Game Dev Story

[Gwardinen]

Game Dev Story is an iPhone app (it may be on other mobile devices, but I don't know of any) by Kairosoft. It's a simulation of running a game development studio, in very broad and simply represented strokes. You hire coders, writers, designers (who are actually artists, it seems), producers, directors and sound engineers, train them and level them up and occasionally buy special items to provide boosts.

The main activity is to create new games on various systems (which change throughout time to mimic actual video game history, from the Intendro IES to the Sonny PlayStatus, etc.) in genres and types that you discover, such as an Action RPG about Golf (I have actually made several of these). There are also ancillary actions such as going to the GameDex convention and advertising your games in various ways.

As you might guess already, a great deal of the game is run through with game industry references, and the employee names tend to run along the just-about-parody line. Beyond that, though, the game is genuinely addictive and entertaining. I've spent several hours on it already, and I've only managed to create two Hall of Fame games - an Architectural Simulation and its sequel... obviously called SimCity.

Has anyone else played this game and found it surprisingly fun, as I have?

[toblix]

I found it interesting, but a bit confusing, especially as the game appeared to start me in a tutorial, but then stopped giving me hints on anything. So I did some ringtones and made a mystery puzzle game called Battle Rapper, which got mediocre reviews. Seems fun enough, though I'm not addicted (yet).

[colinp]

This game is incredible. Hot Monkey Studios started life making niche games without finding much of a market, living title to title with middling to low review scores and selling 500-900K units per game. This gave me enough to develop further but always made it difficult to pay for the ever increasing licensing costs to develop for new consoles.

When the PlayStatus (Playstation) was released in Y12, Hot Monkey Stds had to do contract work to save up enough for the 10,000 K license fee. We lost fans because we did not release many games during this difficult time. With 11,100 K in the bank I was finally able to buy the license. With just 1,100 K in the bank I chose to develop the cheapest game I could to get some quick revenue before moving on to something bigger: a reversi puzzle game titled "Reverser?!" for 1,010 K. This left me without enough money to go to GameDex, the annual trade show, and in fact I ended up pushing the game out early with a few bugs. It was panned by critics (25!), and went on to be my first million seller, ultimately moving 1,553,801 units and coming in at #1 on the charts. YES!

Looking back this was a bit of a turning point for Hot Monkey Stds, but not before a few wrongs turns as the next three games failed to light up the charts. My Town Puzzle game ("Townpzzler?!") and Historical RPG ("Ancient Samrye") were maybe a bit too ambitious for their own good. In fact, "Townpzzler?!" was voted Worst Game at the annual World Game Awards, and ended up putting me in the red (they take money away if you win the Worst Game award). Hot Monkey reached a new low when my Robot Action RPG ("Robo Quest") moved a disappointing 422,020 units.

Hot Monkey was getting desperate, and in a bit of a panic turned its talents to try a Cutie Simulation game, and in Y13 M6 W2 "Q.T. XXX" was released for the PlayStatus. Critics were positive, earning 32 points (a company first), and the public ate it up as it went on to sell 3,571,118 units and debut at #1. Eager to catch the wave, just four months later (Y13 M10 W1) Hot Monkey released the sequel, "Q.T. XXX Two!!", with reviews again earning a positive 33 points and debuting at #1 (we used some blimp marketing). Perhaps it was a bit too soon after the first as it only went on to sell 2,834,413 units.

Convinced that there was something to this Cutie craze, Hot Monkey started development on the Cutie RPG "Q.T. Fantasy", released just two months after "Q.T. XXX Two!!" in Y14 M1 W1. Reviewers weren't thrilled, but it got a respectable 29 points. It debuted at #1, but only went on to sell 2,198,597 units. I have to admit it was a bit disheartening. There were layoffs and some fresh blood was brought in to the studio to liven things up (I went to an expensive Hollywood agent to try to get some new talent).

But Hot Monkey is nothing if not tenacious, and we still believed in the PlayStatus. Throwing caution to the wind we started development for a Pop Star Simulation game, and in Y14 M4 W4 "Pop Starz +" was released to a score of 33 pts (woo!). It debuted at #1, and went on to sell 3,233,512 units. Hot Monkey was back and this time it knew what it wanted. Eager to exploit this new Pop Star craze, we immediately started work on the sequel, "Pop Starz + @2", and less than three months later, Y14 M8 W1, it was released and earned our highest score at the time, 35 points. The fans acted in kind, and it debuted #1 and went on to sell 5,661,039 units. We were ecstatic. We started advertising on the moon and hiring famous guests to help draw crowds to our booth at GameDex.

