The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Blockey
Ray Bracey has a knack for naming things. First, there's his nigh-cubist Xbox Live Indie hockey game Blockey (get it?); then there's his game's URL, simply http://blockey.isgreat.org. It's direct, and we like that. Oh, and have we mentioned his development team is called Walking-Talking Grilling Bear Studios?
In this latest edition of the Indie Pitch, we talk with Ray about the origins of his game and his design career, though not about his facility for naming stuff. Shame on us.
What's your game called, and what's it about?
The game is called Blockey. It is a 2-vs-2 hockey game with goalies and lots of block-men hitting other block-men. It was designed to be retro: simple and fun. I made it using XNA for release on Xbox Live Indie Games.
How did you or your company get started?
Our "company" (Walking-Talking Grilling Bear Studios) got its start playing EA's NHL series. A group of us play the EA NHL series almost every night. One of us mentioned XNA, and I was hooked. While I do all the actual coding, art, and design of the game, I couldn't have finished it without those guys. Outside of that, I'm a Computer Engineering major who enjoys playing real ice hockey, so making Blockey was a neat way of combining my education with two of my favorite past-times.
Why did you want to make games?
At first, just to play an online game with my team, but I haven't mastered the online features of XNA (yet). Now, I can see how rewarding it is to make a game. I didn't even realize you could make money off of XNA projects at first.
Old school hockey (think NES Ice Hockey) and unlimited hitting...even the ref is fair game.
Why be independent rather than try to work for someone else?
Being a student and working, a project I could work on in my free time was ideal. Also, I enjoyed the freedom of working on my own ideas, in my own style.
Do you feel like you're making the game you always wanted to play?
Yes. I am a huge hockey fan (go Hurricanes!), and I love to program. The fact that many people are playing and enjoying it is also a huge thing for me. So far, I'm really happy with how its turned out!
How long did it take you to create?
Well, the technical answer is one and a half years, but I had been putting off the game for extended periods of time due to school. I actually redid everything in the start of summer, and worked with all the information I had gained from coding before.
What are you proudest of about your game?
When my buddy was so into the game that he dropped an F-bomb as the other team scored on him. He was already commentating loudly on what he was doing, obviously engaged with the game. I thought that was a pretty sweet moment, knowing somebody was getting into the game so much (and that my AI was doing such a good job).
What one thing would you tell someone to convince them to get your game?
Old school hockey (think NES Ice Hockey) and unlimited hitting ... even the ref is fair game.
What's next?
I am not quite sure yet. I'm thinking of making another sports game with online multiplayer. Top choices right now are football, tennis, or baseball. I'm proud of Blockey and with everything I learned making it, I want to make something more complex that has the same fun spirit. I am interested in working other platforms (maybe something for my beloved Android phone).
Want to check out Blockey for yourself? Pick it up right here for a buck. If you'd like to have your own shot at converting our readers into fans, email justin aat joystiq dawt com, subject line "The Joystiq Indie Pitch." Still haven't had enough? Check out the Pitch archives.
