Deep Silver won't compromise "Metro's unique DNA"

New Metro franchise owner Deep Silver is working to make the series "more accessible to a broader audience," but whatever changes are made to the series in future games won't jeopardize the integrity of the franchise, the publisher has said in a new blog post.

"Fans of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light have been justifiably concerned by a story that surfaced at Gamescom last week, and we wanted to set the record straight," Deep Silver global brand manager Huw Beynon said.

Deep Silver CEO Dr. Klemens Kundratitz told Joystiq that, "Our ambition is to absolutely continue with that brand and we will also, in the next phase, look to making it more accessible for a broader gamer audience."

Beynon said this quote has, in some cases, been interpreted to mean Deep Silver will "dilute" Metro's core gameplay values or "dumb down" the game "in a bid to woo a wider, more casual audience."

He said that Deep Silver understands this concern, but made clear that the company "has absolutely no intention of compromising Metro's unique DNA."

"Whatever direction a new Metro game takes (and we are still assembling the drawing boards), it will build on the bleak, post apocalyptic pillars of atmosphere, immersion, challenge, and depth that sets this franchise apart from the crowd," Beynon said.

"However, Deep Silver will seek to make the world of Metro more accessible to a broader audience," Beynon said. "Through a commitment to ever higher product quality; through greater strategic investment in the brand; and, in the immediate term, through the release of dedicated Mac and Linux versions of Metro: Last Light. This is just the first stage of a broader initiative to bring Metro to a wider audience, without compromising the product's strengths."

Metro: Last Light launches for Mac on September 10, while the Linux version will be out later in the year.