But the team wanted to try something different, so, as a follow up, we started work on a Town Simulation game ("SimTown+"). Released just in time for the Christmas rush, Y14 M12 W1, it went on to sell 6,395,058 units and earn 34 points from reviewers.

"Simimal Deluxe", an Animal Simulation, was released Y15 M3 W1 and moved a respectable 3,398,822, before we decided to develop a sequel to SimTown+, titled "SimTown+ (2)!" which scored 35 and sold 6,524,690 in Y15 M6 W1.

Worn out from the Simulation scene, Hot Monkey decided to return to the Cutie scene, this time making a Cutie Motion game ("Q.T. Move It!+") released Y15 M9 W1. Critics were floored as we earned 37 points and went on to sell 7,145,090 units. Reflecting on company trends, Hot Monkey next turned out a Pop Star Motion game ("Pop Move It ++") in Y16 M1 W1 that went on to sell 7,839,819 units.

During development of Pop Move It ++, Intendro released the Intendro DM portable. It features dual screens. DUAL SCREENS! Hot Monkey immediately bought a license after Pop Move It ++ was released and started to bring a Cutie Motion game to the portable device, releasing "Q.T. DM ++" to the system on Y16 M5 W2. Critics gave it a 36, and 8,752,492 units were moved. We have lift off!

We immediately started work on our next game, a return to the Animal Simulation genre but now for the Intendro DM, and released "Simimal DM ++" on Y16 M8 W3, just three months and one week after Q.T. DM ++! It has currently moved 9,012,435 units and is still busting up the charts as we speak.

It is now Y16 M10 W2 and Hot Monkey is midway through development with their next game, bringing the hit PlayStatus "Pop Move It ++" sequel to the Intendro DM. That's right, the Motion Pop Star genre is hitting the Intendro DM! Right now it looks like the Fun is going to be off the charts, and the Graphics, Creativity and Sound aren't far behind. This just might be our biggest seller yet!

Goodness this game is absurdly amusing. At the World Game Awards I've managed to win Best Design for the past five years running, Best Music for the past three, and Runner Up to the Grand Prize for the past three. I want the Grand Prize damn it!

[Gwardinen]

I still haven't won the Grand Prize either, I haven't even gotten Runner Up. Though that said, nor have I "won" Worst Game. With the success of SimCity and SimCity 2 (I know it should be 2000, I had a brain fart) Girthy Games is definitely going well for me at the moment.

[colinp]

Haha, I won Worst Game twice. Back in Y5, I think it was. Yeah, that was pretty painful, too. But I came back with a vengeance!

It helps to hire Hackers (they have crazy high stats), but to get Hackers you need to send out the Hollywood Agent when hiring. They don't come cheap! And you aren't guaranteed to find one for hire when you go that route.

[Erkki]

I became addicted immediately. Downloaded it before I went to sleep at 1A.M. then was in "just one more game" mode until 6 A.M. Crazy. I'm scared of touching it again.

I'm sure it'll become boring at some point, though. It has a strange pace. The normal speed is just enough to make decisions and carrying out actions during development, but then you have to occasionally wait stupid amounts of time to see points being increased, turning each "just one more game" into another 15 minutes.

After a start with 1 PC game and then about 20 console games, Zero Inc. is pleased that a new PC game is selling almost as well as Super IES games, even with the 1-2% of PC market share.

The PlayStatus has been out for a while now and I've made enough to buy a license and develop a not too cheap game for it. Still only dreaming of a Game-Box license.

PS. There's one thing I don't get about designers, writers, sound engineers: they complain if I give them important jobs a lot. "Me doing graphics again? Not sure I'll be able to give my 100%". Hmm... ok, I'll let the sound guy do the graphics next time then.

[Gwardinen]

They get tired if you make them do one of the three main phase jobs too often. Generally it seems like you can get away with making them do the same one twice in a row, and then you need to either outsource it next time or give it to a less qualified team member. That said, sometimes the tradeoff with a less qualified one is worse than if you just overwork the qualified one.

I think I might be hitting the point at which the game is becoming a little tedious, but it was definitely a good deal for the price. I've already put more time into it than exists in the Medal of Honor campaign.

[colinp]

I recommend against having them ever do a job twice in a row. They're super fresh that way and are excited to put their all into it when you next give them the chance on the third game.

So true about the crap shoot that is outsourcing! Lost some review scores and sales because of those overpriced hacks.

[a purple future]

oh man, i'd heard about this and figured i'd check it out once things had settled down for me, but that was when i thought it was a pc game. iphone game? hell yeah. i'll have some time i'll need to kill in the near future.

Butt Town Inc. is go!

[Noyb]

@colinp: I was just looking for a gameplay writeup like this.

