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ROCKFISH Games
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| 7s | how did it |
|---|---|
| 8s | start well actually U and I we go back |
| 11s | to 2000 this is when I brought U on |
| 14s | board it was even before the previous |
| 17s | studio and uh we were about to make a 3D |
| 19s | online space and we needed an architect |
| 21s | to build that and U came along really |
| 24s | getting into games I think this was in |
| 26s | the early 2000 with our previous Studio |
| 29s | this is when 3D Mobile gaming became a |
| 31s | thing and then U was already part of the |
| 34s | team we added a few more talents from |
| 37s | the local um universities here in |
| 39s | Hamburg Germany and then we had our |
| 41s | first small team making 3D mobile games |
| 43s | and what's remarkable it's like pretty |
| 45s | much everybody from this very initial |
| 47s | team is still with Rockfish games um and |
| 50s | uh over the time we really forged this |
| 53s | team and you build up the LGE everybody |
| 55s | knows each other so they're really good |
| 57s | working with each other so they know |
| 59s | their strengths and their weaknesses |
| 61s | right and I think this is this is |
| 64s | probably the strongest asset that we |
| 66s | have in our company that we have this |
| 68s | this veteran team and then every now and |
| 70s | then new people are joining like new |
| 72s | talents make sure we get some fresh |
| 73s | blood into the team and fill the gaps |
| 76s | when somebody um yeah either some people |
| 80s | uh bring new um technology or experience |
| 84s | to the table it's really that the team |
| 86s | that's the core that's the strength of |
| 88s | our studio what actually changed was the |
| 90s | complexity of the games over the years I |
| 93s | remember back then when we started with |
| 94s | the mobile games we were able to launch |
| 97s | I think what four games in six months |
| 100s | roughly and um of course with different |
| 104s | teams for different uh games and maybe |
| 106s | one team for a game was maybe one person |
| 109s | or two or three and I remember back then |
| 113s | I was like writing a design document I |
| 115s | was uh doing all the level design all |
| 117s | the 3D modeling myself and and all the |
| 120s | character design myself and I had maybe |
| 123s | one game designer or one programmer |
| 125s | basically sitting next to me and then I |
| 128s | was also making all the UI elements and |
| 130s | everything basically and maybe a |
| 132s | production time of two or 3 months um |
| 134s | and now it's like what is it 5 years 6 |
| 138s | years or a whole series like a space 10 |
| 140s | years I mean that's a remarkable |
| 142s | difference all in all it's still um |
| 145s | follows the same principles yeah some |
| 148s | people in the some voices in IND we're |
| 150s | making the same |
| 152s | games over and over for 20 years now |
| 154s | which to a certain degree is kind of |
| 156s | true yeah so space combat uh game galaxy |
| 159s | fire that was the first one that really |
| 161s | um stuck with our audience but it really |
| 164s | goes all the way back to the early 2000 |
| 166s | because when when you were on these |
| 167s | mobile phones uh that was even before |
| 169s | the iPhone you couldn't do much so this |
| 171s | is why we came up with this um you have |
| 173s | just a Space Fighter then there's a sun |
| 175s | some asteroids and some pew pew some |
| 177s | nice explosions and we really haded to |
| 180s | F tune the controls to make these very |
| 183s | accessible intuitive controls to work |
| 185s | this on a numpad on your Sony or your |
| 189s | future but but we also learned is to how |
| 191s | to work |
| 192s | efficiently I think I mean this is |
| 194s | really crucial this is what we learned |
| 195s | back then because I mean people often |
| 197s | ask us well this is like a how big is |
| 200s | your team and they're always surprised |
| 202s | that it's just like maybe what 30 people |
| 205s | doing all of this and I think that the |
| 208s | efficiency like um in |
| 210s | uh Team organization um production um |
| 215s | and yeah basically um um how much sense |
| 219s | makes this and and and that element in |
| 222s | the game um so yeah the the |
| 226s | meaning create meaningful content in in |
| 229s | little time and I think this we we learn |
| 231s | from from very beginning and this is uh |
| 233s | still our yeah strength I would say yeah |
| 236s | and this made us India after all and of |
| 238s | course we have to I mean as an |
| 239s | independent Studio without any investors |
| 242s | thank god without any Publishers |
| 244s | breathing down our neck yes we have to |
| 246s | make sure that we get along with the the |
| 248s | money that we earn so basically always |
| 250s | have to make sure that the lights uh are |
| 252s | on and then we just make one game after |
| 256s | the other we really hit our Milestones |
| 258s | make sure that we get the game out and |
| 261s | um I think this is also what really |
| 263s | helped doing Early Access so while |
| 265s | working with the community and get the |
| 267s | feedback at the same time having these |
| 269s | regular updates every three four months |
| 271s | we made sure that we work on features |
| 274s | that we don't break the game that we can |
| 276s | always ship the game so this uh think is |
| 279s | very very important and it also helped |
| 282s | us to keep our vision in check because I |
| 284s | mean you can take any game you can any |
| 286s | game idea and you can just make it too |
| 288s | big and then it takes too long it |
