Supercell on what it takes to make a great game, Wilhelm That joins Dodreams, and the making of Donut County
What does it take to create a great game? According to Supercell veteran designer Touko Tahkokallio it's certainly more than one great idea.
At GDC this year, Tahkokallio described Supercell's approach to game design and how rather than attempting to flawlessly execute one initial idea, the Finnish dev preferred to prototype and test to find the best path to the number of problems it faced in the development.
His words clearly found resonance, as the story was our most read of the week.
Following on was the news that Former Rovio EVP Wilhelm Taht has joined the Dodreams board of directors, as well as making an undisclosed investment in the Finnish mobile developer.
Donut County, Super Mario Run and Star Wars
Departing Finland for our third entry, we caught up with Donut County mayor Ben Esposito, who gave us the inside track on why development took six-years and the meaning behind the humorous tale.
Rounding off our list is Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto on some of his regrets with Super Mario Run, and our deep dive into the dangerous allure of F2P mobile Star Wars games.
#5: The dangerous allure of F2P mobile Star Wars games
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The dangerous allure of F2P mobile Star Wars games »When it comes to snagging IPs you'd be forgiven for assuming that Star Wars is a safe bet.
The reality is that the galaxy far far away has provided a mixture of highs and lows, with both ends of that spectrum ever present on mobile.
As such, Zynga's recent deal to craft a Star Wars game, with the option of another, is curious at best. Along with its decision to snap up Clash of Clans-style mobile strategy title Star Wars: Commanders.
Little else is known at this point on what shape Zynga's Star Wars game will take. Its proficiency is in social casino games, but that would prove an unlikely outcome.
What is for certain, though, that it'll be entering a market that has proven resilient to the force as of yet.
#4: Miyamoto: Regrettable choices were made during the development of Super Mario Run
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Miyamoto: Regrettable choices were made during the development of Super Mario Run »It's quite rare to see Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto give a talk, but the industry veteran bucked the trend to fill listeners in with insight into the games giants mobile games at CEDEC 2018. Specifically delving into the mistakes that were made on Super Mario Run.
Two “regrettable decisions” were supposedly made during the development of Super Mario Run.
The first was design, as Miyamoto felt the final product was too hard despite his push to make the game more challenging in production.
The second is in the game’s business model. We’ve seen Nintendo transition to free-to-play mobile in games like Animal Crossing and Miitomo, but Super Mario Run was a fixed-cost title.
#3: "I had way too much confidence": Ben Esposito on Donut County's six year journey through development
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"I had way too much confidence": Ben Esposito on Donut County's six year journey through development »After a long six years in development, Ben Esposito's Donut County has finally found its way onto our phones.
According to the indie dev, overshooting his initial 12-month target by five years came due to his decision to go through development alone, something he felt empowered to do because of a sense of confidence from a fast start in the industry.
“One of the biggest challenges was the decision to make it by myself,” Esposito admits.
“I can’t say it was a great idea. The point of it was to learn a lot, I wanted to see the whole process, and I thought it would be so much easier than it ended up being."
#2: Ex-Rovio EVP Wilhelm Taht joins Dodreams board of directors
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Ex-Rovio EVP Wilhelm Taht joins Dodreams board of directors »Former Rovio EVP Wilhelm Taht has joined fellow countryman and Rovio alum Sami Lahtinen at Dodreams.
Taht, however, will be finding himself on the board of directors.
Alongside that, Taht has also made an undisclosed investment in the Finnish mobile developer.
“I’m delighted that Wilhelm Taht joins the Dodreams Board of Directors,” said Dodreams CEO Erik Pöntiskoski.
“I look forward to working closely together with the Board and our excellent Dodreams team to expand and capitalize on our massive audience of engaged Drive Ahead! Players.”
#1: Supercell: It takes more than one great idea to make a successful game
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Supercell: It takes more than one great idea to make a successful game »Developers should be wary of following one great idea when making a game and instead should follow many more.
That's according to Supercell veteran designer Touko Tahkokallio anyway, who gave a talk on the concept at GDC this year.
Talking about Supercell's process, he explained that rather than attempting to flawlessly execute one idea, it preferred to prototype and test to find the best path to the number of problems it faced in the development.
“In practice, game development is more like being in a jungle,” he said.
”You have a team, maybe a rough idea of what kinda game you are trying to make. The game is somewhere hidden in the jungle and you try to find it.
“A game designer is like a scout in the jungle. You try to find the best path through the jungle and minimise the time spent lost there.”