting into things. “Oh, we ended up in the VIP lounge,” you humblebrag to your colleague, as they silently regret asking what you did over the weekend. “Oh, we’ve bought a timeshare in the Maldives,” you enthuse to your sister, her forced smile betraying her impatience with how irresponsible you’re being with your money. “Oh, there was a complex series of steam vents The Spy used to reach the underground volcano base,” The Spy tells The Spy’s handler, who stares forward impassively, never moving, never blinking, always listening.
The Spy loves a good infiltration as much as the next person, but it’s only half the story. What if, after you’ve arrived, you really, really want to leave? The VIP lounge is loud and tacky. The timeshare is old and dilapidated. The volcano is active and about to blow. Getting in is one thing, it’s the exfiltration that really matters.
DOTTED LINE
For instance, imagine you were a game development studio recently acquired by a large holding company that had spent much of the last few years acquiring multiple smaller-tier developers and publishers. “We empower people and companies to unleash their full potential,” the holding company declares, which you take to mean they will give you money in order to make the games you want to make. A great deal. You sign on the dotted line.
Now imagine that the holding company failed to secure a $2 billion funding deal – reported to be with Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group – and is now downsizing to an unprecedented degree. Things are looking bleak. What’s your exit plan?
While you ponder that purely hypothetical question, let’s check in with Embracer Group. The Spy would run down its recent history, but for some reason feels like The Spy would be repeating The Spy’s self. If recent reports are to be believed, two of its studios are so