| 290s | becomes too costly you don't make the |
| 292s | money back so really it's I think this |
| 294s | is these uh constraints that we had in |
| 297s | back in the mobile games uh days really |
| 300s | helped us to get a vision that fits to |
| 303s | how much time do we have and how much |
| 304s | money do we have I'd say it's like we |
| 306s | are un um not very typical because |
| 309s | Christian and I the founders we're not |
| 311s | part of the development team so we're |
| 313s | not creative directors we're not game |
| 315s | design directors we're not technical |
| 317s | directors heck I I can't write a single |
| 319s | line or quote uh I get an idea what's |
| 322s | happening I do have a strong opinion on |
| 323s | Art and music but we have our experts |
| 327s | right and um it's more Christian and I |
| 329s | we manage the team |
| 330s | and um I try to predict what's hot in 5 |
| 333s | years from now because this is how far |
| 335s | we throw a stone and say this is where |
| 337s | where it lends this is where we need to |
| 339s | go and then I basically leave it up to |
| 342s | the team um to to come up with a strong |
| 345s | vision and make the game right but I |
| 347s | think it's it's uh exactly that you're |
| 349s | stepping back from like the content |
| 352s | involvement as as a CEO and you you |
| 355s | grant us the cretive freedom |
| 358s | um so that we can tell what we want to |
| 362s | say you know in the game and I think |
| 364s | this goes for basically all all of |
| 367s | disciplines and all all the Departments |
| 369s | um they can bring something personal to |
| 372s | the table and it's it's respected and I |
| 374s | think that's also one of the reasons why |
| 376s | people stay with us and don't leave |
| 378s | after the project is over or after a |
| 382s | couple of years you know they they they |
| 383s | stay with us because they um they feel |
| 388s | respected but did but did ever space |
| 391s | start um way before actually with Galax |
| 394s | and fire I think U you you should take |
| 395s | on this one really I mean you you work |
| 398s | with a team and um yeah you I mean going |
| 402s | back in time to the Java times I think |
| 404s | it actually started with a cloud |
| 406s | Commander back there in our first like |
| 409s | shooter um like a flight shooter I think |
| 413s | it was and that's uh the very first time |
| 416s | we had um the shooting mechanics um in |
| 418s | our studio yeah |
| 420s | I I remember I sold that project to Sony |
| 423s | Ericson back in the day because they had |
| 424s | some marketing budget and they wanted to |
| 427s | have just games to put on on the onto |
| 430s | the Sony Ericson devices and show what |
| 432s | they can do and literally in that |
| 434s | meeting that person asked me if I can |
| 437s | come up with an idea and then I came to |
| 439s | this what was it 1942 that arcade game |
| 442s | where you start with the |
| 444s | tri blax and these kind of games we |
| 448s | could do this in 3D and then she said |
| 450s | yeah it's fine I take that and I came |
| 452s | back from that meeting and I said so we |
| 454s | have to do something like these ARCA |
| 455s | games and then they came up with Cloud |
| 457s | Commander was like I I don't know did we |
| 459s | ever did it ever go live yes it did yeah |
| 463s | okay I I okay do it did but it was never |
| 467s | preloaded it was supposed to be |
| 469s | preloaded onto the Sony Eric devices and |
| 472s | that deal fell through because they |
| 474s | rather took some license game from the |
| 476s | big Publishers instead of the game that |
| 479s | better showed what the the phones were |
| 481s | capable of so yeah but that's was the |
| 485s | first flight shooter then I think after |
| 487s | that came Galaxy INF fire 1 directly |
| 490s | right galaxy and Fire 2 on Java then on |
| 496s | iPhone |
| 497s | um and then we basically started with a |
| 501s | console development and then we wanted |
| 504s | to |
| 505s | have um a Rog light game based on flight |
| 508s | mechanics yeah we kind of wanted to so I |
| 512s | I recall when the team was pitching hey |
| 514s | let's make a linear R like SPAC shooter |
| 516s | like FTL meets freelancer I was like ah |
| 519s | I don't know if our fans really would |
| 522s | love that because they were used to this |
| 524s | open world approach of Galax and fire we |
| 526s | knew we had to we had we didn't have the |
| 528s | budget we didn't have the team so yeah |
| 530s | there was no way around yeah so it was |
| 531s | the right decision definitely but this |
| 533s | is how ever space was born and this is |
| 534s | how how the the story of Adam Roslin was |
| 538s | created because we needed um someone who |
| 542s | needed to yeah get reborn after every |
| 546s | death yeah so the name Rockfish games |
| 548s | actually I don't want to say was an |
| 550s | incident or accident it was like when we |
| 553s | went through this hard patches with our |
| 555s | previous studio so um we were thinking |
| 559s | of like starting a new studio had to |
| 561s | came up uh come up with a new |
| 563s | name and everything was so we were |
| 566s | really between a hard place and a rock |
| 569s | and I thought no this is not the end we |
| 571s | we |
| 572s | unbreakable and um and I also wanted to |
| 574s | keep the fish from Fish Labs our |
| 576s | previous Studio I wanted to keep that |
| 579s | and then yeah I really had that moment |
| 581s | we Rockfish also this rock star thing in |
| 584s | there yeah yeah of course and um it kind |
| 586s | of stuck with us so in the initial plan |
| 588s | we thought we might get the old Studio |
