The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Mactabilis

Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We at Joystiq believe no one deserves to starve, and many indie developers are entitled to a fridge full of tasty, fulfilling media coverage, right here. This week, Bruno Beaudoin of Blazing Bit Games takes us on a spaceship ride through shmup hell -- and maybe back -- with Mactabilis.

What's your game called and what's it about?

The game is called Mactabilis and it's a modern take on shoot 'em ups, or shmups. In it, you control a spaceship and engage hundreds of enemy ships in a 2D sidescrolling fashion. The game keeps the feel of the classics, but adds all the modern features you've come to expect like achievements, unlockables, online multiplayer and even RPG elements.

The main feature here is that, at all times, there are two places that you can be in: the background or the foreground. Some levels have a top-down view and in this case, you can switch between the ground and the air. Also, the game is a lot more accessible than most bullet hells and while it has features for experts, you can complete the game without too much trouble.

What inspired you to make Mactabilis?

Being a very small indie studio (I'm the only full-time employee), we (I) had to pick a project that could be completed with very limited resources and where it was possible to innovate. I've always been a fan of shmups and I thought that a lot of people were missing out on them because of the difficulty, especially in the bullet hells. Also, I always wished there were more shmups with RPG elements and customization. This is how Mactabilis was born.

How long did it take to create?

I've toyed with the project on the side for several years before I committed full-time to it a little more than a year ago.

What's the coolest aspect of Mactabilis?

The weapon editor. While playing the game, you accumulate money by destroying enemies and making bigger and bigger combos. You can then spend your cash on a large list of pre-made weapons or you can make your own guns from scratch. The game has a simple yet powerful in-game weapon editor that allows you to make an unlimited supply of crazy and varied guns.

Anything you'd do differently?

Since this was my first experience in managing a company, however small it is, I made a lot of mistakes and also learned a lot. Publicity has been the greatest challenge. There's money I could have spent differently to get people to know about the game better.

Why develop independently, rather than work for an established company?

They're both very different experiences. Working for a big company means that you can work on massive and stimulating projects and get a decent pay. Being an indie means that you're your own boss and don't have to bow down to a publisher. The offset is that you don't have all the resources you'd want, you have to put yourself on the line and you don't necessarily get a good salary. I'd like to work in a big studio, but the stars aligned for me to start my own project, so I jumped on the opportunity.

Sell Mactabilis in one sentence:

Mactabilis is an accessible, high-definition co-op shmup with RPG elements, customization and innovative features inspired by various genres and games like the Diablo series and modern shooters.

Oh, Diablo -- what influence has that and modern shooters had on Mactabilis?

Similar to Diablo, when you complete the game, you're taken back to the first mission, but you keep your weapons and upgrades and the difficulty and rewards are increased. Also, we made sure that it's fun to destroy hordes of enemies and get loot from them. We also have a ton of cool touches like the ability to slow down time.

Are you planning DLC or other expansions?

We've already released several new features, notably full control customization. We've also released an online multiplayer update to allow fans to play the game in co-op over the internet. We're not doing traditional DLC. All our updates are free for people who bought the game and we're going to release new ones as long as fans are interested.

What's next?

I was looking at two very exciting projects and had to make a very difficult choice. I'm now focusing on one of them and making a solid prototype. I can't wait to have people playing it, but I can't say anything right now.

Mactabilis is available now via Impulse and Desura for $5 and we think it might just be a shmup sin not to get it.

If you'd like to have your own shot at converting our readers into fans, email jess [at] joystiq [dawt] com, subject line "The Joystiq Indie Pitch." Still haven't had enough? Check out the Pitch archives.