Save the sheep from a horde of wolves by building a fence around them, in this increasingly difficult new puzzler from McPeppergames www.mcpeppergames.com
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EDITORIAL Introduction
we are
Hello and welcome to IND13 (Indie), the magazine
sound effect artistry to retro arcades – we’ll take a
that champions independent games.
look at anything that grabs our interest.
Maybe you’re a developer, or a hardcore gamer,
We’re a small core team of just six members – so
or someone new to the concept of indie games
we’re always looking for new angles and fresh
wanting to learn more – we’ve got something for
writing. If you think you’ve got something that’ll
you all.
make indie game developers step away from their consoles for a few minutes, get in touch by emailing
Just like the games we love, we’re independent:
us at editorial@ind13.com.
this means no editorial agenda except good, solid reporting on all aspects of indie gaming. From
Enjoy,
veteran developers to crowdfunding campaigns,
ind13
Who we are... IND13 is a games magazine dedicated to independent games development. The team is made up of voluntary contributors from different areas of independent games development.
placements in the magazine. We also give pro bono ad placements to the companies the team work for, in exchange for our time spent contributing to the magazine and to keep our employers happy.
We’ve created a magazine which discusses topics we think are important to, and cater to the fans of, independent games development.
We hope you enjoyed the magazine and please do get in touch with questions and comments.
Our aim is to create interesting news, reviews and articles, all focusing on independent games development. The nucleus of our team is based in the UK but we hope to have a team stretching the globe. We aim to have independent gaming news from the UK, US, Europe and Asia, but also from all other gaming territories. The team behind IND13 are all volunteers, and we are giving our time because we are passionate about independent games development. The content of the magazine will be made up of articles created by the IND13 team but also by voluntary contributors from the games industry.
The Team: Richard Hoffmann Editor-in-Chief Harry Cole Publisher Lee Smith Creative Director Rokas Butkus Art Editor Sophie Rossetti Copy Editor Website: www.ind13.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ind13 Twitter: @official_Ind13
Advertising is available in the magazine, at this time all proceeds will go into the development and stability of IND13’s production. Paying for advertising will also mean we can cover paying clients’ titles with editorial as well as with traditional advertising
For editorial enquires: editorial@ind13.com For advertising enquires: advertising@ind13.com
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The Way Home Pages 12 - 15
Regional Report: Kenya Pages 44 - 47
KOLM Review Page 48
The Fist of Jesus Pages 50 - 54
Embrace YouTube gaming Pages 62 - 63 4 ind13.com
Q&A with the IND13 team
Skater
Page 6 What are the biggest changes in video games development that you have seen in the last ten years?
Pages 36 - 42 Skateboarding with a clever social twist
39 Days to Mars Pages 9 - 11 A game that is so full of Steampunk Sci-fi goodness, we are not sure whether to play it or just admire the artwork
Regional Report: Kenya Pages 44 - 47 We talk to Leon Oscar Kidando who lives and works in Kenya developing games
KOLM Page 48 A review of the browser-based game
The Way Home Pages 12 - 15 We hear from Mowow Studios about their time travelling game that is inspired by the classic tv series Quantum Leap
The Fist of Jesus
The Magnificent Stunts
Mushroom 11
Pages 16 - 19 Stunt Guy: The Getaway 2.0. where you hang onto the back of a speeding motorcar, and bash other stunt drivers out of the way
Pages 56 - 58 The unique puzzle platformer that is going to be destroying worlds on a computer screen near you soon...
Pages 50 - 54 There has been a history of games based on movies, but Fist of Jesus is different
Back to Bed RuPaul's Drag Racing Pages 20 - 21 Drag is moving into the digital age and is challenging conventions. We talk to the makers to discuss this crossover title
Accelerator Page 22 A review of the browser-based game
Pages 60 - 61 Where high art meets gaming...
Why you should embrace YouTube gaming Pages 62 - 63 Ophelia discusses YouTube and it's delights for gamers
Interstella Marines Verdun Pages 24 - 28 A squad-based multiplayer FPS set in the First World War and inspired by the infamous battle of Verdun in 1916
Pages 64 - 67 First contact with Interstellar Marines, a new first person shooter from indie studio Zero Point Software.
SpecialEffect Pages 30 - 35 A charity that aims to beat physical disability to enable people to enjoy video games
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EDITORIAL Q&A with the ind13 team
What are the biggest changes in video games development that you have seen in the last ten years? HARRY
SOPHIE
ROKAS
RICHARD
LEE
JENNIFER
Harry
people out there making them, catering them to new and varied audiences
I think the way that the internet allows us to share information has
as there are more people out there to play them. This effect may mean to
changed everything. Ideas and experiences can be shared across the world
some that the market is flooded with inferior 'quantity' over 'quality', but I
and that has affected both the content and creation of games. One specific
think it means people are making better games in order to get noticed, and
area that has become huge for videogames is Digital Distribution on PC and
distributors and reviewers just work harder to help curate the best of the
Mobile, the fact that videogames can now be distributed without needing
best.
shop space or a huge marketing budget, is massive.
Richard
If you have a good idea you can get your game out there, and even better
Free to play became big and for some Indie developers this is not the
than that, you can create an Alpha and actually have your audience work
best business model to sell their games in the mobile sector. Kickstarter,
with you to make your game. These new distribution platforms have now
Indiegogo and Co on the other hand helped Indies to raise significant
been widely adopted and I expect to see this trend overtake traditional
amount of money to fund their game development. Steam obviously
forms of distribution in the next ten years.
pushed DLC and killed the middle man aka the traditional distribution channels..
Rokas This is a difficult one as so much has happened in 10 years. One of the
Jennifer
biggest things I would have to say is the birth of smartphones and mobile
The biggest change in the process of videogame development has been
gaming. This has put games in the hands of everyday people you may not
in communication between developers and players. Over the past ten
have expected to play games. But what I find fascinating is the rate of
years, thanks to platforms like Steam and Kickstarter, game development
development this new technology has undertaken. It has jumped to catch
has become much more of an exercise in conversation than dictation.
up graphically and processing wise to AAA titles from a few years ago,
Nowadays, players feel more entitled and empowered to have their say in
to the point where you can get an emulator on your phone and play AAA
the development of the games that they play.
tittles from a few years back!
Lee Smith
When I first saw GTA 3 in all it's 3D glory on the Playstation 2, my mind was
One of the the biggest changes, away from the technology side of things, is
blown. Now to see it again but portable on my phone, it blows my mind
how computer games touch pretty much everyone’s lives now. From the stay
again. I still remember snake... and only snake.. no play store, just snake.
-at-home parent, to the commuter, to the grandparent, to the school kid.
Sophie
Games were usually seen as the preserve of the kids and the geeks (which
I agree with the others in that the increase in gaming platforms (especially
we have all been, admit it...) but now, with the rise of mobile gaming and
mobile) and distribution methods (digital) has redefined us as a gaming
*shudder* Facebook games, they are used by the majority now. Even David
society. 10 years ago, 'gamer' meant something completely different,
Cameron probably allows himself a few games of Bejewelled at the end of
whereas now anyone who enjoys Candy Crush on the bus home should be
a hard day’s night messing up the country.
able to comfortably call themselves one. Strangely, though, a lot of the people who play these games, if asked, Development has changed because not only have games never been easier
would probably say that they don't really play, or have an interest in,
to own / play, they have also become easier to make. There are simply more
games.
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A platformer with a
unique mechanic USD $9.99 EUR €7.99 CAD $11.49 GBP £6.49
You can dive into the ground. Momentum is conserved but gravity is reversed, letting you fling yourself high into the air or deep beneath the surface. The goal is always straightforward - collect the three orbs in the level and jump into the wormhole - but spikes, endless drops and impossible heights make this more and more difficult.
PC / Mac / Linux Steam
www.daniellinssen.net 7 ind13.com
“Overall winner of Ludum Dare 29.” April, 2014
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FEATURE 30 Days to Mars
Harry Cole and Lee Smith
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FEATURE 30 Days to Mars
Along has come a game that is so full of Steampunk Sci-fi goodness, a game with astonishingly inventive artwork and game play that ticks every proverbial box, that we are not sure whether to play it or just admire the artwork. That game is 39 Days to Mars and although it isn't due out until 2015 (exact date isn't yet known), we are already eagerly awaiting a copy of it. Until then, though, we will have to make do with the images, the trailer, and an interview with Philip Buchanan from Surrealix, the artist and developer of the visual tour de force. Philip is one of those mythical Jack-of-all-trades, who also happens to be a master of them all. He is an engineer with a PhD in Computer Graphics which was achieved in the Computer Science Department, and with the Graphics Research Group at Lund University, Sweden. He also holds a Bachelor of Computer Engineering with first class honours. The University of Canterbury ran a graduate profile about him and his research. He is also a programmer who develops primarily in C++, C# and Javascript, and have experience in PHP, Visual Basic, Python and Java.
I'm the only developer, and I'm writing 39 Days to Mars in my spare time." Going on to add the killer line: "I think that's about as 'indie' as you can get!" Well, I cannot disagree with that sentiment. We are all well versed with the developer in his bedroom coding a game by himself, and of course there is a certain developer of Flappy Bird. However, 39 Days to Mars is such an original and artistically stylish game, you would be more inclined to imagine a group of developers, artists and designers working together to bring this project to its fuition. Philip, though, seems like he was ready to do this for the majority of his life, seeing as he learned to program at a young age by reading the MSDN manual for Visual Basic 5 from cover to cover. "Most of the examples were for enterprise systems", he says, "but one of the exercises was a simple game. It was much more exciting than databases, and I never looked back." And 39 Days to Mars is the cooperative steampunk puzzleadventure game that he has always wanted to make. "You're put in charge of two 19th century explorers, Sir Albert Wickes and The Right Honourable Clarence Baxter, who are attempting to pilot a dubious looking spacecraft to Mars", he says.
He is also an artist of some considerable skill, which is immediately obvious when looking at the artwork for 39 Days to Mars. Plus, he has developed software that automatically creates 3D models from concept artwork, as well as methods to understand and manipulate visual style in game art.
But what aboout the game itself? I have mentioned the steampunk inspired artwork, but how about the gameplay?
Right, now the introduction is out of the way, how about looking beyond the resume and finding out about the person and his inspiration for 39 Days to Mars. Well for starters, as you can imagine, Philip is pretty much a one man game making machine. As he says, "there's no studio as such behind the game. It's just me! I'm based in New Zealand and more recently, Canada.
Well, the gameplay itself has three main elements: survival, puzzle, and adventure. Each character has basic needs such as hunger and boredom that must be attended to throughout the game. This becomes harder as the game progresses, because things in the ship break down. Fixing these is done via minigames and puzzles, which increase in difficulty as the game progresses. It is very unique. Was this a deliberate action from Philip, did he set out to make something that really stands out from the other
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FEATURE 30 Days to Mars
games out there? If so, it could either be a masterstroke, and sell the game to the masses with it's originality, or it could just be a bit too much too soon. As Philip himself says,"it was a very deliberate decision. I knew that I couldn't make a full adventure game by myself, and so I looked for ways to take the same core aesthetic but branch out into a different style of gameplay. It seems to be working so far, but there's still a lot of development left to go."
