Team 17 is a UK based development company which started out over 20 years ago as a publishing company, then called 17-Bit Software. In 1990, Team 17 was formed and they went on to produce a few 90’s classics such as Alien Breed, Assassin, and Project-X.

In 1995, Worms was introduced to the world, becoming an instant mega-hit, and since earning classic status. Team 17 continues to ride the crest of Worms success, with Worms: Reloaded being their latest iteration of the series.

The first Worms as it appeared on the Amiga Platform (1995)

Speaking in an interview with Gamasutra, Team 17 co-founder Martyn Brown explains their decision to drop all third party publishers and focus exclusively on digital distribution for all future titles.

“Our shift is to independent publishing, and that means a total focus on digital first and foremost. Specifically it’s about control, for us to make all the decisions – and even if that means making a few mistakes along the way, they are our mistakes, which is critical,” said Brown.

Alien Breed on the Amiga and DOS platforms (1993)

“We have very good relationships with the first party platforms and it’s helped make this course of action pretty easy. We’ve been in the business for twenty years, and spent our first six years publishing as well as developing, so it’s almost full circle for us,” Brown continued.

Brown also indicated that Team 17 wouldn’t rule out traditional packaged retail store products, but the right commercial opportunity would have to present itself. Brown was diplomatic when asked if Team 17 had a preferred platform, describing the company as “platform agnostic.”

Assassin box art (1992)

As for plans for the future, Team 17 will be looking into publishing games for other independent studios – a prospect Brown is personally excited about. “We have a lot of experience to offer other studios who perhaps haven’t been able to get in the right places over the years. I can’t name anything specifically, but certainly we’re another realistic option for other studios. We completely understand what it’s like to be an indie developer and how tough the market can be – and we can help with IP management, positioning and getting games onto various platforms,” said Brown.

“Above all, we won’t mess anyone around which I think is a big bugbear with 3rd party publishers. It can take months just to get a ‘no’ so you get stuck hanging on and that’s no good for anyone. We’ve gained a lot of experience, got a lot of contacts and can help other studios in terms of mentoring too,” Brown concluded.