Perfect Dork Studios featured in Thirteen 1 Online Magazine
by Billy Garretsen · 07/21/2010 (5:29 am) · 3 comments
Perfect Dork Studios and its latest casual title, Headstone Harry - powered by TX2D & TGB, was featured in the latest issue of digital online magazine, Thirteen 1. Click the link below to check out the article.
Thirteen 1 Article - featuring Perfect Dork Studios
The magazine condensed the 10 question interview to its most relevant topics revolving around the formation and mentality behind our indie studio. Below is the complete and unedited interview. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks!
1. Provide a name, title, and company you would like written in the article.
- Billy Garretsen, President and Founder, Perfect Dork Studios
2. Why did you decide to start your own video game company?
- Games have had a strong presence in my life since I was really young . Around the same time I discovered games I also discovered my ability to draw and be really creative on paper. Eventually those two passions of mine merged and I knew that I really wanted to create my own games and get my own visions out in the community.
3. What has been your proudest moment?
- In early 2009 I was hosted in the GarageGames booth at GDC in San Francisco showing off a demo for a platformer we were working on named "Box Macabre". In the same day I not only got to demo the game live in front of a huge audience on a big screen but also got to show it to Cliff Bleszinski and Mike Capps of Epic and talk shop with them. I doubt they remember at all but it was a big moment for me and the studio. The demo was met with a lot of excitement.
4. What has been the moment that most felt like defeat?
- Later in 2009 I had to make a tough decision to shelve Box Macabre until the studio had the proper amount of resources to fulfill the promises we made earlier that year. It felt a little heartbreaking to realize that my ambitions for the game exceeded the reach of what my team and I can realistically deliver in a timely fashion. Philosophically, though, it made sense to put our focus elsewhere if the quality was going to suffer on Box Macabre.
5. What have you learned from creating your first game(s)?
- From a sales and PR perspective I have definitely learned that good marketing is essential, especially for a small team. I spent about 40% of the budget we had to make the Box Macabre prototype on marketing materials for the booth at GDC and people were really drawn to it. If I had timed it better and spent the money to market a completed game I am positive I would have made a few hundred sales right there on the show floor.
6. How do you network to find new people to partner with?
- I think the best way to network with people in the industry is by going to conventions directed at developers like GDC or the Independent Games Conference. These shows are much more focused on the creation of game content and a great way to network in person. Going booth to booth, or making small talk during sessions with strangers is great but the after-parties where everyone is relaxed are even better. Hand out lots of business cards and save every one you get in return.
7. What skills are necessary to launch your own studio?
- Organization and focus seem to be really key to getting things off the ground early on. Anybody can file the paperwork to start a company but it is better to go into it having some pretty well defined direction. I started Perfect Dork Studios because of a very specific project and within 4 months we had our first fully realized game prototype created.
8. What do you wish someone would have told you before launching a studio?
- I had already heard before from many successful indies that the key was to start with small focused efforts instead of huge or overly ambitious games. If I could turn back the clock and follow that advice I think my team would have 2 or 3 more games released by now that could be out there funding our current development and building our reputation in the community. Opportunity cost is more valuable than a lot of new developers realize early on.
9. Any other advice for people out there looking to start a studio?
- I think anyone can start a game studio as long as they have a lot of drive and passion for it. Of course it takes talent with any of the various disciplines in art, sound and programming required to make the actual product. In order to see your game through to the end, though, you will need a lot of persistence to get you through the slow and frustrating times. It's the nature of creativity and collaboration.
10. Can you give me the names and 1-sentence description of all your game projects so far.
- Blade of Betrayal - iPhone, Pocket PC - 16bit retro style action game where you play as Spencer Corinth on a revenge mission to unveil the mystery behind your father's death. Won Pocket PC Action Game of 2003.
- Bumble Tales - PC, Mac, iPhone - Match 3 puzzle game that features an expansive story line with 35 characters and 15 exciting board powers to enhance your block breaking.
- Aim For The Brain!- iPhone - Arcade style game with dark comic book graphics where you kill zombies by tapping them in the head in rapid succession for points and multipliers.
- Headstone Harry - iPhone and coming soon to PC, Mac, iPad, Facebook and web - Match 3 puzzle infused with casino bonus games; heavy on spectacle and variety.
- Melody Strike - PC and Xbox prototype - mixes fighting moves with rhythm game mechanics to create a casual hybrid that is easy to pickup but deep enough for fighting fans.
