As we approach the new year, I want to wish everyone a very happy 2012. Thanks again for making this last year great...I hope to return the favor in the year ahead!
A Big Month
Hard to believe it's been over a month since my last update--but what a month it has been! We were contacted by several publishers during the Kickstarter campaign and we recently flew to London to meet with one of them (Alaska to England was quite a trip). We're currently trying to negotiate a deal to distribute the game, though we don't have anything to announce...yet.
Being an indie developer comes with its share of challenges. I'm learning one of those is simply all of the roles that must be filled by one or two people: programmer, artist, designer, animator, marketing manager, producer, writer, etc. Not a surprise of course and I'm not complaining--it's been a fun ride, but very...educational!
Game Progress
Before I left for London I was able to prepare a rough demo level (once it's farther along I will eventually be sharing it with my beta-testing backers!). It's currently about 50% of what I want the finished game quality to be. I'm including lots of gameplay elements in the demo level that will be in the full game so I (and my beta testers) can test design ideas and discover what works and what doesn't. There are some fun moments already, and I knew I was on to something one night when I got spooked by my own game. You'd think I would've known the scare was coming...
I've not made as much tangible progress in the last few weeks thanks to travel and the holidays. However, in planes, trains, and automobiles I've been sketching level designs, tweaking gameplay concepts, and fleshing out game story. That's something else I've learned: an enormous amount of work goes in on the front end of the game just nailing down every last detail of how the game will look, feel, and play.
I'm not officially moving the January (beta) and July (ship) estimates yet, though I may have to adjust those soon. Just will depend on how much headway I can make in the next few weeks. I promise to post more often...and hopefully will have more cool stuff to share soon. Believe me, I've been working like mad!
Rewards Update
I'm finally making progress with the remaining backer rewards (well, besides the game itself). You should see your poster within the next week or two. Figurines should go out shortly too. I feel badly I didn't get them out before now. If they'd come back right the first time you'd have them, but I apologize all the same. Everybody has been very patient, so again thank you!
More Publicity
You might have noticed a Lifeless Planet mention in the Holiday issue of the UK PC Gamer. They ran a story about Kickstarter Projects including a brief discussion of Lifeless Planet on page 25.
Get in the Game!
How would you like to get your photo in Lifeless Planet? Well...maybe you can! I'm working on a contest idea where the winning prize is a snapshot of your face somewhere in the game. Sound cool? Oh and this would not be a money thing--just something fun for my fans...stay tuned!
