2/19/2023 0 Comments Best tavern tycoon gameIt takes time to really understand the player-flow on a new console. What were the challenges of adapting gameplay smoothly to the Switch? It also seemed to have a player base which might enjoy our game, and we are just as excited to see the game come to the platform. The Nintendo Switch is just a wonderfully innovative and beloved console, and because the mobile game was already optimized for touch controls, we felt the Switch – with both touch and controller input – was the perfect choice. Why did you turn your attention to the Nintendo Switch, as opposed to other consoles? It took several years for you to bring this game to mobile – and here we are, gearing up for the Switch release. In this case, the extreme position was, “If piracy is inevitable, why don’t we just pirate it ourselves?” We had nothing to lose, and the rest is history. A brainstorming technique we’re fond of is to consider extreme positions, even if it’s just to find a box to think inside of. We try to ‘think a little’ about every step of our development process, no matter how mundane it may be, so when it came to making the final build for the game, we talked about what – if anything – we could do about the certainty of piracy. But you pulled a fast one on them with a “special” cracked version. With all the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this game, it’s sad to know that pirates would inevitably torrent it on release. We are just lucky that our ongoing success with Game Dev Tycoon has helped us steer clear from bankruptcy thus far, and allowed us to spend the necessary time to build a world-class team! Of course, our next game – Tavern Keeper – is the ultimate result and proof of all this, and while we can’t know how well it will do commercially, we are incredibly proud of what we are making. We often joked that we were playing Game Dev Tycoon in real life, and – just as many players struggle in Level 2 where they hire a team and develop bigger games – we struggled, too. A lot of project management techniques break down when you have everyone in different time zones and have so many different fields of expertise (art, animation, narrative design, coding, audio, game design etc.,) each with their own workflow and challenges. Running a team between five and fifteen people, across the globe, all working remotely, has been a monumental learning curve. I must admit that I was naïve to think that we could naturally evolve from a duo to a bigger team, and it has probably been my biggest challenge as a manager, post-Game Dev Tycoon. Take us back to the planning stages – what was it like operating as a duo as opposed to a bigger team? The community itself has ebbed and flowed over the years, but we are incredibly lucky to have a number of followers who are interested in what we do, some all the way back from the earliest days others have joined just recently. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s part of our DNA by now. We try our best to bring the same updates to each platform and to allow even eight-year-old save files to run well on newer versions. We felt a responsibility to treat each player with the same respect, regardless of when and where they bought and played our game. How has the audience base changed between 20? You’ve faithfully kept in contact with the community, even since the early days of your Windows Store release. We had the chance to speak with Patrick about Game Dev Tycoon’s history, the transition to Switch, and about Greenheart Games’ new project, Tavern Keeper. This take on the “Tycoon” craze is the brainchild of brothers and co-developers Daniel and Patrick Klug. Now, we’re welcoming this game to Nintendo Switch – with cross-platform saving, to boot. Starting from humble beginnings on the Windows Store, this simulation staple made its way to PC, Android, and iOS. In the meta sense, Game Dev Tycoon has lived up to its name.
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