| 590s | back and then we rename back to fish |
| 593s | Labs but then I was like nah it doesn't |
| 595s | feel right Rockfish feel we're not |
| 596s | Rockfish so fish Labs was the old |
| 599s | chapter was it was finished we had to |
| 602s | leave the studio we had to move on and |
| 605s | quite frankly it was the best thing that |
| 606s | could have ever happened to us because |
| 608s | it was really this hard reset so there |
| 611s | was there was no Legacy we could start |
| 613s | from scratch U was joining as the first |
| 616s | and um and we only could start Rockfish |
| 619s | games because of a AAA um publisher |
| 622s | assigning us for work for higher project |
| 624s | also space shooter |
| 626s | surprise and um yeah U sat down with the |
| 629s | prod producer even before we ramed up |
| 631s | the new studio came up with a great |
| 634s | concept and really connected with that |
| 636s | producer right I I still remember when |
| 638s | you had these meetings because of our |
| 639s | Legacy commodor 64 games and stuff so |
| 641s | this was something where we connected |
| 643s | but we also had like the same vision of |
| 645s | like what do we want here is it like um |
| 649s | a simulation or is it like um rather an |
| 652s | action game and I think we we had the |
| 653s | right the yeah the same vision of like |
| 657s | how the space uh game of tomorrow should |
| 659s | should be for us and funny anecdote we |
| 663s | we had these meetings in uh Christian |
| 665s | had a friend and he was in consultant |
| 667s | for dentists right and so we had an |
| 670s | office space so we were meeting in this |
| 672s | meeting room and all on the wall you |
| 673s | also you had these big pictures of like |
| 676s | rotten tooth and it was it was really |
| 679s | funny and um that producer of that |
| 681s | publisher that's an interesting Studio |
| 683s | we like no no we're just here it's an |
| 685s | interim solution we're going to find a |
| 687s | new studio when we get that deal from |
| 689s | you guys and then we got that deal and |
| 692s | then we had the challenge where do you |
| 694s | get this studio where can we start |
| 695s | because you cannot go and rent a new |
| 698s | studio if you don't know you had a new |
| 700s | project right so I was out with a friend |
| 704s | and um he met a friend and that that |
| 706s | that dude had a brother and he told me |
| 709s | oh we still have um a garage like an |
| 712s | office space for three months I was like |
| 714s | interesting what are you doing there and |
| 715s | I said yeah we just uh we're going to |
| 717s | move out and I just need to find |
| 719s | somebody who takes uh on the 3 months |
| 722s | that we would be interested and then |
| 724s | literally we built Rockfish games in a |
| 726s | garage and then we had our first three |
| 729s | meetings with the producer of the AAA |
| 731s | publisher then 10 from our previous team |
| 734s | came over we worked on that and while we |
| 737s | had these three months of time then |
| 739s | Christian my partner went on and |
| 742s | searched uh on the internet for a bigger |
| 743s | space like the proper studio and there |
| 746s | was some serious pressure because after |
| 748s | 3 months we wouldn't have had a the |
| 749s | facility anymore and then he that Maniac |
| 752s | he built this studio all by himself with |
| 756s | a big Sledgehammer Knocked Down the |
| 757s | Walls and everything and he said keep |
| 760s | the publisher happy I build us a great |
| 762s | studio and man he did we're building the |
| 765s | first playable back then and the first U |
| 767s | studio in the same time and quite handy |
| 770s | U is a full-blown architect so U could |
| 773s | help Christian with like drawing the how |
| 775s | to say the plans and then the execu yeah |
| 778s | almost bit too much at some point |
| 780s | Christian was like I know how to build |
| 781s | this I don't need an architect for every |
| 784s | tiny detail of course not so yeah but |
| 786s | then um I think in summer it was in |
| 789s | August we moved into this place and it's |
| 791s | fantastic it's open space and good |
| 794s | energy and it's really good to be in a |
| 796s | place where we're not too crammed and I |
| 799s | think what's what's kind of surprising |
| 801s | when um Co the pandemic hit and we all |
| 805s | moved back to our homes and worked from |
| 807s | there and at the we weren't certain if |
| 810s | this is going to fly but it really |
| 813s | worked well for us it almost feels like |
| 816s | everybody had to I discipline themselves |
| 820s | to really get their work better |
| 821s | organized and uh now we have a a mixture |
| 824s | of like coming to the studio regularly |
| 826s | make sure that the social glue is still |
| 829s | there so we have a monthly barbecue and |
| 831s | we have a big summer fest um but other |
| 834s | than that we're working from home it |
| 836s | works pretty great and that also helped |
| 838s | us um to become a more International |
| 841s | studio so we had a few hires now we have |
| 843s | somebody from from the US Canada UK and |
| 847s | even Japan right who's a French dude so |
| 850s | hello to Jeremy and um but even before |
| 853s | we had people like sitting in many |
| 855s | corners of the world before covid |
| 857s | already so it's not not entirely new |
| 860s | it's not it's not entirely but uh you |
| 862s | say well the people that you work on a |
| 863s | daily basis so for me uh working with |
| 866s | Lee in Canada so my days are a little |
| 868s | bit longer now because he's 8 hours |
| 870s | after so catching Jeremy in the morning |
| 874s | for Japan is a bit early sometimes I |