"For 39 Days to Mars I almost fell into steampunk by accident. I had originally envisaged a sleek modern spaceship based upon NASA's ion drive..."
"I've drawn all of the artwork for the game, as well as doing the programming. It usually starts as rough pencil sketches where I develop the overall look of the piece, and then it's re-drawn on the computer in HD and imported into the game. "For 39 Days to Mars I almost fell into steampunk by accident. I had originally envisaged a sleek modern spaceship based upon NASA's ion drive (this is where the name comes from). However, as I was designing the artwork and characters I found that I wanted to convey a more experimental and adventurous feel. Steampunk let me draw a parallel between space travel and the romantic idea of English gentry and adventure on the high seas. I've always been a fan of steampunk. I think the raw and exposed mechanical side of the genre appeals to my background as an engineer, while the scope for detail makes it heaps of fun to work with as an artist." The trailer was released recently to a great reception! Philip listed the game on Steam Greenlight, and it gained so much support that it was accepted onto the platform in only 19 days. "I'm still blown away by the supportive feedback and comments."
Back to the art, though, which is unavoidable due to its style, as it certainly takes game art to the next level. With the simply drawn strokes and characters, and the obvious roots in steampunk, what was the thinking behind this? I must confess, that even outside of the games world, if there is such a place, I've always been drawn to steampunk in its many guises. It's so appealing that it is hard not to be. But what about Philip? And how did he do the artwork all by himself?
However, as I mentioned earlier, there is currently no playable version, and the game itself won't be released until 2015 ÂŤ If you want to check it out before next year's release, just check it out on the website: www.surrealix.com/39days
Artwork for 39 Days to Mars
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FEATURE Mowow Studios
The Way Home: Oh Boy! We hear from MoWOW Studios about their time travelling game that is, by their own admission, very much inspired by the classic tv series Quantum Leap. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.
MoWOW Studios are based, officially, in Germany. I say officially because in the strange reality that exists in the games world, one half is in Germany while the other half is in Romania.
With its brilliant mix of humor, drama and melodrama, social commentary, nostalgia, and science fiction, it had a broad range of fans. So much so that there were protests in America when the series was eventually canned.
Although they do say that, technically, they "can work from any place that has electricity, good internet and coffee. We can manage for a while without the electricity..."
One of its trademarks is that at the end of each episode, Sam "leaps" into the setting for the next episode, usually uttering a dismayed "Oh, boy!".
Those two halves are Tudor Munteanu, an iOS & Python Developer and the Junior illustrator plus Alexandru Bleau who is the Game Designer and self-confessed "Marketing Mad Man". It is Alexandru that we have been talking to regarding MoWOW Studios and their incredible new Quantum Leap inspired game.
Alexandru and Tudor have unashamedly been inspired by that to make The Way Home: Incredible Time Travel Arcade
If you are not familiar with Quantum Leap, well, frankly I feel sorry for you. It was an amazing series that ran from the late 80s to the mid 90s, starring Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a quantum physicist from the near future who becomes lost in time following a time-travel experiment, temporarily taking the places of other people to "put right what once went wrong." Dean Stockwell co-starred as Al Calavicci, Sam's womanizing, cigar-smoking sidekick and best friend, who appeared as a hologram that only Sam, animals, young children, and the mentally ill could see and hear. For some, the wise-cracking Al was their favourite character; while his morals were not as high as Sam's, he was a good person, if very sarcastic.
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FEATURE Mowow Studios
Adventure; and their story is a familiar one to many indie studios starting out.
exciting challenge for us to make something that could leave such a mark on people."
As Alexandru points out to us, "we are just two people making games for our fans and our enjoyment with no budget other than our personal savings and earnings. This started out as a hobby and now we are working full time to earn enough from our games and apps so that the dream becomes reality. We're also not working with any publisher."
They met, they partied, they talked they shared ideas, they developed ideas and 'The Way Home' is the fruit of their labours. How did they embark on the journey that led to this game though?
The indie dream: to be able to earn enough from making games to simply be able to afford to make more games. For most, it isn't about earning the squillions that the likes of Rockstar or Rovio are making, it is more utopian than that. You could, possibly, argue that this ideal is one that was explored in many an episode of Quantum Leap; that it is about living a good life, doing the good things, that is most important and not the quick bucks and empty riches that some crave so much. But I digress, as the story is about MoWOW Studios, as it should be, and also how they got into the tricky industry of game making in the first place. It should be no surprise to many of us that it started with an idea, a shared vision, and one that never actually made it but did start the formation of a new indie games studio. "Me and Tudor had worked and also partied quite a few times before starting MoWOW. At one point we wanted to make a Facebook version of a local game from Romania. Although that game never got to see the player's faces, it did give birth to moWOW studios. We admire and are constantly amazed by the power of games to communicate, teach or create experiences and it was an
"The Way Home is a mix between an unusual (and we think new) mechanic combined with an episodic time traveling story inspired by the really cool TV series Quantum Leap. You are part of a time traveling experiment that went a little‌ kaka. Now you are bouncing around in time, ending up in the bodies and lives of different people. Set things right in their lives in order to jump in time again. The hero doesn't have control over the time jumps, so he never knows where he will wind up next. This lack of control is also present in the game mechanic, where the player can only move the hero up or down while he constantly moves left and right." Well, the Quantum Leap inspiration is something that we have covered a lot in this article, but how about the extremely long name too? It is quite lengthy: The Way Home: Incredible Time Travel Arcade Adventure. Alexandru explaines that "for a lot of our players, it's just The Way Home. We added the other part because the name of the game doesn't really explain what a person who wants to
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FEATURE Mowow Studios
download is going to get. The initial title is more connected to the hero's goal and the theme."
himself as a test subject. Everything goes south after the first jump."
So Alexandru, the self-confessed "Marketing Mad Man" has obviously been working on his SEO, and hey, why not. With so many games out there now, and with potentially having to scroll through endless lists to find one you want, a little sensible marketing isn't a bad idea.
It is a bit more than that though, as the character grows through the story arc, as you progess through the game; "Will's personality is uncovered a bit while playing the game, like in the Albert Einstein episodes. Even though he has a strong character, he would not be able to travel in his adventure alone, thus Dex is a great help." Alexandru explains.
Back to the game though, and more of the inspirations behind it, as it surely isn't just Quantum Leap. The game play itself is also quite unique in the way it works.
The great artwork is all done in-house by Tudor, "although we both discuss and decide on details, the brush is his." says Alexandru.
"We try out a lot of quirky/weird mechanics but also try out a lot of games. The mechanic in The Way Home is a mash-up of various bits and pieces discovered and enjoyed in games that we've played.
It has been out a little while now, so hopefully the results are starting to show, the hardwork is starting to pay off. How you meassure success though, is tricky. For some there are charts, for some it is extreme amounts of downloads, and for others the advertising revenue is enough for you to be able to buy a small island. How about for Alexandru and Tudor though? What has the reaction been to The Way Home?
The story: we wanted a theme that would allow us to share stuff that we found interesting and also allow us to break it into episodes. I can't remember exactly how Quantum Leap came up in the discussion, but we both lost half a day reminiscing about our favorite episodes. We started thinking of important moments in history and what could go wrong. Let's just say that after five scenarios everything was so wrong it was too fun not to go along with this theme."
Well, as Alexandru explains, "the reviews and ratings are good, but we have yet to see the download and revenue numbers that would make us open a champagne bottle... on a yacht. Let's just say we are at sparkling water and row boat right now. We're still working on various details and content based both on data and feedback from the players."
And then we have Will, the main character from the game; a genius from future earth and obviously based on Sam from Quantum Leap.
On that note, we will leave it at that. Off course, though, we can always come back in time and play it again. «
"He designs a time machine and decides to see if it works... by using
Check out MoWOW Studios at www.mowowstudios.com
"You are part of a time traveling experiment that went a little… kaka. Now you are bouncing around in time, ending up in the bodies and lives of different people. Set things right in their lives in order to jump in time again..."
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INTERVIEW Kempt
The Magnificent Stunts Stunt Guy: The Getaway 2.0, where you hang onto the back of a speeding motorcar, and bash other stunt drivers out of the way, jump off ramps, and cause enough explosive mayhem to satisfy your overly demanding movie director, is out now. We talked to Chris and Kempt Studios about how they developed the game. By Harry Cole.
Could you introduce yourself, tell us about the team and your studio? Sure, my name is Chris and I run a small studio called Kempt in Canterbury. We started making Flash games about 11 years ago and discovered we were pretty good at it. We developed nearly 100 games in the first 7 years before developing our current mobile specialism. We focus on building the kinds of games that we like - simple, funny and 2D - we’re aiming for playable comic-books. Do you consider yourselves an Indie studio? I think so - although people often seem to think we’re not. I think it’s because we put a lot of effort into art, design and finesse and tend to stick to fairly simple accessible play mechanics, whereas other studios tend to focus more on gameplay innovation? Anyway, we just want to make games that tell a few stories and make people smile, but we certainly do that in an "artistically independent” manner! What are the benefits of being an indie and what are the draw backs? Crikey… well, we have a lot of fun I think?! It’s great to be in control of your own destiny - at least when things are going well! The key drawback though is definitely cash, I’ve lost track of the number of times we’ve nearly gone bust over the years but we always seem to pull it out of the bag somehow!
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What got you into making games? I made my first game (a horseracing sim) on a Ti81 graphing calculator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI-81) it had a version of basic on it and I programmed the game in maths lessons in order to avoid doing any actual work! However… the real stimulation was in about 1998 when Tom Fulp (Newgrounds, The Behemoth) published the very first flash game - Pico’s School. It blew me away and I spent the next 5 years trying to find a job where I could do that for a living. In 2003 I gave up and started Kempt!
