# “There’s always a night when Rome burns”: South Of Midnight director says that Xbox funding it was “unsustainable”, at least in hindsight

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/theres-always-a-night-when-rome-burns-south-of-midnight-director-says-that-xbox-funding-it-was-unsustainable-at-least-in-hindsight/
- Published: 2026-11-03T13:12:53+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T13:18:37+00:00
- Original publisher: Rock Paper Shotgun
- Original article: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/theres-always-a-night-when-rome-burns-south-of-midnight-director-says-that-xbox-funding-it-was-unsustainable-at-least-in-hindsight
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Gaming

## Key points

- Sears says South of Midnight’s Xbox funding was unsustainable.
- He feared the money could run out during development.
- Microsoft allowed Compulsion Games to become independent.

## Summary

David Sears, South of Midnight’s former creative director, says Xbox funding the game was unsustainable in hindsight, and that he might have cut it himself if he had been in charge. His comments underline the risks of funding games that build a publisher’s reputation but may not bring strong short-term sales.

Sears said he had worried throughout development that Microsoft might stop funding the project, though he did not know when. He described the game as aimed more at becoming a cultural touchstone than a major moneymaker, and said Microsoft let Compulsion Games become independent rather than closing the studio after it was cut. Sears left Compulsion in March 2025.

## Coverage

- [Rock Paper Shotgun: “There’s always a night when Rome burns”: South Of Midnight director says that Xbox funding it was “unsustainable”, at least in hindsight](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/theres-always-a-night-when-rome-burns-south-of-midnight-director-says-that-xbox-funding-it-was-unsustainable-at-least-in-hindsight)
- [IGN: South of Midnight Creative Director Would Have Turned Off Xbox 'Money Tap' Earlier, Says Funding Was 'Unsustainable'](https://www.ign.com/articles/south-of-midnight-creative-director-wouldnt-have-funded-the-game)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.