- Box Macabre - PC and Xbox prototype - Adventure platformer that features a visionary fantasy 3D world but plays like 2D game in the vein of Metroid or Zelda.
For more information visit www.perfectdorkstudios.com
Thirteen 1 Article - featuring Perfect Dork Studios
The magazine condensed the 10 question interview to its most relevant topics revolving around the formation and mentality behind our indie studio. Below is the complete and unedited interview. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks!
1. Provide a name, title, and company you would like written in the article.
- Billy Garretsen, President and Founder, Perfect Dork Studios
2. Why did you decide to start your own video game company?
- Games have had a strong presence in my life since I was really young . Around the same time I discovered games I also discovered my ability to draw and be really creative on paper. Eventually those two passions of mine merged and I knew that I really wanted to create my own games and get my own visions out in the community.
3. What has been your proudest moment?
- In early 2009 I was hosted in the GarageGames booth at GDC in San Francisco showing off a demo for a platformer we were working on named "Box Macabre". In the same day I not only got to demo the game live in front of a huge audience on a big screen but also got to show it to Cliff Bleszinski and Mike Capps of Epic and talk shop with them. I doubt they remember at all but it was a big moment for me and the studio. The demo was met with a lot of excitement.
4. What has been the moment that most felt like defeat?
- Later in 2009 I had to make a tough decision to shelve Box Macabre until the studio had the proper amount of resources to fulfill the promises we made earlier that year. It felt a little heartbreaking to realize that my ambitions for the game exceeded the reach of what my team and I can realistically deliver in a timely fashion. Philosophically, though, it made sense to put our focus elsewhere if the quality was going to suffer on Box Macabre.
5. What have you learned from creating your first game(s)?
- From a sales and PR perspective I have definitely learned that good marketing is essential, especially for a small team. I spent about 40% of the budget we had to make the Box Macabre prototype on marketing materials for the booth at GDC and people were really drawn to it. If I had timed it better and spent the money to market a completed game I am positive I would have made a few hundred sales right there on the show floor.
6. How do you network to find new people to partner with?
- I think the best way to network with people in the industry is by going to conventions directed at developers like GDC or the Independent Games Conference. These shows are much more focused on the creation of game content and a great way to network in person. Going booth to booth, or making small talk during sessions with strangers is great but the after-parties where everyone is relaxed are even better. Hand out lots of business cards and save every one you get in return.
7. What skills are necessary to launch your own studio?
- Organization and focus seem to be really key to getting things off the ground early on. Anybody can file the paperwork to start a company but it is better to go into it having some pretty well defined direction. I started Perfect Dork Studios because of a very specific project and within 4 months we had our first fully realized game prototype created.
8. What do you wish someone would have told you before launching a studio?
- I had already heard before from many successful indies that the key was to start with small focused efforts instead of huge or overly ambitious games. If I could turn back the clock and follow that advice I think my team would have 2 or 3 more games released by now that could be out there funding our current development and building our reputation in the community. Opportunity cost is more valuable than a lot of new developers realize early on.
9. Any other advice for people out there looking to start a studio?
- I think anyone can start a game studio as long as they have a lot of drive and passion for it. Of course it takes talent with any of the various disciplines in art, sound and programming required to make the actual product. In order to see your game through to the end, though, you will need a lot of persistence to get you through the slow and frustrating times. It's the nature of creativity and collaboration.
10. Can you give me the names and 1-sentence description of all your game projects so far.
- Blade of Betrayal - iPhone, Pocket PC - 16bit retro style action game where you play as Spencer Corinth on a revenge mission to unveil the mystery behind your father's death. Won Pocket PC Action Game of 2003.
- Bumble Tales - PC, Mac, iPhone - Match 3 puzzle game that features an expansive story line with 35 characters and 15 exciting board powers to enhance your block breaking.
- Aim For The Brain!- iPhone - Arcade style game with dark comic book graphics where you kill zombies by tapping them in the head in rapid succession for points and multipliers.
- Headstone Harry - iPhone and coming soon to PC, Mac, iPad, Facebook and web - Match 3 puzzle infused with casino bonus games; heavy on spectacle and variety.
- Melody Strike - PC and Xbox prototype - mixes fighting moves with rhythm game mechanics to create a casual hybrid that is easy to pickup but deep enough for fighting fans.
- Box Macabre - PC and Xbox prototype - Adventure platformer that features a visionary fantasy 3D world but plays like 2D game in the vein of Metroid or Zelda.
For more information visit www.perfectdorkstudios.com
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