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INTERVIEW McPeppergames
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INTERVIEW Kempt
In your own words, how would you describe Stunt Guy? Stunt Guy 2.0 is a simple, accessible, friendly and funny little game which is trying to tell a little story to you whilst you focus on trashing as many cars as possible. It doesn’t want to become your new life obsession - it just wants to give you a giggle while you’re waiting at the bus stop or on the bog. What is the back story to the game? What was the inspiration behind the game? The project started with the realisation that we were struggling to find the time to create our own games but didn’t want to give it up. So we started two simple questions: 1) What’s the simplest game we can build that’ll allow us to play to our strengths and people will enjoy? 2) What kind of character could we build a series of simple games around that all inter-relate. We settled on a stunt man (and would never have believed we’d spend 3 years working on the project!). The rock music, is that a real Rock Band? Can you give us the back ground on how that partnership came about? Yeah! They’re Hey Hello and they’re fricking amazing. Their manager, Gav, is a friend (and hero) but I’ve been following Ginger (one of the duo) since I was 16 and caught his band - the Wildhearts - on their first tour. I guess the relationship is a classic case of “you don’t ask” we needed some music for a game one day so I got in touch, we’ve been trying to help each other out ever since. The artwork has a poster style and looks really cool, can you tell us more about that decision in the design process? In the context of the project It’s all part of the wider universe we’re trying to create - it’s all about evoking the 70s hollywood cliches and creating the wider universe that they live in. Stunt Guy 2.0 represents a tiny fraction of the whole story which involves ninjas, aliens, pirates and even non-copyright infringing characters that bear a similarity to Ewoks!
happy really - and lets face it - it’s pretty funny huh?! We often hear games getting taken out of context. If someone said that Stunt Guy encourages bad driving, what would you say to that? Oh, that’s an interesting one… errr… Well the first thing I’d do is ask for the rationale or evidence and if I was sufficently convinced then I’d think about whether we could change it. However… do I think it does? No. I think Stunt Guy is clearly an over-the top cartoon world where looney-tunes style rules apply. I think it’s no more likely to encourage bad driving than wile-e-cayote is encouraging road-runner kidnap attempts. It’s out now, how has it been received? Honestly - the first release was a bit dodgy - we rushed it out and made a few mistakes in the process. The latest version however has gone very well indeed - we got features in almost every territory around the world, the reviews are good and the userbase is growing like topsy! We’ve hit about a quarter of a million users now, we just need to hope that some of them decide to spend some money in it! What do you see as the future of the studio? At the moment I’m firmly focussed on releasing the final part of the current trilogy - Stunt Gal - which’ll (hopefully) hit the appstore next week. Stunt gal is a much deeper premium game and If that’s a success then hopefully we can plan the next releases a bit more instead of having to build them in snatched bits of time around other projects. Ultimately the goal would be to become fully self-sufficient from producing our own games and be “Creatively Independent” 100% of the time! «
There’s some great humour in there (Beaver Wax) was it important the game had real character and a personality? :) thanks, although sometimes that gets us into trouble too… for example, earlier this year we ran some ads in Japan which we translated from the english “Good for playing on the toilet” unfortunately the translation turned out as “It’s good to play with yourself on the toilet”… sorry Japan! Anyway, yes, those kinds of touches make the game fun for everyone (us just as much as you) and one thing I’m certain of is that if we have fun while we make things, you’re much more likely to enjoy the result. What’s your beef with Squirrels? They are adorable. Honestly nothing at all - we’re certainly not squirell-ist or anything! Reg is just a tragic character - the reality in the games - he represents all of us that fail more often than we succeed, but you don’t need to worry about him - he’s quite
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FEATURE RuPaul's Drag Racing
RuPaul's Drag Racing Drag is moving into the digital age and is challenging conventions. We catch up with the makers to discuss Dragopolis. By Harry Cole.
In your own words, please describe Dragopolis? Dragopolis 1.0 is a crazy, fast-paced run through the streets of Dragopolis. The evil queen Apocalypstyk has kidnapped the pit crew and RuPaul needs your help to get them back! Of course, this requires a few trips to the Main Stage, which in turn requires new wigs and outfits. So perfecting your look is essential!
There’s a surprising amount of detail that goes into creating this. We work with the queens on everything from wig styles to shoes to earrings making sure the look is perfect. We also help them brainstorm a few ideas for their voice work, but to be honest, the best stuff comes when they just open up and let loose! They love being able to interact with their fans this way; there’s a lot of love in all of those recordings!
Dragopolis 2.0 is a brand new game with seven new queens. RuPaul is all set to open her new Ruseum in downtown Dragopolis, but Apocalystyk sneaks inside and steals all the wigs and gowns. You’ll need to help the queens re-assemble their looks. This game really takes balls to play, as you’ll be shooting balls onto the play field pachinko-style to snatch up rhinestones, wigs, outfits, and shoes.
It’s been an absolute dream working on this project. The queens and our partners at World of Wonder and LogoTV have been truly fantastic. And every day we get some tweets from new fans of the app who are sharing their pictures and telling us how much they’re enjoying the app. There’s a lot of work that goes into this, so it’s really wonderful to see it so well received.
Did you ever think you would be working on a game that involved drag queens? Well, I can’t say that it was on my vision board five years ago! But seriously, I wanted there to be more gaming content that really celebrated LGBT culture, so I created Dragopolis. I’ve always been such a huge fan of drag queens and thought they would be perfect in an over-the-top, crazy adventure game.
This is certainly a crossover title (see what I did there) have you had a wide range of people playing the game? I think that speaks to the wide range of people who are fans of the show! I know parents who like to give it to their kids as a superfancy dress up game. And there are folks out there who have never picked up a mobile game before who are now playing. But we really see all types playing, and that’s fantastic.
We built out the main game and got folks like Pandora Boxx and Yara Sofia involved. Eventually, the folks at RuPaul’s Drag Race heard about what we were doing and wanted to get involved as well, so we stopped everything so we could re-focus with the show being up front and center.
It’s totally unique, do you think this illustrates how a successful game can be about just about anything as long as the team is creative? Creativity is certainly an important part of it, but it’s also having the utmost respect for and commitment to the source material and the personalities involved. We went out of our way to make sure
What was it like working with the stars of the show? That’s the best part of the job! These queens are so creative and funny; they really help push the app to be as amazing as it is. I remember when we first got RuPaul’s sounds in the game and the whole play experience of the game just flipped. Both World of Wonder and LogoTV have been amazing to work with as well and very supportive of the game.
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FEATURE RuPaul's Drag Racing
that even small details like the loading screen have been dragified. The success of this game comes from really capturing the essence and character of the show and bringing that same vibe to a mobile experience. It’s not an easy task, but it’s one that we’ve done very well.
What has the reception been like, how have fans responded? Fans have been going crazy over this game! We’ve been really pleased with the response for this . We chat a lot on Twitter with our fans, and love seeing them post pictures of themselves in the game. They love how all the different stars of the show have gotten involved. RuPaul cheers you on during the main game, but Manila Luzon, Pandora Boxx, and Yara Sofia all provide their own voices (and outfits!) in their episodes, so it completely changes the experience. For Dragopolis 2.0, we’re pushing that even more. We’ve got more queens, more levels, and more gameplay. We’ve been working with each of the queens to make sure their voice recordings really shine through. They’ll condragulate you on wellplaced shots and read you for FILTH if you mess up. Have you had any interesting fans get in contact with you or interesting user comments? My favorite part is fans who do drag and send us links of them in drag playing the game or just videos of their drag performances. It so amazing to see folks so engaged with the game, and it’s a great way to learn about some new queens around the world. «
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REVIEW Accelerator
Accelerator Now, this is a simple, yet fun game. The idea is easy to understand. You just have to go through an obstacle course for as long as possible without crashing. Simples. On the other hand, it really isn’t as easy to do as you’d think. Like the game suggests, you go faster and faster the further you go. Also, some of the obstacles are stationary, but others move. Most of the ones that move have a side to side motion but occasionally they have rotational motion as well. And those obstacles can go fast or slow. There are three difficulties. Easy, normal, hard. Easy is just one straight tunnel filled with obstacles so the highest speeds are in theory possible there. Normal goes between single tunnels and intersections with multiple paths. So if you pick the right paths you could get a better score with normal than with easy. Hard however is as the name suggests. You still have the same
as medium, but now you have curving tunnels. So, there is a difficulty scale that makes it really hard to master. And there is an even harder difficulty after that. Graphically, it really is simple but there is a real sense of speed and momentum. Plus if you crash fast, your pod gets embedded in the obstacle. And if the obstacle rotates your pod does too. The obstacles are bright red but they do look solid. The tunnel design is simple. Black, with white lines denoting the seams and red for intersections. Also, parts of the tunnel widen out and are lit in a dark blue with white lines. There is no music, but for sound you really do hear the impacts. Plus you hear the air buffeting around the pod as you go faster. Along with the sound of the pod crossing the seams. Like I said, there is a real sense of movement.
PLAY-ABILITY
85%
ART/GRAPHICS
82%
MUSIC/SOUND
80%
83
%
OVERALL SCORE
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One of the drawbacks I have with this game is that it is fully mouse controlled. It brings to my attention exactly why I don’t like controlling games like Tachyon, or TIE Fighter with the mouse. One spasm with your arm, one missed course correction and boom. Head first into one of those obstacles or into the side of the tunnels in the harder levels. On balance though, I do like it. There is a ruthless simplicity which I admire. Head into a tunnel and see how long you can last before you run out of space. Or luck. It’s the kind of game where you need to give it your full attention. Even if you do, it will still bite. However, perhaps you’ll get further. Or maybe you’ll just run out of road. With a choice of controls it would be a near perfect game. As it is, it doesn’t quite get there. Alas, I’m still hooked. «
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FEATURE Verdun
A squad-based multiplayer FPS set in the First World War and inspired by the infamous battle of Verdun in 1916. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.
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FEATURE Verdun
The 4th of August 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the day Britain entered one of the costliest conflicts in history – the First World War – with fighting continuing until the 11th of November 1918, Armistice Day. By the end of the First World War there were very few people in the countries that took part who remained unaffected. The war reached out and touched almost everyone’s life in some way or other. Children grew up in the shadow of battle, their fathers absent or lost. Women became directly involved, picking up the pieces of industry and agriculture as the men went off to fight. By 1918, they too could join the army and serve their country too. Men enlisted, or were called up, in their millions, being sent to fight in places that many had never heard of before. It was a global struggle. Life changed forever. Nothing was ever the same again. In the opening moves of the war, both in the West and the East, the nature of modern warfare soon became clear. Armies were numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Modern weapons rapidly caused heavy casualties and laid waste
to whole communities. Soldiers went to ground, digging trenches and dugouts that soon began to feel almost permanent. The crucible of war also proved very creative. Aircraft developed quickly, taking death and destruction into the sky. New ways of fighting made better and more effective use of huge quantities of shells and bullets manufactured on a scale never seen before. A new game, Verdun, is being developed that goes to show some of the horrors that these soldiers would have faced, in a claustrophobic, action packed, way. Verdun was the site of a major battle of the First World War. One of the costliest battles of the war, Verdun exemplified the policy of a "war of attrition" pursued by both sides, which led to an enormous loss of life. Mike Hergaarden, one half of games studio M2H which has developed Verdun, along with Jos Hoebe from Blackmill games (Mike's brother makes up the other half ), said that the inspiration started way back in 2006. When he "met Jos at university. While we were waiting for a delayed train we came up with the idea to work together on a game: Jos had been modding some war themed games and
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I had already made some games so that seemed to fit. The WW1 theme was always very important to Jos, since he visited the WW1 fields a lot as a kid. As for myself, the main drive to create this game in the beginning was to create a multiplayer FPS game a least once." It is a game that is very much in the vein of Call of Duty and other first person shooter games, but the WWI setting seems somehow more harrowing. Mike said that "WW1 was a gruesome war (like any war). It did not make the process of making a game any more difficult but at times, such as when we implemented the gas, I did wonder if it would get too gruesome. The fact that we are one of the very few games dedicated to the WW1, and thereby remembering, is comforting: The WW1 started in a very weird way and looking back it's silly it even escalated to a world war. Although he went on to comment that: "It's very important to remember the past, as the current world is doing just as silly things. Let's hope we learn from history." I think that one of the aspects of the game that adds to the claustrophobic nature that I mentioned, is the trench warfare, which is one of the most brutal and horrific
FEATURE Verdun
aspects of war, and WWI in particular. But was that difficult to get into a game, difficult emotionally and from a game design point of view?
action experience for Mike and the team though. It was more than that. It was about exploring the brutal history of the Great War too.