| 877s | had Toby in Tokyo then I had the guys in |
| 879s | Malaysia streamline then I had of course |
| 882s | Europe UK you know right then VTA in |
| 885s | Canada yeah in Canada like East Coast |
| 887s | West Coast all in one day yeah before Co |
| 890s | even you know so and then the sound |
| 892s | recording in La exact Chas night shift |
| 895s | yeah so um yeah a lot of things in these |
| 900s | these 10 years and uh hell of a right I |
| 903s | can say for sure and um it's really when |
| 906s | we sometimes you you look back and what |
| 908s | happened and how you how you got there |
| 910s | you can never say how you get to a |
| 912s | certain point you can always connect the |
| 914s | dots in the past I know Steve Jobs said |
| 916s | that and really makes sense it's so hard |
| 918s | to predict where you're going to be in |
| 921s | five or even 10 years but on the other |
| 924s | hand I have to say when we started with |
| 926s | ever space we're like okay first we do |
| 928s | this linear Rog like and then if this is |
| 930s | a commercial success then maybe we can |
| 933s | go all in and make an open world space |
| 935s | combat game whatever space too and yeah |
| 939s | we still have a lot of ideas U to make |
| 941s | even a better game but um that's for |
| 944s | later that's for the next 10 years I |
| 947s | mean we had the the road mechanic of |
| 948s | like being born over and over again in |
| 951s | an Ever |
| 952s | ongoing vicious cycle if you want so |
| 955s | that you needed to break this is where |
| 958s | the the ever thing came from and then |
| 961s | yeah where does it take place yeah in |
| 962s | space so it's actually quite quite |
| 964s | obvious and yeah not so far fetch to |
| 967s | call it ever space and this was and we |
| 971s | we were |
| 972s | thinking uh it over over weeks and |
| 974s | months if it was the right yeah I think |
| 976s | we like 20 tile suggestions and more and |
| 979s | like sitting down is it like really the |
| 981s | thing and what happens if it's not a Rog |
| 982s | like |
| 983s | anymore |
| 985s | yeah which is the case now but yeah is |
| 989s | and nobody really like what why do you |
| 991s | call it ever space still you know I mean |
| 992s | yeah but it also resonates with our |
| 994s | story so we keep on telling telling the |
| 996s | story and it goes on forever and ever |
| 998s | and then there's another one there's |
| 999s | another one there's another one so yeah |
| 1001s | we we felt it really resonates what |
| 1003s | we're doing and uh now we can even play |
| 1005s | with it really and um yeah yeah and |
| 1008s | there's EverQuest of |
| 1010s | course EverQuest and it's kind of like |
| 1013s | sounds similar but it's then it's uh |
| 1015s | different yeah so but it it worked fine |
| 1018s | and it's still does so yeah yeah why why |
| 1022s | dropping the call Loop of of a |
| 1024s | successful game that's true so I get |
| 1027s | this a lot from um the press and the |
| 1029s | media uh when we launched ever Space 2 |
| 1033s | so the first one was um successful why |
| 1035s | it's not a linear R like and um yeah to |
| 1038s | be honest it's um this is what the |
| 1041s | majority of our fans wanted and also |
| 1044s | what I personally prefer and just to |
| 1047s | have a bigger game and it it opens up |
| 1050s | way more possibilities because I also |
| 1052s | have to admit that linear R like I |
| 1054s | remember when we doing cutcenes and you |
| 1056s | have a procedur generated environment |
| 1058s | things became much more complicated |
| 1060s | because you don't know exactly where the |
| 1062s | asteroids are the ships are and whatnot |
| 1065s | it's all true and I mean it all comes |
| 1066s | with difficulties but it also comes with |
| 1068s | virtues you know so I actually liked uh |
| 1072s | the experiment it was also the first Ro |
| 1074s | light game that we made back then but to |
| 1077s | me it was actually appealing and it was |
| 1080s | also quite uh fashionable you know to do |
| 1084s | Rog leges back then but I thought it was |
| 1087s | um all the constraints and all the |
| 1089s | limitations we had made this thing |
| 1093s | possible at all so um it's it's embrace |
| 1097s | your um limitations and and see where |
| 1101s | where where you can get and this is how |
| 1103s | all this uh was created and that's the |
| 1106s | reason why we have our hero um Adam |
| 1108s | rostin it's a reason why it's called uh |
| 1111s | a space and um even the world designed |
| 1116s | to certain extent the faction design the |
| 1118s | character design is based on this |
| 1121s | initial decision that's um yeah yeah and |
| 1126s | but still I'm I'm with you |
| 1129s | um I didn't want to do this in initially |
| 1132s | in the first place and Galaxy on Fire uh |
| 1135s | we already had open world games and this |
| 1137s | is what we actually always wanted to |
| 1139s | do um and this is why the switching from |
| 1142s | Rock like to open world is rather |
| 1144s | switching back to what we already knew |
| 1147s | so it's |
| 1148s | nothing like oh open world for Christ's |
| 1150s | sake and we kind of knew already how |
| 1154s | this is done on a say in a in a mobile |
| 1157s | game and now it's it's on on on a |
| 1159s | console game so but but we also have to |
| 1161s | give credit to the team because both cor |
| 1164s | Loops ever space one and ever Space 2 |
| 1166s | came from the team so it was really the |
| 1168s | IDE of that core team say well we're |
| 1171s | going to meet um freelancer means um FTL |
| 1175s | or FTL means freelancer the r like |
| 1177s | mechanics uh they brought that to the |