[a purple future]

okay, Butt Town Inc.'s first game, "Rocket Ass," a graphics intensive PC adventure game only recouped about 30% of what it cost to make and got middling reviews, but we can only go up from here! (right? )

update: "Dick Puppet Rodeo," a console animal puzzle game didn't do too much better. Again, it had great graphics. Hm.

update 2: "Urethra Franklin," a ninja adventure game breached the top 10! raking in the dough despite poor reviews!

Edited October 19, 2010 by a purple future

[a purple future]

oh dear...

[colinp]

Noyb, glad you liked it!

Here's an update from Hot Monkey!

"Simimal DM ++" went on to sell 9,079,644 units. A new company record!

We released "Pop Move It +2" (the Motion Pop star sequel to the hit PlayStatus game, "Pop Move It ++") right before Christmas, on Y16 M12 W3. Right after it received a score of 36 points from the critics was the World Game Awards ceremony. Hot Monkey managed to capture the Best Design and Best Music awards again (that's SIX years running for Best Design!) AND "Pop Move It +2" even won the Runner Up award! It hadn't even hit the street yet but it won the award! You can't buy that kind of marketing my friends. Needless to say, the award boosted the hype even more and now, at Y17 M2 W2, "Pop Move It +2" is breaking company sales records every week, currently standing at 12,701,801 units sold.

Hot Monkey, never ones to rest on our laurels, is deep in development of a Motion Town game (our first!) for the Intendro DM. Will we manage to get a GOTY award before the end of Y20??? I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

[Erkki]

I'm playing pretty much like a big publisher, cranking out sequels in only the most popular genres.

[a purple future]

I'm playing pretty much like a big publisher, cranking out sequels in only the most popular genres.

yeah i hit the big time doing that. my long-running series of dungeon themed simulation RPGs named "Bogglecock" just released its 9th installment.

i started goofing around seeing what the worst combinations i could make would do. i made an educational marathon game that sold 6.6 million units. a motion animal game that sold 6 million, a golf trivia game that sold so well i made 3 sequels, and a checkers rpg. at this point my team is so good that none of these are flops.

I still don't have a GOTY though

haha okay let's see how a F1 racing card game for the wii does

[toblix]

Okay, is there any way at all to determine whether my man will do a damn fine job when doing his part in making a game or if he'll complain about having to do it again, other than trying to remember? For a while I thought it was linked to energy, but it seems it's just a simple flag without representation in the UI. So far I've made sure by creating cheap "buffer games" where I make sure to outsource everything so that I can use my own highly trained staff for the big hits, but I don't think that's how they do it in real life.

[a purple future]

at the top of the info card it says "PREV" if he worked on the previous title. try not to use anyone with that unless you have to

[toblix]

at the top of the info card it says "PREV" if he worked on the previous title. try not to use anyone with that unless you have to

Ah, fantastic! Thanks! Now I won't have to release any more of those damn checkers games.

[Hermie]

"Adjective Animal" was too long of a studio name. =( I settled on "Wacky Animal", but I kinda feel like that sounds too much like what a studio might actually be called. <.<

This game keeps surprising me with how deep it is. When I had unlocked the Art type, it was listed as fairly popular. So I thought I would crank something out with the two most popular genres and types, Art and Action RPG, with the added bonus that this sounded hilarious to me. But as it turns out, it made the morale low on my team, meaning they didn't work as hard, and my secretary told me such an odd combo wouldn't sell well. So, I ended up canceling it and ended up making a Puzzle Reversi game. "Revello" went on to sell more than the next three titles I made after that, and won the "best graphics" award, and also boosted my fans in the 40+ age range a lot.

My gripe so far is that while it seems a lot of this depth is there, it's not always showing it to me. Like the bars you fill in with niche/mass appeal, game world/polish etc. How do these affect the sales and the review scores? does the one column speak more to critics, or is it just about finding a balance?

[toblix]

Yeah, it may be complex and deep, but apparently there are hidden or random connections and variables that make it completely impossible to have any sort of strategy. For an employee you have levels, stats, jobs and energy, for a game there's platform, type, genre and direction. Some of these parameters are clear, but it's not nearly clear enough how these work together and affect the stats of the games you make. It's quite possible I'm being fooled – that nothing affects anything, everything's completely random, and the game is based on the player imagining connections between all these numbers.

Still, if I just try one more combination, that might be the one...

[a purple future]

I had a game that had all four stats hovering around 300 each and i had a blackout and data loss at the same time, all of them dropped to 60ish. fuck off.

[a purple future]

you'd think these stupid assholes would learn to back up their data and buy backup power supplies after losing their data for the 18th time...