"Actually", Mike says, "it was more the opposite: pure gameplay/strategy wise (and in games only) I love the trench warfare. Compared to other games the slower and trench based warefare opens up much more visible possibilities for strategy and teamwork. We haven't deliberately distanced the game from the topic, we do aim for as much realism as fitting in a game. For most topics, we simply "gamified" them using common (gaming) sense. E.g. in most games when you're wounded you open a medkit and you're instantly healed. This is what gamers expect. Therefor, in Verdun we just couldn't add something like trench foot since it would ruin the experience."
"Everyone on the team learned more of the history in their own areas. Like when Matt was planning some bunkers he immediately bought a book about the WW1 bunkers. The community is also a big help here since we have quite some historians playing the game; if we missed a detail we're sure to hear it. We also visited the Verdun area a few times and you can still 'feel' the WW1 aftermath there."
"We have of course 'gamified' the WW1 theme here and there to strike a good balance between realism and gameplay. E.g. for balancing between the French and German squads we decided not to let the Chauchat machine gun jam as much as it did in WW1. The accuracy of the rifles wasn't even that bad back then so we didn't have to upgrade them." Making the game wasn't just a pixel and
With the game featuring missions and real life locations though how accurate are these to the real war? As Mike says; "We have multiplayer only, the frontline game mode is objective based and really geared towards the WW1 theme: You capture frontline by frontline, this is really a tug of war and only the clearly stronger party will be able to capture ground. As for the locations we indeed have picked locations from Belgium and France on the western front and based the mountains and vegetation etc. on the areas. We did not copy a battlefield 1 to 1, but have used photos and maps of the battlefields to
create the best mix between gameplay and realism." If anyone expects driving one of the old tanks or charging at the enemy on a horse, however, you might be a little bit disappointed. "It's becoming my #1 practical joke: Yes we have horses (and tanks) in the game... but they're dead/broken on the battlefield. Vehicles (tanks & horses) would drastically change the game so that's not something we're considering. We want to focus on the infantry mode only and do that very well. Also, vehicles were not even that useful in WW1: horses are easily killed and the mud was the worst enemy of the tanks. We do have artillery: every squads NCO will call in either artillery/mortars or gas. Playing any game of Verdun you'll constantly see artillery being dropped." Aside from the attention to detail given to the battlefields, the weapons used, the overall dark feel of the trenches, there is also the sounds. And not just the mud being splashed in, or the bombs that are exploding around you. There is also the music. "The main menu of the game indeed
"WW1 was indeed a gruesome war (like any war). It did not make the process of making a game any more difficult but at times, such as when we implemented the gas, I did wonder if it would get too gruesome..."
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FEATURE Verdun
features WW1 music. This was mostly for practical reasons but everyone seems to really like the atmosphere."
Mike is also quite enthusiastic about being an indie still too, about not taking the money on offer from the major gaming companies.
What is going to be the specific appeal for the game though; the setting, the action, the history? War is obviously a big seller in the games market, but this is different, this does seem more real, and a history lesson too.
"I love the fact that my hard work really matters for the end result. Everyone in the project has their mind AND heart set in the project so you see more dedication and passion which really shows in the end product. I seriously wouldn't know what a big company could offer me that's better than my current situation. I would hate a job in a big company where I'd earn millions but cannot vent any creativity as I would be really stuck in just one limited position."
"I think we have a three main appeals for gamers in specific: 1. The WW1 theme (for fans of history and the like) 2. The squad system, for those whole love cooperative play. 3. Our gun handling, the rifles, realism and deadliness of the game makes for a more strategic and rewarding game play. You can't just run in, spray fire and catch bullets. Every kill/achievement is much more rewarding in Verdun since it requires some more skill to achieve." They are still just an Independent studio despite what the game looks and plays like. It may have a big budget feel, but it isn't. It's an indie studio run by people that have honed their craft over the the years of toils, which has led to Verdun. So what would their advice be to others starting out? "Really", Mike says, "the best advice I keep on giving is not to aspire to being a game developer, just be one... right now! This means that you really just need to start making games right away. Do start with at least 5 small games, finish them as small and polished as possible, keep improving every time...make a few different genres. Also one important quote I've picked up over the years: Fail often, early."
"I've learned a lot over the years and as we've tried many platforms and different (mini)games we were able to learn while developing. This went pretty smooth actually. Only the business side takes more work and is something we're still improving. The business side feels like an annoying distraction from work but it's just as important. There are a lot of game developers, but only few manage to do the business side well." After Verdun, what is next for Mike and the others? "For the near future I hope we deliverer a great, polished, product (Verdun). We will be adjusting our plans according to how Verdun is received after launch. I'm sure we'll do a few small games(mobile, web, etc.) afterwards to charge up for a bigger project again. Matt and I have enough innovative plans for the next 5 years, we just have to pick the best one ;)." «
"You capture frontline by frontline, this is really a tug of war and only the clearly stronger party will be able to capture ground..."
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FEATURE Games of Glory
R
500 MILLION PLAYS WITHIN 3 YEARS WE PUT SOME OF THIS SUCCESS DOWN TO OUR
MINIWORLDGAMES IS A
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GAMES STUDIO 29 ind13.com
POWERED BY
FEATURES SpecialEffect
SpecialEffect: a gamers charity that changes lives A charity that aims to beat physical disability to enable people to enjoy video games. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.
Recently, I attended the EGX London event, twice in fact. The first day I went it was as a member of the press. I was there as a cynical hack to run my inscrutable eyes over the new games on offer from both the big companies showing off the latest installment of their franchise, and the new indie companies that were there to try and persuade people to stop palying Call of Duty for a while and to try something different. On my second visit I took with me my wide-eyed 10 year old daughter, it was weekend dad time, and I was there to watch her play the games and to see what games she gravitated to more. During my first visit I was showed the SpecialEffect stand, and it was there that my perception of games and gaming in general changed. Away from the cosplay, away from the fuss over some of the more violent and graphically intensive games, here were people that was really trying to make a difference using the medium of games. SpecialEffect, you see, are a charity set up to help bring the gaming world to those of us who, due to various disabilities, have never really been able to indulge in it. They are working hard to introduce all forms of technology-based leisure, including popular computer games like FIFA 13, Football Manager, Call of Duty, Dirt, MineCraft and Team Fortress. After talking to them for a little bit, I tried one of the games that they had on offer; a racing game (I cannot remember which one),
where you control the car with the movement of your eyes. Just your eyes. Speeding up, slowing down, turning corners, all simply controlled by where you look. It was quite exhilarating, the experience, and even more so when the realisation hit me that I have played a similar game so many times in my life, for too many years. But for many, for the severely disabled, this would be their first experience of this kind of fun and immersion. On the second day I took my daughter to the same stand, introduced her to the same people and game, and she too was truly taken aback at not only the technology but at how this could help people that are at more of a disadvantage than us. The amount of people that this could help is limitless, and the work that SpecialEffect do is immeasurable. As they say themselves, they have, "seen many physical improvements that have been confirmed by occupational therapists and physiotherapists, but the greatest benefit is inclusion. Being able to join in with friends and family (and beat them!) is priceless for self-esteem and independence..." After that visit I contacted SpecialEffect to find out more about their charity, to possibly feature them in IND13, and spoke to Mark Saville who was nice enough to answer a few questions for me and illuminate further on the work they do.
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Some of the people we see are limited to watching whatever TV channel is put on in front of them. To go from that to being able to take take part in one of the most absorbing and exciting forms of entertainment is life-changing. 31 ind13.com
FEATURES SpecialEffect
What was the inspiration behind SpecialEffect? There wasn’t necessarily an inspiration as such behind the start of the charity, more of a gaping need that was just crying out to be helped with. Dr Mick Donegan, our founder and CEO, worked for a charity that helped severely disabled people to access communication and learning through technology, but he noticed that they were having very little opportunity to access leisure activities as well. Video games were becoming huge, and so many people were being sidelined out of the action because of their disabilities. How did you go about setting it up? The precursor to the charity was an project that produced a website that listed games according to how playable they were in based on factors like gameplay speed and reaction time. But any attempt at classifying games in terms of accessibility is going to be a huge challenge. There are so many variables, not only within the game but because no individual has the same abilities. Even within cerebral palsy, for example, there are many different ways in which the condition can affect people. So that’s what we concentrate on now - looking at the abilities of the person first and working from there. How do you find the funding for it? There’s virtually no statutory funding for work like ours, so we’re reliant on the generosity of individuals and organisations to keep the doors open. We’ve been humbled by the amazing response of the gaming community - so many people have said that they can’t imagine life without their games, and they really get what we’re trying to do. Which is brilliant, given that we don’t charge for any of our support or loans, and we don’t sell anything. Do you get support from games companies with this? Either in the form of money or development time? There are so many people within games companies who have provided amazing support, not only directly by donating, but by organising and taking part in events or spreading the word about the charity. We have a team that run the British 10k for us every year, and it’s truly wonderful to see how many games companies are represented there. We’re always more than happy to talk with games companies to make their games more accessible as well. it was great to work with Splash Damage, for example, and CodeMasters produced a cracking prototype eye-controlled downhill racing game through a game jam.
a really varied team of people to make this happen - our wonderful occupational therapists, some amazing tech experts and hardcore gamers who know their games inside out. We’re really lucky in that people with some fantastic skills have volunteered to help as well, including developers. Another example is the workshop guys from food giant Mondelez, who have produced some beautifully engineered adapted controllers for us. SpecialEffect is helping to change the lives of the disabled, what are the challenges involved? Especially given the varied people that it helps? Our job is to help as best we can, as even a tiny body movement can make a huge difference - we can try to harness it to enable gaming. It’s probably worth checking out how we helped Jamie recently as an example of the challenges we face (see page 35). What is the major impact on people’s lives when they get to play games? It’s a privilege to witness the massive lift in quality of life and inclusion. Some of the people we see are limited to watching whatever TV channel is put on in front of them. To go from that to being able to take take part in one of the most absorbing and exciting forms of entertainment is life-changing. There are many other benefits too - it brings families and friends together, it raises self-esteem, can help therapy, and in some cases it gives carers a little respite time,. We’re discovering new benefits every day! Do you see yourself at the forefront of technology in games, given how you are using and reimagining technology? Although we’re using cutting-edge technology like eye-control and face recognition in innovative ways to access games, much of our work involves adapting existing controllers and other off-the-shelf kit. So it’s a bit of pulling and pushing really! How do you see this growing, and are there other organisations across the globe that you work with? As far as we’re aware we’re the only UK charity with an individualised approach to levelling the playing field for gamers with disabilities. There are other organisations around the world that help disabled gamers though - Ablegamers in the US, for example. To find out more, go to www.specialeffect.org.uk
Where do you find the developers for this, and do you find that people are always happy to help given the nature of it? Nearly all our help is based on custom accessibility solutions, which might be combinations of specialised hardware like switches controlled by various parts of the body, combined with accessibility software such as voice control. Sometimes we’ll get the drill and soldering iron out to modify a games controller. We have
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RATING
88
%
OVERALL SCORE 33 ind13.com
FEATURES SpecialEffect
Bringing the laughter back into Jamie's life I accompanied Gillian and Gav on an assessment visit to see Jamie, a young man with muscular dystrophy. He's a cracking bloke in his twenties who's in a wheelchair and needs a ventilator to breathe. He can speak, but the only body movement he has is a few millimetres of wiggle in his thumbs and fingers. And that’s it. But, like most of the people we help, he’s keen to enjoy as wide a variety of games as possible.