| 1179s | table and um there was a good a good |
| 1182s | hunch a good sense for what's good so |
| 1184s | right time it was right time right place |
| 1187s | Rolex was super popular in 2015 and it |
| 1190s | was the right right approach for us with |
| 1193s | the budget that we had and the team size |
| 1195s | that we were but also for ever space too |
| 1197s | so we said we wanted to have have |
| 1198s | something that had this immediacy that |
| 1201s | you really can get into it but you also |
| 1203s | have this feelings one more run you do |
| 1204s | it again and again and again and they |
| 1207s | came up with this Diablo meets |
| 1208s | Freelancers Diablo in space and I have |
| 1211s | to admit I only played Diablo 1 and I |
| 1214s | got heavily butchered by the butcher |
| 1216s | back in the '90s and was like oh wait |
| 1218s | that's too much but they played Diablo 2 |
| 1221s | three four so they really knew what this |
| 1224s | hook in diabl this hacken hacken slay or |
| 1227s | hacken slash in space that's what they |
| 1230s | came up with and I think this again it |
| 1233s | was a good um it's a good hunch good |
| 1236s | sense for what is sticky what is uh yeah |
| 1240s | what's addicting gameplay what really |
| 1242s | keeps you motivated and on the edge of |
| 1244s | your seat for hours and hours and hours |
| 1247s | in gameplay and then U could go with the |
| 1249s | art team and design a beautiful world |
| 1251s | that's worth exploring and there are |
| 1253s | secrets every everywhere it's hidden and |
| 1256s | then everything came together I mean the |
| 1258s | Studio itself didn't really grow so |
| 1261s | super extensively if you compare it to |
| 1263s | um ever space one and two this is quite |
| 1265s | a growth |
| 1267s | in uh |
| 1269s | complexity in numbers um but the team |
| 1274s | yeah ramped up maybe like in in |
| 1277s | proportion uh way way less that's a |
| 1281s | little surprising because when I look |
| 1282s | back at at fish labs when we made like |
| 1285s | more extensive titles all of a sudden |
| 1287s | you know team sizes EXP loaded |
| 1290s | and project management and project |
| 1293s | planning and all this this friction uh |
| 1296s | like increased uh |
| 1297s | exponentially and this didn't happen |
| 1300s | with uh with other space too so with um |
| 1303s | relatively small size we were able to |
| 1305s | like build um yeah way way bigger and |
| 1308s | way more complex uh |
| 1310s | project and now if I look at it uh in |
| 1314s | retrospect um it surprises me but of |
| 1318s | course I was like living all this |
| 1320s | process and I just like thought well |
| 1322s | nothing really ever changed but um the |
| 1324s | game became bigger bigger and and more |
| 1326s | and more ambitious and we're still able |
| 1327s | to to do it in our say traditional way |
| 1330s | to work with each other and and our like |
| 1334s | custom way to to do the project planning |
| 1337s | and to do the releases over time and it |
| 1340s | felt natural and felt um comfortable you |
| 1344s | know I think what that's a surprise what |
| 1346s | what really helped is that we we had |
| 1348s | only one project in our previous Studio |
| 1350s | we were there was a lot of um fighting |
| 1353s | for survival right uh let's call it what |
| 1355s | it is or what what it was so we did work |
| 1357s | for hire we did our own titles often |
| 1360s | times we did several work for higher |
| 1362s | titles at the same time then there was |
| 1364s | this um from premium to free topl this |
| 1367s | ma major shift in um in the business |
| 1370s | model and there was as you said there |
| 1372s | was so much friction between teams but |
| 1375s | also again what's the strategy for the |
| 1378s | student studio and with Rockfish games |
| 1380s | and just working on everspace just one |
| 1382s | title and then only PC and console only |
| 1385s | premium no inner purchase no battle |
| 1388s | passes no |
| 1389s | microtransactions was so Crystal Clear |
| 1391s | what we're doing and this is why we can |
| 1393s | said okay this this is what we want to |
| 1394s | achieve in two three four five years and |
| 1397s | maybe remove the goal post just a little |
| 1401s | bit just slightly but it's not like um |
| 1404s | that you're constantly pivoting so we |
| 1406s | really could execute on the Vision that |
| 1408s | we had and I think that helped a lot and |
| 1410s | make made it very um concise mhm what |
| 1416s | also surprised me um a little bit and |
| 1420s | even after having developed mobile games |
| 1422s | for so many years um to get like a a |
| 1427s | stronger connection to our audience |
| 1429s | through |
| 1432s | Kickstarter and now if I look at it of |
| 1434s | course you get this uh personal relation |
| 1437s | to to those who are back your your |
| 1439s | project and those who are like uh um |
| 1441s | believing in you even without having any |
| 1444s | any product in their hands just like |
| 1447s | living by a promise um but that actually |
| 1450s | surprised me and we did have a lot of |
| 1453s | fans or we still have them from from the |
| 1454s | mo mobile days like thanks again a lot |
| 1457s | for for their support but but the same |
| 1460s | guys actually supported us in during the |
| 1461s | kickstarter campaign and um it |
| 1465s | made at least I can speak for me and |
| 1467s | maybe also for you um a way way stronger |
| 1471s | connection to our fans and some of them |
| 1473s | they're working for us today I mean I |
| 1476s | mean you won't get more direct feedback |
| 1479s | um as from kickstarters and also Early |
| 1480s | Access later on but you're right I think |
