Developer Diary Suggestions

General stuff about Infinitap Games
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matt
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Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:48 am

Developer Diary Suggestions

Post by matt »

If you have any, post them here, and I'll see if I can record one on your subject of choice. :)
-Matt Gilgenbach
Lead Frightener at Infinitap Games
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evilkinggumby
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Re: Developer Diary Suggestions

Post by evilkinggumby »

based on your most recent video it got me thinking of these two things:

1: Longevity or the relevant "Life of a game" in the market/publics consciousnesss. Once you put the game out on the market, do you ever consider this during development? I see you mentioning how you are shooting for a more adult audience, 18+ with NeN and likely it's successor, and the audience for mature gamers (i am sticking to that term cause "old folk" sounds really lame) is always growing. Do you ever consider " my game may be great and just not yet "in with the times" and expect it'll get a new breath of life in a few years? Do you ever wonder if everyone that played the game as a teen/young adult will return to it and possible cause a resurgence later? Is this something that might change how you make a game? I guess it is akin to some kids cartoons where kids love it for the cute musical colorful visuals and the more sight gag/physical humor, but adults are enjoying it for the deep seated innuendo humor and political jabs it might take that go over the kids' heads.

2: (this is completely hypothetical): You open your inbox one morning to find out a troubled young teen was discovered dead after an apparent suicide. In her letter she makes clear notation of playing your game and being emotionally effected by it. She has numerous drawings about the game and being "in" it and she also was 'cutting' herself. You begin getting calls and requests for interviews, reporters at your door and tweets about how your game potentially drove this confused girl to suicide. She was a member on this forum and spoke to you about disturbing dreams and ideas for you next game and you interacted with her like any other member and didn't see any signs of a problem. Question: If something ever did happen like this, where a disturbed or troubled person did something rash (possibly) because of (or related to playing) your game, how would you feel? do you consider this when making the game? ( I know you mentioned removing some stuff because it was going too far, tacky, or just didn't fit the tone, but have you ever cut content because you truly felt worried it might have an adverse effect on your audience members? )

Once you put something out into the web, it's there in some form forever. Which then is interesting to tie the two scenarios together. When you make a game, do you ever consider while making it that this game will be available for people to buy and experience forever, and that the game and any implications, themes, disturbing imagery or content, will effect teens and adults for generations to come? Or the idea that what you are creating will remain as something of your digital legacy, and your children(if you had any) and you familial descendants will look at this as a sort of 'portrait' of you and what you were like in later decades beyond your living years?
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[I am Evilkinggumby on DeviantArt and Steam if you want to looks me up!]
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matt
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Re: Developer Diary Suggestions

Post by matt »

I'm not sure I have enough to say for a developer diary, but I'll respond quickly here and see if I have enough to make a diary.
1) I think if you aren't continuing development on a particular game (like Minecraft or LoL), you aren't going to see a resurgence of popularity. We had a PewDiePie video at launch, so I imagine the bulk of the gamers who are interested in it on Steam have purchased it or are waiting for a price drop. Price drops are definitely something we consider in terms of life cycle.

The other thing to consider is other platforms. We could potentially make the game seem "new" by releasing it on other hardware. There are business considerations and nothing seems as indie friendly as Steam, but this is something we are always considering/exploring.

2) It is something I thought about. However, I think the benefits of the game and its message of understanding mental illness far outweigh the infinitesimal chance that it will be "blamed" for something bad. If someone commits suicide, it is because of mental illness - not because of a video game. I don't think JD Sallinger killed John Lennon by writing Catcher in the Rye. Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese didn't cause the Reagan assassination attempt. However, while I know I wouldn't be responsible, I'd still feel guilty. When I was a freshman in college, someone in my dorm committed suicide. It wasn't someone I knew. There was just a memo that Candy Wei committed suicide in her dorm room. I didn't know what she looked like (until today when I looked her up, and it turns out her family set up a memorial website).

For years, I've been haunted by the idea that there was something I could have done to help. Perhaps she was eating alone in the cafeteria, and I could have sat down and struck up a conversation. Perhaps even a passing smile could have helped. Having seen her picture now, I don't think I ever saw her, so I feel a little bit better, but maybe I just wasn't looking... 14 years later, I still think about her from time to time and feel bad. I suppose reading that she had a long battle with serious mental illness makes me feel a little better, but I don't know if I'll ever feel absolved of the responsibility that I maybe could have helped her.

Anyway, my point is that if I still feel bad that someone I never interacted with ended her own life, I would definitely feel bad forever if someone killed his/herself who played Neverending Nightmares.
-Matt Gilgenbach
Lead Frightener at Infinitap Games
Harry Sunderland
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Re: Developer Diary Suggestions

Post by Harry Sunderland »

For the new game's campaign, I'd love to see some more casual Infinitap videos...like you guys goofing off and having fun. But then again, I believe most of the team works remote, and you all don't strike me as a goof around bunch...so maybe that kind of stuff doesn't happen.

But it'd be nice to see you guys in like one casual video. Maybe fly the whole team together for one day and you all hit up Disneyland or Universal Studios or something :p.

BTW Matt should you really launch in July? You launched near Halloween last time, right? I think that helped! Will people fund horror in July?
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matt
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Re: Developer Diary Suggestions

Post by matt »

We do have skype staff meetings weekly, and there is some off topic discussions, but it'd be hard to filter out the spoilerific stuff from us just being silly. Perhaps we can find a way although recording skype sounds like a pain.

We launched in the end of August last year to align with PAX. My baby's due date is August 27th, two years after our last kickstarter launched, and I don't want to worry about kickstarter and becoming a dad and all that, so I want it to be significantly before. Plus we are running low on funds and are scared that we won't find a big enough audience, so we really want to do a kickstarter as soon as possible.

I think people who are excited about horror games will fund them year round, but I guess we'll find out... Fingers crossed!
-Matt Gilgenbach
Lead Frightener at Infinitap Games
Harry Sunderland
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 10:27 am

Re: Developer Diary Suggestions

Post by Harry Sunderland »

Well I'll campaign again and you've got my money! I found out recently my aunt backed NN because of my posts on Facebook. haha
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matt
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Re: Developer Diary Suggestions

Post by matt »

AWESOME! :) Hopefully we can get her back for Devastated Dreams. hehehe
-Matt Gilgenbach
Lead Frightener at Infinitap Games
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