I watch as Gill and Gav set up and adjust a number of mounting arms that carry complicated assortments of small switches and adapted controllers. Working with Jamie, they patiently spend hours trying equipment in a range of positions so that his fingertip movement can operate the adapted gaming controls. With such extremely limited movements, even the tiniest adjustment makes a massive difference.
We’ve arrived with boxes of gear. Mounting arms, switches, adapted controllers, cables, tools… it’s all there. Gav’s done his homework and already customised a PS3 controller with switch sockets to give us a head start.
“That’s it!” says Jamie. “Ah, no, now my right index finger isn’t quite in the right position.” Adjust. “That one’s good, but now my thumb’s slipped off the joystick.” Adjust again. “Now my wrist isn’t supported properly.” Adjust again.
I’m expecting the team to pile in straight away, but instead they sit and talk to Jamie. They find out how his condition is progressing, and what modifications might be planned for his wheelchair and other equipment in his room. They ask how his family are, and if his carers are new. Is that a new pair of glasses? Many of the questions seem to have little to do with gaming, but it dawns on me that all of them are deeply relevant if anything we do is going to have a long-term impact. Only then do we talk about what games he wants to play.
Jamie’s mum comes in with tea and a plate of rather delicious homemade cake. The team take a break to think again. Gill, who’s a specialist occupational therapist, suggests reconfiguring Jamie’s wheelchair arm rest to give more support to his wrist, so they burrow into a box of spare wheelchair accessories, and attach a different arm rest. Suddenly the extra support’s freed up a little more finger movement and they’re onto something. Gill repositions his left hand precisely over the modified
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FEATURES SpecialEffect
controller, and his right is angled very carefully next to two small fingertip switches that act as the trigger buttons. “Yes!” says Jamie. “I think I can use everything now.” And he dives into Call of Duty.
and taking into account comfort, safety, energy levels, lifestyle, things like that. And everything has to work long term. That means training the carers and parents in how to use and maintain the equipment, otherwise even the most accessibly-designed games and kit won’t be much use.”
Soon Gav and Jamie are deep in discussion about what games he might be able to use with his particular setup. Gav’s keen to point out that not all the titles he wants to play will be possible with the equipment as it is, but the team can (and will) come back and adjust things as his physical condition changes over time.
“Then there’s the software,” says Gav. “We’re often linking several things together - infrared controls, environmental control software, one-off drivers. Something as simple as a Windows update might knock a voice control setup over, so we have to know what to do or advise when that happens.”
Gill takes time to explain to Jamie’s carer what they’ve done so that she can replicate the position of the setup whenever he wants to play. Gav downloads voice control software onto Jamie’s laptop to work alongside his switches, but he’s frowning. Everything’s stopped working. Controller, switches, the lot. After half an hour he traces it back to a faulty controller adaptor, and we’re up and running again.
I’ve been blown away by just how many skills Gill and Gav use to get a successful setup up and running, skills that go way beyond wielding a drill to adapt a gaming controller, although that’s sometimes part of the process.
Sitting on the M4 in a traffic jam later that day, I ask Gav and Gill about how they view their work. “When we’re working one-to-one with someone with a physical disability like Jamie, it’s the detail that becomes important,” said Gav. “Finding the right grip material for the tip of an analogue stick extension, for example. Or making sure that we’re using the right velcro, or adding a non-slip washer to a mounting plate. If Jamie’s setup slips by even a couple of millimetres, it’ll be unusable .” Gill adds a wider perspective. “We’re also managing expectations,
But the effort is worth it. “It’s made a huge difference,” said Jamie’s mum. “It’s bought laughter back into the house and a real boost to his quality of life. He can now play proactively again with his sister - something he couldn’t do before.” For nearly all the people we help, truly accessible gaming means looking beyond the technology and taking into account their very specific personal circumstances and physical abilities. As our CEO Mick Donegan said recently, “We take over where the in-game assists end.” He might also have added that a good cake can help enormously. By Mark Saville, Communications Support, SpecialEffect
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FEATURE Skater
Skateboarding with a clever social twist. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.
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FEATURE Skater
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FEATURE Skater
Frosch’s game offers authentic open-world skateboarding in some of the world’s best known skate parks – with a clever social twist. The Australian award-winning game development studio Frosch Media, have announced their first-of-a-kind skateboarding game, Skater has launched on the iOS App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch. Focusing on the most fun aspects of actual skating, and introducing a unique new cloud-based social interaction feature at its centre, Skater offers an endless stream of user-generated content that can be explored in open-world gameplay environments –set in the most authentic virtual versions of real-world skate parks ever seen in a game. Skater, which started gathering industry attention under the title Touch Skate when still in development last year, brings a clever social interaction twist to the genre, allowing players to create their own trick runs and storing them in the cloud, so that others can copy and improve on them. The line between single and multiplayer experiences is blurred unlike in any other previous skating game, enabling players to save their favourite trick runs and share them with the world.
latest team videos from the skate brands, we’d like bootleg the VHS tapes from each other and that’s where we got ideas and motivation from. There was no youtube back then so you just absorbed these little bits of what was going on in the scene from the pros from mags and videos which came out once a year. Things have changed so much since then, with the internet and phones, it’s more of a connected community now instead of just pockets of kids absorbing what is created by one small group in the industry – anyone can contribute to the the flow of ideas and push things forward and skating evolves so much quicker. On a macro level that’s a part of what we wanted to capture in the game – we thought imagine if instead of just us, the developers designing a rigid set of challenges for players to work through we facilitated an online hub of ideas and ways of engaging with these spaces in the game. Basically create a huge skate session where everyone both benefits
In turn, they get to discover and copy runs that others have created – giving them access to a seemingly endless number of new ideas to explore. We chatted to Dain Hedgpeth, Director of Frosch Media, to find out more about Skater. Why did you choose to make this game? It was a bit of a perfect storm really – a magical overlap of our love of skating, a perfect use of our team skill set and a gap in a decently sized market we felt we could serve really well. In the mobile economy it didn’t seem the return on a $7 unit price skating game would be worth much investment from the big studios – they have bigger f2p fish to fry – and the odds of a small studio having the skill set and resources to pull off something on par with the old console franchises seemed low. We already wanted to do it, but these things all considered and it seemed like an opportunity to contribute something and try and push mobile gaming in some new directions in the process. How long have you been working on this title? We started working on the concept and mapping out interaction schemes in March 2012, prototyping around August then production from early 2013. So end to end technically two and a half years but the first 6-8 months was exploring the concept. What is your connection to the skater scene? Most of the dev team are skaters since we were kids, we were just a bunch of typical suburban skate rats growing up. Back then the way you connected with the culture was you’d watch the
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FEATURE Skater
from and contributes to the experience. What is unique about the game mechanics? How you control the board? Early on in the process our thinking evolved from ‘how can we make this feel like a skateboard’ to ‘how can this feel like skating’, and that’s been kind of our guiding question through making the game. There’s a certain flow, range and rhythm of movement that all comes together in skating to create the feel of it, and we realised it’s to do with both the skater and the board moving together. The experience is not just about the board but how your body moves and interacts with the environment through the board. To really get it to come alive in people’s minds and to evoke the feeling of skating, we needed to represent the players physicality. The result is that in Skater you play with two thumbs and control a pair of shoes which in turn skate and flick the board around.
This allows for the whole range of movements to be recreated because the skater and the board are separate entities. Things such as 180s (where both the skater and board make a half turn together) are visually distinct from pop shuvits (where the skater jumps up and the board does a half turn underneath him). The connection of these elements in motion anchors all the skate moves – everything makes sense and feels much more like skating. From there the experience is tuned around the things that are most important in actual skating at a pro level, namely clean execution and flow of tricks and lines. Are you working with major brands and celebrity skaters? Yeah, we teamed up with 17 of the most prominent brands in skating and are stoked to have a bunch of classic and seasonal gear in there from shoe, board and hard-good brands. Both Camp Woodward and The Berrics are also playable levels which is just amazing – if you’re a skater you’ve dreamed of skating both those
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FEATURE Skater
spots at some point or another and now you can download and play them on your phone. We have a bunch of stuff lined up with pros too which we will be announcing soon. Are there famous skate parks in the game? Yes, it’s all iconic real-world spots. We started by considering literally a few thousand street and park spots, took surveys of skaters from all over the world and eventually jumped on a plane, met up with some well known guys in the skate industry and went and visited a bunch of the ones on our short list. Some of these spots are as much a part of skating as the brands and the famous skaters themselves and have a lot of history to them. I think that’s a big part of what we wanted to create with this game – that skaters can jump on and skate these legendary spots they would probably never otherwise have a chance to visit. As an Independent studio, what advice would you give to aspiring games makers? As a small entrant, know and play to your strengths and hedge against your weaknesses. I feel like I see a bit of polarisation in
newcomers – either shooting too big, following the f2p trend and trying to ride the wakes of the billion dollar games, or going super niche ‘indy’ to the point of being to obscure and unrelatable. You’re disadvantaged in a consolidated mass market with a ‘casual’ product made in the same vein of 50 other titles and you won’t make enough money to keep the lights on if you make your concept too obscure. Go niche, avoid the herd and make something unique and well crafted in a smaller space you can own that a smaller number of people will love – and by smaller I mean millions instead of billions. Align those things with a project you’re genuinely passionate about and I think you’re in with a good chance for success. Also, every person’s context is different so adapt any advice you get to your own situation! For a nice case study check out the old post mortem of SQUIDS by The Game Bakers. Their strategy was to target a smaller market than most games on a higher budget and a longer production time
Hollywood High School Where the stars go to skate! With a sexy 12 and 16 set taking center stage, nearly every pro has rolled through Hollywood High on the road to stardom. Take it down either the set or, ifin the mood to risk impalement, over the fence. It's a nice one two punch- a twelve stair and a sixteen stair, each with perfect rails. It has been a fixture of LA hammers for a decade plus, and shows no sign of slowing down.
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with a lower potential maximum return – but ultimately with less risk. They knew their niche RPG audience was lacking something meaty for mobile, they knew they could create something kickass in that space and they knew serving that space well would provide more than enough return for them as a small studio to be profitable. It ended up working out well for them! What are the benefits of being an indie and what are the draw backs? Downside – none at all if you love what you’re doing. The upside in our experience is complete creative freedom, taking full pride in what you make and a general happy fuzzy feeling. There’s no strong argument not to – you’ll be working 100 hour weeks and sweating energy drink either way so just strap in and do it! What do you see as the future of the studio? Keep improving Skater. That’s really our only mission right now and we plan to work just as hard on the live product as we did in production.
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"We started by considering literally a few thousand street and park spots, took surveys of skaters from all over the world and eventually jumped on a plane, met up with some well known guys in the skate industry and went and visited a bunch..."