| 1482s | kickstarters is again on a different |
| 1484s | level because there's no product at all |
| 1486s | there's just an promise and there are |
| 1489s | other Kickstarter campaigns that didn't |
| 1490s | deliver so of course there's people are |
| 1493s | always wary is it really happening um |
| 1496s | are the guys get enough funding because |
| 1498s | typically the the funds from the |
| 1500s | kickstarter are enough and by far not |
| 1502s | enough uh to complete the game so |
| 1504s | there's a there's a big chance that the |
| 1505s | game never um sees the day of light and |
| 1510s | then people from around the world |
| 1511s | trusting us and um that's amazing |
| 1514s | compliment and uh if you feel even more |
| 1517s | invested to your Kickstarter backers and |
| 1519s | Early Access uh Pilots um then somebody |
| 1523s | who gets the game when it's out already |
| 1525s | we appreciate it of course but this |
| 1527s | somebody |
| 1529s | they're not investing in an in a |
| 1530s | financial term into the company but they |
| 1532s | they they're on board they want to be |
| 1534s | part of this and then they they become |
| 1536s | part of it and this feels extremely |
| 1538s | rewarding and I got to say we're very |
| 1541s | super grateful for all the commercial |
| 1543s | success that we have because that's the |
| 1545s | foundation that enables us to do what we |
| 1547s | can do without that yeah yeah but the |
| 1549s | fulfilling part is really the feedback |
| 1552s | that you get from um Kickstarter backers |
| 1554s | Early Access users regular users about |
| 1557s | the hard work will we do here and um it |
| 1559s | was I think almost the most motivating |
| 1562s | aspect for me or one of the most |
| 1564s | motivating aspects just like to live up |
| 1567s | to the expectations that um the the |
| 1569s | early adopters and those who who |
| 1571s | believed in you um and not to disappoint |
| 1575s | them it's not just one release you know |
| 1578s | like one bullet that you fire and that's |
| 1580s | like um hit and miss um you do have like |
| 1584s | over those many updates that we made um |
| 1588s | an open development uh process where you |
| 1592s | have your dedicated fan base um |
| 1596s | inspiring you providing feedback testing |
| 1599s | your product |
| 1601s | correcting mistakes or correcting the ca |
| 1605s | towards like a product where what they |
| 1606s | think is yeah um the right thing it's |
| 1610s | not a must but it's it's a huge help to |
| 1613s | like |
| 1615s | um uh to assure sure that it's that that |
| 1620s | we made the right choices you know it |
| 1622s | gives you more flexibility during |
| 1624s | development um it gives you more |
| 1626s | security because you get more feedback |
| 1629s | on are you actually making the right |
| 1631s | game are you on the right track instead |
| 1633s | of like locking yourself in for 5 years |
| 1635s | and then betting big and you don't know |
| 1638s | if this is going to fly or not so this |
| 1641s | is why it really feels like we we never |
| 1643s | would do another game without Early |
| 1645s | Access because you simply don't know you |
| 1647s | don't know if this is the right game |
| 1649s | you're making if you're if you're |
| 1650s | hitting the nerve where's the market in |
| 1652s | 5 years from now so yeah makes total |
| 1654s | sense and it's not only that uh you get |
| 1656s | the feedback from uh from the early um |
| 1660s | uh access audience it's also for |
| 1662s | ourselves it helps a lot to like commit |
| 1667s | um the |
| 1669s | development uh to certain Corner points |
| 1672s | that are fixed that you can't really |
| 1674s | change that much anymore and um in other |
| 1677s | develop vment cycles that that are like |
| 1679s | five or 10 years long and I I I don't |
| 1682s | want to uh List names you know |
| 1685s | um it's far too long um the decisions |
| 1688s | are vague and it's it's undecisive and |
| 1692s | uh many times a waste of of of potential |
| 1694s | and opportunity if you don't commit the |
| 1697s | team uh yeah to like the first um Early |
| 1702s | Access release and then all all those |
| 1703s | updates just takes too long and there's |
| 1707s | one more thing it's not that the team is |
| 1709s | always aligned on which direction we |
| 1711s | should go and sometimes again they big |
| 1713s | fights everybody's very emotional very |
| 1715s | passionate about this feature should be |
| 1718s | this way no this way and then you know |
| 1720s | what who's right the market is right the |
| 1722s | market is always right so you release a |
| 1725s | product and in Early Access there an |
| 1727s | update and then if there's a huge |
| 1730s | backlash then you probably should work |
| 1731s | on that feature and um yeah the best |
| 1734s | example is with the level scaling that |
| 1737s | we have had so some people were in the |
| 1740s | camp of like you should feel powerful |
| 1742s | and you can steamroll over your enemies |
| 1745s | and others in our team said well no |
| 1746s | there should always be a challenge and |
| 1749s | this is why levels should scale and I |
| 1751s | feel sympathy for both sides and I |
| 1755s | wouldn't be I wasn't able to say well |
| 1757s | this is the the right way to to do it |
| 1759s | and then we took the feedback from Early |
| 1761s | Access changed the game and now I think |
| 1763s | we have the Best of Both Worlds by |
| 1765s | combining the two mechanics and yeah of |
| 1767s | course there still people who uh would |
| 1771s | have loved us to just have the one thing |
| 1774s | just have no level scaling at all or |
| 1776s | then the other Camp still have it in |
