The Joystiq Indie Pitch: A Cloudy Adventure
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, Emmanuel Petti of SkyKey gets us high -- like, physically, in the sky -- with some helpful friends in A Cloudy Adventure.
What inspired you to make A Cloudy Adventure?
In the general sense of things, I've always been interested in making games. I've worked for many years on the edge of the gaming industry through my day job, where I make simulations using game-engine technology, but I haven't actually made a real game until now.
Specifically with A Cloudy Adventure I just wanted to make something for an accessible platform that was fun and light but wasn't what everyone else was doing. I've been a long-time fan of cartoons and I think my love for them played a big inspirational role for the idea. It probably didn't help that I spent almost every Saturday and Sunday morning with the TV on Nickelodeon watching various cartoons while I was putting this game together.
What's Cloudy all about about?
My game is about a young cloud who was kidnapped and is in dire need of a way to get back home. Luckily his friends have come to the rescue, and these friends are the characters the player interacts with.
What's the coolest aspect of A Cloudy Adventure?
A Cloudy Adventure isn't just a game for the sake of being a game, which I think a lot of mobile games fall victim to, but that it also has a bit of a story to go along with it.
This might be the biased perspective of the developer talking, but I really think the best part of the game is the gameplay itself. I'm sure there are other games out there that are similar to A Cloudy Adventure, but I haven't come across one yet. The notion of not being able to control the main character directly but instead being asked to control alternative characters to move him through the level is a pretty neat idea if you ask me. I think it also helps that A Cloudy Adventure isn't just a game for the sake of being a game, which I think a lot of mobile games fall victim to, but that it also has a bit of a story to go along with it.
How long did it take to create?
I got the initial idea some time in January of this year and didn't submit the game to Apple until mid-July. So after all was said and done, it took about six months to complete.
Anything you'd do differently?
I think if I were to redo this entire process I'd do much more planning. I did some prototyping and planning prior to actually starting the development on the game, but I think I could have benefited from much more prototyping. It likely would have saved me a lot more time in the end, and I probably would have ended up with a much more refined product. That's not to say that A Cloudy Adventure is a sloppy mess, but I always think I could have done better.
Why develop independently, rather than work for an established company?
Well, it certainly isn't from lack of trying. I've personally tried to get jobs at a number of established development studios, but it appears to be a difficult nut to crack as they typically want to see games you've worked on before. Unfortunately I had never made a game until now.
Beyond that, I think there are clear benefits to develop on an independent level. You have full creative control over the game and when you're working for an established team, you might not have control like that.
Do you see yourself as part of a larger indie movement?
On a grand scale? Most likely not, at least not yet. There are a ton of really talented indie studios out there and I certainly have a lot of catching up to do to be considered part of that group. Locally here in Philadelphia, I think I might be. We don't have a lot of game studios out here, so whenever someone pops up that's either indie or even AAA, the game-dev community out here gets excited.
Sell your game in one sentence:
Cloudy needs your help!
What's next?
Short term, I'm going to be supporting A Cloudy Adventure with some updates to add in things like Game Center Achievements, and more immediately, some performance enhancements and other maintenance items like that.
Long-term, I think I'd like to continue making games! I have a few ideas already cooking and once I'm satisfied with where Cloudy is, I intend to move on to a new game. Where that will lead me in the future is unclear, but hopefully somewhere good!
A Cloudy Adventure is available now, rain or shine, on the App Store.
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.