FEATURE Skater
Carlsbad Gap By all accounts, the Carlsbad Gap is no good. There are cracks and the landing is uphill. The ground is slick and the drop is unforgiving. Yet Carlsbad became an iconic spot because it was in the heart of professional skateboarding. There were plenty of pros to skate it and plenty of filmers and photographers around to document what went down. Kris Markovich set things off in 1994 with a kickflip. After that, many people did tricks there but Jeremy Wray did the most and the gnarliest.
Throughout the years he frontside flipped it in a line and frontside 360ed it among other tricks in Second Hand Smoke, then he backside heelflipped it Element World Tour. Before the gap was destroyed in 2012 Transworld held the Last Times At Carlsbad High contest and a whole new set of rippers earned a spot in the Carlsbad Gap history book.
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REGIONAL REPORT Kenya
The Kenyan Project We talk to Leon Oscar Kidando who lives and works in Kenya developing games. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.
"In a country where only men are encouraged, one must be one's own inspiration." wrote Tegla Loroupe, a Kenyan long-distance track and road runner who is also a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights and education. Now, of course, that quote was about her own struggles in a male orientated country, specifically in sport. However, equally, it could be used to inspire in the games industry, where the Western world, and the US and UK in particular, are the main players. This is where, despite the global reach and power of games, game development is very centralised. Or it seems to be, if you just look at the media and the games that are generally reported on. If you look further, though, there are many developers and indie studios breaking out across the globe. We did a regional report on NastyCloud in Argentina in the last Issue of IND13, and this week we look at the African continent and to the beautiful country of Kenya. Specifically, we talked to
Leon Oscar Kidando who is slowly trying to make a name for himself in the industry whilst living and working in Nairobi. Leon, at 27 years old, released his first game just over a year ago called Nuggets Will Figure It Out. It is a A 2D platformer played in the browser. Before that he "experimented a little but didn't really sit down to craft anything playable." Although he is developing games on his own, he asserts his commitment to forging a career in the brutal world of the games industry. Working hard on his craft and 'learning on the job' so to speak. "I spend most of my time after my day job and during weekends working on my games and learning about the industry." Until he has gained a lot more experience, though, until he has a gained knowledge of the industry, he is not thinking of startting a studio. Which is sensible. Too many people nowadays are not
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REGIONAL REPORT Kenya
gaining the requied experience needed, and are just fast-tracking their careers only to see the endeavour end in failure because they moved too hastily.
"I want to bring back the challenge. Create games that force the player to figure out and develop reflexes..."
Leon is being far more astute, saying that: "I think there's a lot that goes into setting up and running a studio/company. Right now I'm mostly focused on releasing great games and creating awarness for them. Dealing with anything else right now would be a distraction I cannot afford to go through." To Leon, games are not merely a way to earn a living, although of course he would like to get some recompense for all the work that he has put in. For Leon, "games are a basic necessity in my life. I can't go a day without even thinking of playing or making one. I always wanted to be a part of the game development space for almost my entire life." What pushed him to really try and make a go of being a games developer was the epiphany that one person really can make a difference, really can aim high and make it, even from Kenya. This was when he first watched Indie Game: The Movie. This was the first feature documentary film about making video games. It looks specifically at the underdogs of the video game industry, indie game developers, who sacrifice money, health and
sanity to realize their lifelong dreams of sharing their visions with the world. It was with this film that Leon "became seriously inspired." Plus, "that was around the time I stumbled upon Construct 2. A tool to help make games without code. My first game was built on it. Now I'm using Game Maker and Unity." I know that, in the UK, there is a big community in the games industry with developers and small indie studios often getting together at events and game jams, swapping skills and experiences or even just stories over a few drinks. There is a sense of solidarity as everyone knows how tough it can be to not only get a good game out into the market, but to get people to see it, to play it, to rate it and share it. With little to nothing of a marketing budget to
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REGIONAL REPORT Kenya
"Other than that," he does say though, "game dev is just awesome..."
give it a push. This is why we set up IND13, to help give exposure to studios and developers that normally wouldn't get it. However, in the gaming outpost of Kenya, is there that sense of community amongst games developers? Actually, the other question is are there many developers in Kenya, let alone the rest of Africa? What is it like making games in a remote area? "Well, I could say that it's mostly challenging. I know that there are game devs in the country, but we don't know each other. There aren't communities that I know of, but I'm hopeful I will run into one or create one. I say this because you only have yourself and the people online to inspire and challenge you." So it is lonely, it is tougher, there is no ecosystem that has been created to help young developers. In this sense, Leon is something of a trailblazer; not only attempting to put himself on the gaming map but also show that it is possible to do this in Kenya, to bring the massive industry to them rather than move to somewhere like the UK to try and find a way in. As Leon says, "It's challenging because not a lot of people appreciate game development as a sustainable (or even meaningful) business venture in the region. It's a fact that not a lot of studios exist at the moment. So getting the support or even trying to sell games is a big challenge."
Back to the game though, which is the most important thing really. How is it played, what is the point of the game, and where was the inspiration for it? "It's Battle City on steroids. I'm not sure how many people ever played the classic NES title, but fundamentally it's like that. What I have added to the experience is literally more mayhem. Plus the challenge builds up as you progress. "So apart from having the same enemies just a bit tougher, you also get enemy variety forcing you to first understand what you are dealing with. Strategy will paly a huge role in helping you get past the levels." It is another retro styled game, which over the last couple of years has become increasingly fashionable and doesn't seem to be dying away any time soon. Was it styled this way out of necessity though, or because of a love of pixel art? "Both. I love pixel art so much. I'm better at pixel art design and animation than I am with 3D or more fine 2D art styles. Plus, I know how time consuming designing can get. Being a solo dev, I had to decide on a direction that would have me spend more time on the experience and mechanics than just the visual presentation.
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REGIONAL REPORT Kenya
I probably would have gone a different direction if I had a team or outsourced the art direction." He also stuck with the time-honored tradition of big end-of-level bosses, which we at IND13 always love and appreciate. There is nothing more satisfying than finally reaching the end of a level and having a big scary level boss to beat with a mixture of cunning and frantic button pressing. "I laugh because you have no idea the type of bosses I wasn't able to put into this game because of complexity. This is my first "big" project. I had to learn almost everything about game coding as I went. Including the most painful part... enemy AI." "No one wants to face a boring, dumb and predictable boss. The amount of work that went into figuring it all out... boy... but it was totally worth it" "I believe in quality over quanity. I got into the business to make the kind of games that made me smile growing up. I want that to continue in game design." It isn't just the art stlye that is retro, it is the whole game, the whole ethos of the game, with the right amount of achivement felt when you have moved from one level to another. Â As Leon says, "I want to bring back the challenge. Create games
that force the player to figure out and develop reflexes. Many games are easy these days and telling your friend "hey, I just beat that game" means very little. Back in the day, saying you got to World 6 in Super Mario Bros... man... you desereved free lunch for a month." That's that. He says that he "strives to create amazing but challenging games that will be remembered for decades to come." So to wrap things up a little, Leon is making a name for himself from Kenya where there is no games industry to really think of. It doesn't exist. But he is doing this by looking back to the old games where the challenge was real and a real sense of satisfaction was had. It hasn't always been easy for him, and it certainly still isn't, but he is facing up to everything with an attitude and a willingness to learn and experience new things, that can only inspire those around him. So to end this feature in a positive way, with the words that really make you want Leon to succeed in whatever he does, here is how Leon describes his experiences so far: "It's really really so much fun and anything is possible. There are people with really strange and questionable game ideas but we still love them. And although I don't personally know a lot of people in the community, I follow them and they are just the best set of human beings you could ever find in any industry." ÂŤ
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REVIEW KOLM
KOLM Now, this game reminds me of Castlevania in the old Nintendo style of side scrolling. You go through different segments to get upgrades so you can get through segments that were previously closed off to you. To start with, your character has almost nothing. He must embark on a quest to rebuild himself and please his mother. She is your guide and seemingly your loving friend. The more you rebuild; the more cold and malevolent towards you she becomes. It’s in the visual style of pixel-art. But, right at the start it is all very blurry. Mainly because your character has no eyes. Also, at the start your character can only move slowly and can only head down. Probably because you need to find your legs as well. Once you get your eyes you’ll see the detail and variety to the maps. The more you upgrade, the more you get to see.
touch by the enemies can definitely kill you, at which point you are teleported back to the start of the area to try again. Any enemy you do kill does not respawn with you, though any obstacles that killed you will still be there. However, you will have to kill enemies to progress through the game. Also, you have no voice, so the music does go some way to telling the story. It’s very atmospheric and at times quite moving. Perhaps no other flash game has music that fits it so well. There is no voice you hear as such, just written commands and comments. Yet these form such an integral part of the story and your character’s development that it can send shivers up your neck.
You have no health bar, so one shot or
There is a scoreboard, and it gets worked out by how much of the game you complete. Aside from parts collected, there are plates with letters on that count
PLAY-ABILITY
95%
ART/GRAPHICS
92%
MUSIC/SOUND
90%
83
%
OVERALL SCORE
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towards the completion of the game. The percentage gets multiplied by 100. The number of deaths then gets multiplied by 100 and then subtracted from that. Finally, taking into account that each second taken has an impact, the total amount of playtime gets subtracted from your total score as well. If you score more than 0, you’re doing well. You know, to get the full majesty of the game you’ll have to try it for yourselves. If there are any spoilers I apologise. However, because they are in some way necessary to the review of the game, I’ll also keep them. There is a good plot, with nice music and excellent character evolution. Plus it’s got just the right amount of challenge and variety to make it replayable without being an utter pig. Loved it. «
FEATURE PAC-MAN™ and the Ghostly Adventures 2
”Verdun is a squad-based multiplayer FPS in a realistic WW1 setting. The merciless trench warfare offers a unique battlefield for tactical squad play in the realistic Frontlines game mode, and raw gameplay in the rifle-deathmatch.”
Available Now www.VerdunGame.com 49 ind13.com
FEATURE Fist of Jesus
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FEATURE Fist of Jesus
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FEATURE Fist of Jesus
Fist of Jesus, the game based on the movie... There has been a history of games based on movies, with them normally being some cheap cash-in which doesn't really reflect the film, and the name rather than the game play is more important, but Fist of Jesus is different. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.
From the debacle that was the Street Fighter film starring Kylie Minogue and Jean-Claude Van Damme, to the extremely disappointing Mario Brothers film starring Bob Hoskins, there is a sadly unspectacular history of games being turned films. There have also been games based on movies too, with many a franchise being cashed in (manly in a lazy way). From the infamous ET game on the Atari which ended up being buried in the Arizona desert, to cheap regurtitated formulas infesting the play stores based on every kids film that hits the cinemas. Games and movies are not great bedfellows really, and I am not sure why that is. You would think, naturally, that games and movies would make the perfect partnerships. Each having stories which should move seamlessly between genres. This is not to say that there haven't been some great games based on movies. Robocop from the late 80s is one that always jumps out at me for capturing the film perfectly and also giving us envigorating game play. And now, I think, we have a new game which is based on a movie which proves that the tie-in can work if it is done properly. This game is Fist of Jesus... Now, yep, I know what you're thinking. You are thinking that you haven't seen this film. This isn't a big blockbuster. This isn't a film that has had the world raving about it featuring stars such as Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt. You're right, it isn't.