| 1778s | there but I think it's a good blend and |
| 1780s | we only did that because of the feedback |
| 1782s | from the community we wouldn't have done |
| 1784s | that major change without Early Access |
| 1787s | and was definitely the right thing to do |
| 1789s | and there's the active feedback and |
| 1790s | there's also the passive feedback and |
| 1791s | they like um analyzing uh players |
| 1795s | behaviors you know so it's like on on |
| 1797s | both both sites you really see you can |
| 1798s | you can prove it by numbers you can |
| 1800s | prove it by the vocal minority and you |
| 1802s | can prove it by um analyzing the active |
| 1804s | Fe although vocal minority can be |
| 1806s | dangerous so people who are happy |
| 1808s | typically they don't drop so much |
| 1810s | feedback and um proportionately there |
| 1813s | are way more people when if they're not |
| 1814s | happy they raise their voices so you |
| 1816s | have to be careful about that we thought |
| 1819s | about other genres and uh we even had a |
| 1822s | a pitch series when we were we were in a |
| 1826s | situation where we had to have a a find |
| 1828s | another work for higher project there |
| 1830s | was after the first project for Rockfish |
| 1832s | games was cancelled then there was a |
| 1834s | short time was oh we have to find |
| 1837s | something else Space games are really |
| 1839s | hard to sell to Publishers and then we |
| 1841s | tried to come up with a couple ideas and |
| 1843s | the team uh came up with ideas and I |
| 1846s | think there was some great stuff in |
| 1847s | there we even worked on a prototype that |
| 1849s | was kind of cool um but again we |
| 1853s | couldn't find funding for this and um in |
| 1856s | the end it's we are in this Niche and uh |
| 1860s | making space combat exploration games |
| 1862s | and pretty good at it and uh according |
| 1865s | to the market we're very good at it and |
| 1867s | then if it's like why change it's so |
| 1869s | risky to try something else imagine we |
| 1872s | tried another genre we lock ourselves in |
| 1874s | for one or two years make a prototype go |
| 1876s | to the market it doesn't take off then |
| 1879s | we have burn through the cash and then |
| 1882s | and then what and then you have a |
| 1884s | problem immediately then we have to go |
| 1886s | to a publisher and we not independent |
| 1888s | anymore so as much as the team sometimes |
| 1892s | raises voices uh we should do something |
| 1894s | else and I hear that I feel that I'd be |
| 1897s | tempted too but commercially it's just |
| 1900s | too risky these days it's like these G |
| 1902s | the games that we're making the first |
| 1905s | ever spend ever space was like5 Million |
| 1907s | EUR in development budget then the base |
| 1910s | game of everspace 2 is now more than 15 |
| 1912s | million then with the post launch |
| 1914s | content it's another five this is um |
| 1918s | yeah it's a very very risky business so |
| 1921s | the chances are low that we're doing |
| 1922s | something else yeah and it's not that we |
| 1925s | didn't try other genres already back in |
| 1927s | in in the mobile age you know I think |
| 1930s | altogether we have launched I don't know |
| 1931s | how many titles I can't count them |
| 1933s | anymore more than 25 easy yeah and all |
| 1936s | kind of genres and this was already like |
| 1938s | a test balloon for our |
| 1940s | team what can you do |
| 1943s | best and it's the the space |
| 1946s | game and it's also what is your |
| 1949s | competition doing because you can be the |
| 1951s | best team in the world you do something |
| 1953s | great right time right place great |
| 1955s | success wrong time wrong place you're |
| 1957s | dead so um if there's too much |
| 1960s | competition you can be super talented |
| 1962s | you make a great game but you just go |
| 1965s | under if another big title is launching |
| 1967s | at the same week so I I have the feeling |
| 1972s | that being in the space combat Niche |
| 1975s | being one of the top Studios out there |
| 1977s | we're kind of safe as long as we don't |
| 1979s | rock the boat too much yeah back then I |
| 1982s | mean even before we had Adam's story |
| 1986s | um I think we were quite sure that we |
| 1989s | had U this ever repeating cycle in a |
| 1994s | Sci-Fi world that we are dealing with |
| 1997s | clones and clone or replicant stories |
| 1999s | and then of course Blade Runner was |
| 2001s | maybe one uh one |
| 2003s | inspiration um Ed of Tomorrow lift ey |
| 2006s | and repeat |
| 2008s | principle |
| 2012s | um um another movie called |
| 2016s | moon it's an indie movie but maybe also |
| 2020s | quite known where all this those clone |
| 2023s | stories |
| 2024s | with um and the Clones not knowing that |
| 2027s | there were clones or that they were like |
| 2029s | discriminated because there were |
| 2030s | replicants or clones and and needed to |
| 2032s | live like a life in in an underground |
| 2035s | life persecuted by the |
| 2038s | authorities um not being able to live a |
| 2041s | normal life um but still having the the |
| 2044s | need to to be human to become human at |
| 2047s | some point um transplanted memories not |
| 2051s | knowing are those memories really my own |
| 2053s | memories do they come from someone else |
| 2055s | and who is is this body who am I a |
| 2057s | property of a a government or of the |
| 2061s | military and it's still having this uh |
| 2064s | this strong uh will to live and to |
| 2067s | survive live and and to write your your |
| 2068s | own personal story I think those were |
| 2070s | all those Inspirations from movies L and |
| 2074s | other games Detroit become human uh |
