For years, it was a work-for-hire outfit, but its ambitions were to develop a massively multiplayer online game based around the Celtic mythology of Iron Age Scotland and Ireland.
That game is Celtic Heroes, which was released for iOS in the summer of 2011 and has been growing ever since.
We caught up with founder Richard Hasinski (pictured) and community manager Alex Wozniak to find out more about the company's own history and the future of Celtic Heroes.
Pocket Gamer: Can you give us some background about One Thumb and your history as a mobile game developer?
Richard Hasinski: One Thumb Mobile was founded in back in 2006. By that point, I'd already had over six years of mobile game development experience, working with mobile gaming pioneer Digital Bridges/iPlay on titles including the multi-million selling The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift and Metal Slug Mobile.
Since 2006, One Thumb Mobile has created a host a mobile apps and games for publishers and partners including games for ITV and Liverpool FC, as well as apps for companies such as Nissan, Visa, Honda and Telefonica to name but a few.
The company is now solely focused on massively multiplayer 3D handheld games, with Celtic Heroes as the flagship product. The aim is to continue improving and expanding this game, as well as producing more games using a brand new engine which is currently in development.
You've been working on Celtic Heroes in different forms for years now. Why do you think the concept is so strong?
The game actually started life on the Nokia N95 (we still have a running version in the studio!), and back then it was written in J2ME using JSR184. However, after the huge success of the iPhone we decided to switch development to that device and we haven't looked back since.
The concept is strong because the world of Celtic mythology and history is so rich and intriguing. Our players tell us they really enjoy exploring the world. The historical setting presents a much greater of level of association, and we believe that we have really captured the essence of what it means to be a 'hero'.
We also believe that a mobile device, especially one which is always connected to the internet, is the perfect platform for an MMO. One of the main draws for us is the fact that its world is constantly alive. Therefore being able to access that world at any time from anywhere is an idea which is inherently strong and appealing to players.
What have been the big challenges to overcome?
When we first started development of Celtic Heroes there were no third party engines for mobile. Things like Unity simply did not exist. Therefore we wrote our own 3D engine from scratch, including all the tools, renderers, networking code, etc.
This was a challenge, but the fact we were able to use our engine to release the game to the App Store, and have supported it since, shows the talent and dedication of the team we have assembled at One Thumb Mobile.
The other challenge we faced was breaking new ground. During development many people told us that a fully 3D MMO on a mobile device was impossible. They told us that no-one would play such a game and that we should focus on other, more casual genres.
However we believed in the concept from the outset and we knew we could find an audience. It is this belief that kept us going all the way through to release.
Celtic Heroes launched on iOS in June 2011 so what's the reaction been?
The initial reaction to the game was somewhat mixed: everyone saw the potential, but the graphics and animations were not as polished as we wanted in the first release. However since then we have released three major expansions, each of which have really moved the game forward.
In fact the current iteration of Celtic Heroes is almost unrecognisable from the initial 2011 version. This success is reflected in the fact that we have hundreds of thousands of players worldwide and we are seeing continued growth in numbers.
As a small UK developer, how have you found the process of raising money/funding the game's development?
The game has largely been self-funded, although we did receive some early prototype grant funding. Initially investment also came organically through our work-for-hire activities creating games and apps for global companies and brands. These funds enabled us to develop and publish the game independently, without any outside investment.
Since the release of Celtic Heroes, we have been putting all the revenue generated back into the development of the game. As revenues increase so does our development budget, which enables us to increase both the size and quality of the team and continue improving the game.
The fact we have just moved into a large new studio and hired several new employees tells us we're doing something right.
What do you hope your new staff will bring to the company?
Hiring new members of staff allows us to fully realise our vision for the game at a much faster rate.
Our new concept artist, who has worked with Wizards of the Coast and Blizzard, and our art director, who comes from Eidos, are both already hard at work creating a more unified visual style for the game, whilst our new lead designer - who played an important role in the design of Lord of the Rings Online and Runescape - is using his long history in the PC MMO industry to add a new perspective to the design of the game.
Expanding our team means that we can plan for the future in a far more effective manner. This in turn will result in a huge increase in quality for the game which is better for our players.
The other advantage with new staff is that they come to the company with a fresh pair of eyes and have already seen ways in which to improve the game that we may otherwise have missed or overlooked. Celtic Heroes is a game we plan to support for many years to come, so a fresh perspective is always welcome to ensure that we are not compromising our vision.
What do you think makes Celtic Heroes different to other MMORPGs?
Our game is based heavily on Celtic mythology, which not only gives it a historical grounding but provides us with a rich vein of material from which to craft our narrative and quests. One example involves an invasion of the lands by Queen Medb, which is based on actual stories within the Ulster Cycle - one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology.
Also, we do not make use of instances, which is rare for today's MMO games. This gives the game a more real-world feel. The fact that every boss is a world boss gives Celtic Heroes a level of competition which is markedly different from alternative MMOs. Players not only have to compete against the mobs, but they also have to compete against rival players and clans in order to defeat a boss.
Something we hear from players on a regular basis is that they enjoy the social aspect of Celtic Heroes, whether that be chatting to their friends in the game or being part of a larger group or clan. There is an emphasis on teamwork in our title, which helps players forge lasting friendships and relationships that extend beyond the game.
Finally, the level of communication we have with our players sets us apart from other MMORPGs, especially ones available on mobile devices.
We have an extremely active forum, and we ensure that we read all the forum posts and communicate constantly with our players. The feedback we receive from them is invaluable shaping in the future of the game. The players tell us they appreciate the openness we have and the speed at which we react to issues that arise, and we genuinely care about our players.
There is even a button within the game where players can instantly send a message directly to the support team, after which they receive personal replies from our team rather than automated or scripted responses.
What can you tell us about your future plans for the game?
In the short-term, we are putting the finishing touches to our latest expansion, which is due in beta very soon.
Amongst many other things, this expansion will introduce: three brand new zones to the game; a mailing system; a host of new enemies, quests, armour and weapons; and improvements to the game's starting experience. The aim is to create a mix of original and revised content that will appeal to both new and existing players.
We also have a completely new game engine in development, which will greatly improve nearly all aspects of the game, including the audio and rendering capabilities, and the game's interface. In addition, the new engine will introduce some brand new mechanics and gameplay opportunities which are not possible using our current technology.
And over the next few months we will be releasing the game on new platforms, including Android devices, as well as localising the game into different languages, which will allow a much wider audience to enjoy the game.
Thanks to Richard and Alex for their time.
You can check out Celtic Heroes via the App Store [link]