It is, though, a fantasticallly fun short film. Fist of Jesus is a proof of concept short for the prospective film, Once Upon A Time in Jerusalem. Filmmakers Adrian Cardona and David Munoz pay tribute to their love of low budget schlock in this campy retelling of New Testament parables. This mythos mash-up brings religious tales and pop culture together for a wild, entertaining ride. Jesus is performing his sermon in the desert when he’s interrupted by a grieving father bearing news of his dead son. The prophet calms Jacob down by trying to convince him that his son Lazarus is simply in a deep sleep. Jesus follows Jacob to his son’s bed, in the hopes of a miracle. Followers witness Jesus’ power as he commands Lazarus to resurrect. A moment of celebration is destroyed by Lazarus’ new ravenous appetite for humans. Jesus’ childish reaction gives a pregnant pause to the situation before chaos resumes. People scatter, bringing the new flesh eating disease with them. Can the patrol of Roman soldiers bring the crowd under control? No. Their spears and armor are no match for the boil-infested crowd. Can the Pharisees fight back? No. Their vulnerability is increased with no weapons for defense. Jesus has no choice but to finish what he started. Essentially it is a B-Movie zombie comedy film, filled with humour and fun and lots of action scenes. Although it is a short
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FEATURE Fist of Jesus
film, and acts like a teaser in the hope of getting the funds to make the full length Once Upon A Time in Jerusalem, it works fantasically well as a standalone movie.
for digital distribution platforms. With a goal to contribute new ideas and ways of gaming, and are working on bringing original IPs onto video gaming platforms.
It also works brilliantly as a game.
As they say themselves, "we love indie games and in the future we'd like to work on more experimental ideas …and anything that is FUN to play!"
Developed by Spain-based Mutant Games, Fist of Jesus is a hilarious, gory beat ‘em up classic style arcade game with RPG depth.
So we asked them to explain why they chose to make this game, their thoughts in general.
Something went wrong with Lazarus’ resurrection and the world is now full of Zombies, so your job is to help Jesus and Judas to fight the zombie infection using amazing combos, divine punishments and special attacks! Cowboys, the Roman army, mythological creatures and steampunk technology come together in this 80's style beat ‘em up, all packed with lots of fun! What more could you want? Mutant Games are just a small team of 5, composed of industry experienced artists, programmers, and designers. Founded in 2009, the studio is focused on developing small to medium games
"Fist of Jesus the game is a classic beat ‘em up adapted to the modern times, with many zombies, gore and funny elements." they told us, which really is reflected in the game and the great artwork. "It is based on the award-winning short-movie of the same name, with more than 60 international awards, especially Best Short Film from the Fantastic and horror Film Festival in Sitges 2012. The characters, the story behind the game and some of the weapons are ideas that were already in the movie. The idea to make a game
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FEATURE Fist of Jesus
out of the film came from another team, the DearFear guys, and we added our imagination to it. Our work has been to take all that and adapt it to create a fun game to play. When they offered us the project, the team was very glad to work on it, we had always wanted to do a beat ‘em up game!" Again, as tends to be more and more normal in games now, especially amongst independent development studios, it has a retro style both in terms of art and in gameplay. "After watching the movie it was clear in our minds that the game had to be a hack & slash or beat em up. Also, the game had to be small, since the development time was tight, so we decided to go with a classic arcade beat ‘em up, adding some fresh elements. Our main references for the gameplay have been Konami games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time and The Simpsons Arcade. Then we have been inspired also by River City Ransom and Pocket Fighter for the art." However, aside from the retro nature of the game, the fun game play and the excellent and fun artwork, surely this is a most sensitive subject that could quite easily offend some. It is the nature of religion. It is so personal to millions around the world. Some people easily take extreme offence to something which they feel is mocking not just them, but their god and their religion. Over the years there have been many protests against films such as The Life of Brian which used the religious setting of Jesus in Jerusalem for laughs. There are, of course, many of us who are religious and can take it for the good-natured humour that it is obviously intended to be. No one involved with either the film or the game actually set out
to cause controversy and hurt. In fact, they do say that they are "surprised with all this reaction. The violence in the game is cartoon and much lower than in the movie. Jesus is the hero that saves the world from the attack of the zombies, the game's focus is not to mock of the religion. We never set out to offend anyone! Remember the movie “Life of Brian” from Monty Python? It was great wasn’t it? Just actors. So we are just game developers." They are not overly anti-religion either, stating that "all of us are baptized and we have been communicated, so we're officially Christians. I've studied in a Christian school, and two of our programmers were altar boys in their childhood. But after the game release I don't know if we're excommunicated… Life’s too short not to have fun" "It is not in our plans to do a game based on Islam or Judaism, but I guess that if there is a fanbase wanting a game like that, and somebody is ready to fund the development, we may consider it. However, it's not our goal to create polemic games, we prefer that people talk about the gameplay instead of the theme, and work on original ideas." The game has, so far, had a brilliant response and is quickly gathering a large fan base. "We're really glad that players are enjoying the game, one of our favorite daily activities now is to watch videos of players on YouTube having fun with the game. It's very rewarding, after many months of hard work, to see that it's worth the effort." « You can download it now on Mac, Windows and Linux: www.fistofjesusgame.com
"We never set out to offend anyone! Remember the movie Life of Brian from Monty Python? It was great wasn’t it? Just actors. So we are just game developers..."
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WE ARE SOUZOU a creative agency built for you We are not your usual agency. We are listeners, questioners, and problem-solvers. We are also gamers, and work closely with independent game studios to help advertise and promote their games. So if you are looking for complete branding, a new website, or some advertising and marketing help, visit www.souzou.co
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INTERVIEW Mushroom 11
Mushroom 11 The unique puzzle platformer that is going to be destroying worlds on a computer screen near you soon... By Harry Cole.
teamed up with PowerUp audio to help us with the game sound effects. And that's the whole team.
At Eurogamer 2014 there were a ton of new Indies. We took the time to catch up with one such Developer, NY based Indie: Untame. IND13 asked about the team’s experience with game Development and its uniquely brilliant title: Mushroom 11
In your own words, how would you describe Mushroom 11?
What is the name of your studio and where are you based?
I'm Julia Keren-Detar, and my husband Itay Keren and I make up Untame. We are an indie household game studio based out of our apartment in Brooklyn, NY. We work with Kara and Simon Kono on Mushroom 11. I've worked with Kara and Simon at a game studio in the past and when they left to travel the world, Simon decided to make some art for Mushroom 11 while traveling. I was still working at the game studio up until about 10 months ago and then came to help out the team along with Kara. Â Itay is the one who came up with the idea and does the design and programming, I help out with design and the tutorial system, Simon is our artist and Kara is our producer. We've licensed music for the game from The Future Sound of London, and recently
Mushroom 11 is a unique puzzle platformer where your only control is destruction. You are molding and sculpting a green fungus around a destroyed world, exploring and solving puzzles along the way. Where did the concept come from? The gameplay is unique, how did you come across the idea?
Itay and I came up with it at the Global Game Jam of 2012. The theme was ouroboros (a snake eating its tail). Itay told me his idea for it: what if you were a blob and when you removed parts of yourself you regrew? At first I thought, that's interesting but there is no way you can code that in 48 hrs. He had it up and running in 8. So I threw in some art and that was the first prototype of Mushroom 11. It was super crude, basically just moving a blob from point A to point B but even back then people were really drawn to it and we couldn't believe no one had done it before.
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INTERVIEW Mushroom 11
Is it difficult to develop and follow through on an original idea?
I think if you have this notion of coming up with something original ahead of time, its hard. Everything is an extension of something else and the pressure of coming up with something great and original prevents you from doing so. You spend too much time thinking about this great idea in your head that it sets you up to fail. If we didn't participate in the global game jam we might never have come up with the idea. That’s why game jams are so great. There is no pressure to come up with something great, just try something different or something that seems fun and run with it. Worse case you 'wasted' a weekend learning new skills and meeting new people. Best case, you come out with a great idea you never would have thought of before and you proved it by making something playable. We didn't have the idea for the game beforehand, we just thought it sounded interesting, fit the theme, and just crazy enough to work. Following through is hard too. Itay spent half the year optimizing how this thing would regrow. It took just as long to figure out how you interacted with it. We tried so many different ideas that sounded great but didn't work. We were in a good place to experiment. I was still working at a studio while he spent time working on this new mechanic and seeing where he could take it so we didn't have the financial pressure that a lot of indies are under when they follow through with a good idea. A few months later the game got funding from Indie Fund too which really helped. It uses a cloud, what do you feel the cloud is similar to in reality? Where do you think the idea came from?
The mechanic came first and we fit the title around it. It was called Mushroom 11 from the beginning mostly referencing the fungus. Later in development we were watching a series of talks about mycelium and its different forms and we were like, wow that's a lot like this organism in the game we have. We plan on using some of this science to inform the backstory. Do you think manipulating this putty like material appeals to people’s sense of childish fun? Like a child playing trying to keep water droplets in the palm of their hand?
puzzles and we had so many ideas that we wanted to try. I think it’s great that people can be free to make toys and still be accepted in the community as a game by players. We did need to be careful though not to lose that fun toy feeling and let people play with it and enjoy it at first while they are learning to control it in a safe way. It’s something we still struggle with in the tutorial: what the right balance is of helping people and letting people struggle and just play with it. Where does the name come from?
The original name was coined a long time ago, for something completely different. When we made the GGJ game, it just felt like a perfect match, and eventually also helped with the narrative. Maybe one day we’ll tell more about it... Can you tell us a little about the back story?
We have a pretty detailed backstory to inform us of what we want to show in the space and we provide some hints to that story in the form of background imagery such as billboards, wall writings and other artifacts you pass by. But we want the players to piece together for themselves what happened, or come up with their own version. We feel like this is a much more powerful way to tell the story. Players can then be left to ask questions while playing: what happened, what am I? Am I a force for good or evil? Is that relevant? What happened to humanity? We do however tend to tie the story to real life science, with references to mycelium, about how mushrooms can stabilize different compounds for life, and that nature does adapt lifeforms to changes in the environment even if we cannot. It’s set in quite a desolate world, can you tell us more about the settings and backgrounds?
We knew that we wanted a post-apocalyptic environment and I think Simon did a great job of including everyday mundane items in this world. These nature-reclaimed artifacts really make you think about the devastation of the world and the people who used to live there. If it’s out now, how has it been received?
I think that is what we discovered with the original prototype. It was a fun toy and it felt good to play with it. The challenge was making that into a game. Some people feel that that should be enough - a toy doesn't have to be forced into a game. But we felt like for this mechanic, there was so much possibility for cool, fun
We plan to release it in March of 2015. We are planning a preorder sometime next month. That being said, we've gotten a lot of attention. We were part of the IGF finalists this year, we were in the PAX 10, the indieMEGABOOTH for PAX East, and now Leftfield Collection at EGX «
"We knew that we wanted a post apocalyptic environment and I think Simon did a great job of including everyday mundane items in this world. These nature-reclaimed artifacts really make you think about the devastation of the world and the people who used to live there..."