| 2077s | another inspiration uh video game and I |
| 2080s | recall we talked about um I think was |
| 2082s | called um the sixth day with Arnold |
| 2084s | Schwarzenegger where this um the villain |
| 2087s | was has this cloning facility and in the |
| 2089s | end he was cloning himself so he was |
| 2092s | like almost finished and was cloning |
| 2094s | himself and the new clone finished off |
| 2096s | the village before and then he said how |
| 2099s | can you do that he said dude I'm like |
| 2101s | you of course I'm finishing you off I |
| 2103s | found that super strong this super |
| 2106s | badass villain and then we talked about |
| 2108s | the issue of Adam not like being um the |
| 2112s | hero that he always wanted to be or uh |
| 2115s | like being forced into this Hero Journey |
| 2117s | and then meeting his clone father and |
| 2120s | then the Clone father realizing that |
| 2122s | while he was just trying to replicate |
| 2124s | himself to repel himself that in the end |
| 2127s | he was sending a human being onto the |
| 2129s | journey and then having this um second |
| 2132s | thoughts and this came as a surprise but |
| 2135s | in the end it would have been just to |
| 2137s | kill like to kill himself or to kill his |
| 2139s | son and then why do the memory transfer |
| 2141s | if this is already like um |
| 2145s | um uh your son your body your DNA just |
| 2149s | leave it be you know well I mean in the |
| 2152s | in the genre of space games we we've |
| 2154s | seen quite a lot right I mean from El |
| 2157s | dangerous pretty much the first really |
| 2158s | big space game um and then I think a |
| 2163s | major uh Milestone there was Stephanie |
| 2165s | Star Citizen that super massive |
| 2168s | crowdfunding and now it's getting bigger |
| 2170s | and bigger and bigger this really live |
| 2171s | in this world I think it's a it's a |
| 2173s | great vision very very ambitious then |
| 2177s | certainly new man's Sky all of a sudden |
| 2179s | landing on a planet and exploration I |
| 2181s | think they really got that so they had a |
| 2185s | a good sense a good hunch for what what |
| 2187s | people want um yeah and then for us I |
| 2192s | think everspace but also with Galax and |
| 2194s | fire what we brought to the table is |
| 2195s | this make a space combat game as |
| 2198s | intuitive and accessible as possible I |
| 2200s | think this is what we do where we Excel |
| 2204s | and really |
| 2205s | also go outside of the typical space |
| 2208s | game uh audience so that works quite |
| 2212s | well and uh yeah and then you of course |
| 2214s | you have something like the X Series |
| 2216s | that's super complex that really |
| 2217s | combines what is it fighting exploration |
| 2221s | trading crafting Base building I mean |
| 2224s | Jesus this this uh it's a huge game um |
| 2228s | and I think all have their I don't want |
| 2230s | to see their Niche but their Direction |
| 2233s | and it's worthwhile executing and do |
| 2235s | that and then of course we had Starfield |
| 2237s | followed in space um people were very |
| 2239s | excited about that um that shows where |
| 2242s | the appetite is the thing is with space |
| 2243s | game fans they want everything right so |
| 2246s | they won the big ships one the small |
| 2247s | chips on a planet VR of course trading |
| 2251s | Mining and there's only so much you can |
| 2254s | do so we have to pick our battles |
| 2257s | wisely technology wise I think the most |
| 2259s | interesting thing is this um data |
| 2262s | streaming seamless uh streaming so when |
| 2264s | unw Engine 4 we still had the issue that |
| 2267s | if we go from one location to another |
| 2268s | there's a short um loading SL |
| 2272s | initialization uh period because we also |
| 2275s | working with different scenes um so with |
| 2278s | better Tech then you can have these um |
| 2281s | transitions more more seamlessly or |
| 2283s | entirely entirely seamless I think this |
| 2285s | is something's interesting to watch then |
| 2288s | obviously Lumen and nanite so I think um |
| 2291s | it takes us 48 hours to do the lightell |
| 2294s | calculation for our |
| 2296s | handcrafted uh locations in ever space |
| 2298s | too so I know that Mar our lead artist |
| 2300s | is very excited about Lumen maybe for |
| 2302s | our next title what's |
| 2304s | next can we can we tell are we allowed |
| 2308s | to say that I mean we we can share so |
| 2310s | what we what we can share the team is |
| 2312s | working on bringing the game the base |
| 2314s | game to unhe Engine 5 right now there |
| 2317s | are a lot of things uh that are broken |
| 2320s | from uh wides in 2D and uh the whole um |
| 2325s | particle animations are broken physics |
| 2328s | is a big headache all our puzzles they |
| 2331s | were made with a different physics |
| 2332s | technology are now broken so we had to |
| 2334s | redesign them and fix them um but we got |
| 2337s | a track so we're making good progress |
| 2339s | here and then there's going to be a free |
| 2341s | update coming in Spring this year uh but |
| 2345s | we're also working on more premium |
| 2347s | content coming later this year so still |
| 2350s | a lot of plans and after that yeah we |
| 2353s | have to see how it goes it's like we |
| 2355s | don't try to um predict too much too far |
| 2358s | into the future like stay focused on the |
| 2361s | next uh Milestones um that are ahe but |
| 2365s | um yeah I'm very excited for the new |
| 2366s | stuff and U showed me some animatics um |
| 2370s | and um in-game cutcenes of the new |
| 2373s | content that's coming and um I think it |
| 2375s | looks really |
| 2385s | amazing |