Studio Links

Plugs

25 Jan
2012 0

Exciting News!

We plan to be at SXSW this year! The Steel Penny crew will be on-hand to demonstrate Trivia Adventure for the patrons of the South By Southwest Interactive conference. From what I’ve been told, there will be a lot of great stuff to see besides us, but of course, you’ll want to stop by our booth and pick up some swag–we always have something–and see what’s new in the game.

For all you slackers out there who just want to check out the music part of SXSW, or otherwise don’t have a ticket lined up, I have prepared a transcript of an impromptu mock conversation we had, so you can brag to your friends about the awesome time you had. Be sure to rib them on all the sweet things they missed, since they didn’t show up and you did.

You ask: How many people normally work on a social game? How long does it take?

I say: I’m glad you asked that question–you’re very intelligent and charismatic, by the way. Please have a free beer as well. Typically, teams making social games are 30 to 50 people, and it takes about 6 months for those people to make a game. We are different. First, we are completely insane.

I look very insane, but it passes. Then I say: Insanity helps us not notice that we are only a team of about 7 people (which fluctuates slightly based on the weekly tarot card reading and stock market performance), and worked the full development into nights and weekends over the period of about a year.

You ask: What do you typically feed a developer of that size?

I say, after careful consideration: Gallons of energy drinks, deep fried vegetables, and coffee. Sometimes we skip the veggies. They make the keyboard a little slippery, you see. As an indie developer, we work hard to not notice how hard we’re working so that we can pump so many hours of fun into our products. That takes a lot of sugar, as sugar is 89% fun. The remainder is a broad mixture of laughter, talent, chocolate, and by law no more than 0.1% insect larvae.

You say: That’s kind of disgusting.

I say: Hey, you asked. Have you played any Facebook games?

You say: Yeah, they kind of suck. What is Trivia Adventure like?

After a moment, I respond: Trivia Adventure is completely different. From everything. The only similarity is it runs on the same computer as these other games, but if it could, it would run somewhere else, just to be different. As far as an apples/oranges comparison, I’d say we’re an apricot. If you haven’t tried it, you should.

You say: Damn, that sounds like the most fabulous game in the universe.

I say: I won’t contradict you. Have another free beer, since you are so perceptive and friendly and likeable. If your friends were here, we would give them swag and tell them how cool they are. But only you get that, because you are here.

There you have it, a ready-made conversation worthy of retelling to your family and friends who have no idea you’re taking a week off work to hide in the spare room trying to finish the first five minutes of Demon Souls, then finally giving up to hunt children barehanded in Skyrim.