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FEATURE Meerkatz Challenge
WE ARE ANOUK
We are a group of Producers, Directors, Photographers, Camera Operators and Artists. We are made up of a London based core team of progressive and determined individuals, with an international network of trusted professionals. We have extensive experience in all areas of production with years working professionally in image and film. Please get in touch to talk about your project.
0203 605 3806
enquiries@anoukproductions.com 59 ind13.com
www.anoukproductions.com
INTERVIEW Back to Bed
Back to Bed Where high art meets gaming... By Harry Cole.
Could you introduce yourself, tell us about the team and your studio?
My name is Klaus Pedersen, and I run the small Indie studio Bedtime Digital Games. The Company was formed around the game Back to Bed, which originally was a student production. The team on Bedtime Digital Games, is based on key members from the original student production. We are located in Aalborg, Denmark, and are currently 7 team members. Can you tell us the back story of the game, where it was created and the story behind Bob and his sleeping problems?
We had an idea, about basing a game around sleepwalking. Taking inspiration from old disney cartoons with Goofy and Donald Duck sleepwalking, and getting themselves into all kinds of dangers.
Your game is seriously cool, is there some inspiration from Dali in the game? Did other artists inspire you to create these worlds?
There is a lot of inspiration from surreal artists throughout time. We’ve tried to make our own style, that would fit into surrealism, and combined it with some homages to famous surreal artists. We have Salvador Dali’s melting clocks and Renee Magritte’s green apple for instance. The impossible shapes from M.C. Escher is were also a great inspiration, not only visually but also game mechanics-wise. High art meets gaming, is that an area not enough games enter into?
I think that traditionally, games that have tried this have had a tendency to be too artsy. They become more like interactive
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INTERVIEW Back to Bed
art installations, and never reach people outside of museums or events. They, more often than not, become gimmicks because they lack substantial entertainment value. From the beginning we didn’t want to make something that just felt like an interactive painting. We wanted to create an interactive painting that felt like a game, with solid, entertaining gameplay mechanics.
The game is about getting Bob back to bed after he falls asleep in the office. Are offices so boring that we should worry about this game becoming a reality?
These bizarre visions lend themselves to creating more of a backstory to Bob’s Universe. Is creating more of a Bob story something you have planned?
Is the game based on personal experiences, working in offices?
We haven't planned for any spin off based on Bob and Subob yet. We do use their personality in the achievement system, but maybe doing some short comics with em isn't such a bad idea :)
It’s very unique, is that something you set out to achieve? Were you tired of other games out there?
YES! Offices can be very boring, so if you have a tendency to sleepwalk, shy away from boring office jobs, or you’ll end up like Bob.
We get to make games for a living, so, no :)
We definitely set out to create something unique. But not because we were tired of other games, other games are cool too...
Please explain what players will need to do in the game?
At the core, the game is about helping a sleepwalker back to bed. In order to do this, players must navigate him through surreal dreamscapes by solving puzzles and escaping enemies. Giant apples, strange dogs, tricks of the eye staircases and beds, what’s going on?
Where has the game been released and how is it doing?
The game is out on Steam, iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Ouya. Its had a very good reception, and we get a lot of positive feedback from people who’ve played it. Its created a basis for our company to start developing our next game, so as long as we can continue making our own games we are happy. «
We’ve tried to envision what it would look like if dreams and reality was mixed together. This is the result :) It’s a very strange world, is it an insight into what happens in your mind when you go to sleep?
" From the beginning we didn’t want to make something that just felt like an interactive painting..."
it very well could be :) Can I get a Subob?
You are the first one to ask, but if we keep getting demands, we might start production, who knows?
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NEXT GEN GAMER Ophelia Matthews-Smith
Why you should embrace YouTube gaming Most people take YouTubers for granted… especially when it comes to gamers. What if there was no more PewDiePie or NoochM or SimSupply? Well, it’s simple, no more of my favourite YouTube videos. What if one of their videos was late? Let’s just say, they would have lots of rude messages to answer and that would probably be the end of their fame. By Ophelia Matthews-Smith.
Like some YouTube beginners I know, for instance OrangeFlames, Annie Stables or even me, Purple Awesomeness, it’s very hard to get subscribers or views. This is a problem, especially if all of the famous Youtubers stop making videos, because then whom will we watch? The answer is unknown. We don’t know whether people will grow bored of YouTube and just stop going on it or whether the channels that have gone on unwatched will receive millions of views.
This is the problem. Beginners think they are not good enough, so they stop making the videos so often or stop altogether, taking away their chances and opportunities of becoming a good YouTuber. There is no way of stopping this unless we put it out there. Inform all the good youtubers, so that the beginners like OrangeFlames, Annie Stables, or even me, Purple Awesomeness can let people know not to let go and to carry on with their dreams.
If they do get lots of views, though, who will get the most views? The ones who get around a hundred views per video or the ones who get maybe thirty or forty if they’re lucky? Or what about the games Youtubers play, because we don’t know which game gets the most views.
Now if all of the well-known youtubers stop making videos then would we watch? Well, it’s simple. We would watch the beginners who listened to us; carried on, and achieved their dreams.
This is the question that should be going around the office, playground or cinema. Although how do we know the answer to it? We can’t go around asking, because people might not have fun watching the videos, or they might just like the talking. I think that all of the beginners should put themselves out there because that is how they are going to get subscribers. It doesn’t matter if they are doing games, speed paints or even showing outfits or make-up; it is their life and they should become famous on YouTube no matter how old they are, whether when they started they were rubbish at making videos or whether they’re not the prettiest of people.
We would watch the ones who have pride in themselves no matter what their age, how much money they have or whether they’re ugly. We would watch the believers because every gamer is a believer. The ones who tell their friends about their channel, the ones who told everyone to subscribe and watch them play. So when somebody finally asks who he or she will watch when the wellknown youtubers stop making videos, you’ve got the answer. You’ll watch the believers. Well, I have some videos to make because they don’t make themselves, do they? Only the question is… what will the topic of the video be? «
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NEXT GEN GAMER Ophelia Matthews-Smith
"What if there was no more PewDiePie or NoochM or SimSupply? Well, it’s simple, no more of my favourite YouTube videos..."
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INTERVIEW Mushroom 11
First contact with Interstellar Marines A next generation first person shooter that puts you in the role of an Interstellar Marine soldier and lets you experience the thrill of a tour of duty in outer space where your decisions can affect the future of mankind. By Harry Cole.
From Wikipedia: Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginative content such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life. It often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has been called a "literature of ideas". Or, in other words, the perfect setting for a new first person shooter from indie studio Zero Point Software that takes place in a future military training facility that will stage multiplayer, singleplayer, and cooperative training scenarios. It resurrects the old school tactical FPS, offering a unique blend of co-op, role-playing and nonlinear gameplay. Set in a believable future, you take on the role of an elite soldier handpicked to join Project IM, a top secret military program being assembled to protect mankind from all dangers outside our solar system. We caught up with Carsten Boserup from Zero point Software to find out the inspiration behind the game and, of course, life as an indie.
There has to be room for humor, even in what we want to be a serious game What is that shark monster, it is awesome?
The landshark is a genetically modified creature created from the most fierce predators on Earth. They serve as a biological warfare asset and for training purposes. What’s the story behind the game?
This will take me days if not months to tell you ;-) But in short. The game takes place in a near believable future were mankind is colonizing space. The Interstellar Marines program is created in secrecy by a branch of the ITO (former NATO) The purpose is to create the most elite fighting force ever seen that can be deployed in any scenario such as Hostage rescue, boarding space stations & space crafts, and other combat related scenarios in space or on foreign planets. These guys are the frontliners in a war and the Spearhead of the attack.
Do you consider yourselves an Indie studio?
Yes very much indeed. Not only do we not have a publisher, but our resources are also very limited. The limited resources is however compensated with passion and dedication the team puts into the game development. I see you have added a touch of humour to the game, how important was this to your team?
That's who we are. So even though developing a game is "deadly" serious and something that takes pretty much all our waken hours.
What made you choose to make a first person shooter, surely it is the most competitive market?
We all love FPS, but we believed something was missing within the ( in some opinions saturated) genre. Name me one Coop game that is a heavily storydriven, tactical Sci-fi simulation set in a near believe able future with a character develping RPG element, and with a perfect lighting and atmospheric experience? That's Intersteller Marines.
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Voted one of the
top 5 Indie games
at Play Expo 2014 - Gamertime.co.uk
HARD-HITTING BEAT-EM-UP ACTION! ‘MakinGames has got that beat'em-up feel just right, complete with bone-shuddering weapon attacks and weighty divekicks.’ - Pocketgamer.co.uk
- BONE-CRUSHING MOVES - DEADLY WEAPONS - INSANE BOSSES DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
COMING SOON to CONSOLE, PC, MAC, AND MOBILE 65 ind13.com
We want you to feel and breathe as the Marine you are playing as. We want you to fear for your (Ingame) life and your fellow Marines' safety. We want you to be completely immersed in the story and while being on missions that will offer some of (if not) the best dynamically changing environments that forces your and your teammate s to constantly adapt to the situation.
& issue reports from the players who are trusting us with their money. Things can suddenly go really fast. A good sale on Steam can secure the team with 2-3 months salaries, but on the other hand it can also work against us when sales aren't' that good. But that is something people like myself and a few others do our best to deal with, with the help from our "out of this f**king world" awesome Community!
Mech warriors are always awesome, can you tell us a bit about yours?
You’ve been in development since 2005, what stage are you at now and are you looking forward to the release of the game?
The titan walker are either automated or player controlled through the Marine PDA. They are mostly deployed as support for the Marines, but will also be a training adversary in order to prepare the Marines for anything.
Everything we did before around 2007 was scrapped. We had to start completely over with everything except for the concept and most of the artwork. But the entire codebase had to be rewritten. This time not with 20 guys, but only with 2.
You have 27 weapons planned for the final game, want to tell us anything cool about the weapons we can expect?
I don't really think that there is a term that describes the stage the game is in right now. But I think the closed to normal terms we can get is Pre-Alpha, which means that we are FAR from done and still missing tons of code, content/features and optimisations.
How does your game differ from other FPS titles?
We will have SMG's, Assault rifles, Pistols, Shotguns and sniper rifles. On top of that each weapon can be modified with scopes, springs, grips, barrels and much more, and you can select different kind of ammunition types for each tactical scenario. Oh did I mention that you will also be able to select from different suits and tools? ;-) How have you found developing on Steam?
Really good. Steam is helpful for the most part. We are hoping though that we can make a non steam version too. You are partially crowd funded, what are the positives and negatives of this process?
We are fully alpha funded through Steam Early Access. The positives are that we were allowed to ramp up the team to what we have today (13 full/part time and 6 interns) and get the feedback
What have you learned in the development process?
What I think we really learned is, how challenging it is to please our fans and players while developing a complete game from the ground up and keep the Community going (which is my area). We are basically selling the dream of the perfect car, that currently is just a car with only the chassis and 4 boxes as wheels. Surely the car can drive is someone is pushing it from behind, but we haven't even completed the engine yet.. far from. We are selling the dream of the game and we want people to buy into it now and together help us make this dream come true. In the process we ask the players to help us make the best game possible with their feedback and bug/issue reports. «
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