APEXICON Interview

Conducted By – Adam Ames

Jonathan Meyer from Actos Games gives TPG the big scoop on their upcoming word-building puzzle RPG, APEXICON.

 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your role with the development of APEXICON.

Well, I’m the main programmer and game designer for APEXICON. I’ve been making small time games off and on since I was growing up, but this is my first foray with a team creating something focused and professional.

 

How did you get started in developing PC games?

It’s pretty simple really, and should be an inspiration to anyone who wants to get into the thing – basically, figure out what you’re the best at. Art? Music? Design? Then go with it. Others will come to help as long as you search for them. That’s how I got started really. I knew I was good at designing what I wanted; just others would have to fill in the artistic and compositional backgrounds.

 

Where did the idea for APEXICON come from?

Several months ago, I was still tinkering around with my first game that I wanted to go professional with, Mr. Wave (a game about a microwave who can eat foods to gain powers). As I was doing designs for that game, I came to the idea that no one had really done a game with a huge lore background based around words. I love words myself, puns, synonyms, all that. What if I could make an entire world based around the usage of words in their daily life beyond just their normal use? And the player, they could pick their words to attack with out of a board? Thus, APEXICON was born.

 

What are some of the successes and failures you learned from in developing APEXICON?

The relationships you create with the people you work with is the greatest thing. I pretty much owe a lot of where I’m getting to the people I create with. Their assistance in helping my vision come to light works fantastically. Conversely, when you have people that just aren’t up to actively working with you on your project, or who just remain silent for periods at a time, can be frustrating and annoying. A failure at the beginning to get a competent and reliable artist was a troublesome event.

 

In its current form, how close is APEXICON to your initial vision?

Oh, it is definitely close to the original vision, but it has evolved much more so than I thought possible. The world pretty much writes itself (no, that is not a pun either!), and it is clear that much like our world itself, it changes and upgrades itself as the vision continues to take shape. It’s pretty awesome really the things I learn and come up with as I explore how the world exists and how it ties into gameplay.

Some devs admitted their games were too hard upon release because they became experts as they developed the game.  Talk about setting the difficulty levels for APEXICON and if you faced a similar challenge.

Heh! That’s actually one of the focuses of the game as we create it. We ask ourselves “Is this too hard?” “Will people be able to figure it out?” And we’ve instituted stuff like menus, pop up facts, things you might see in any other professional game to support it.

 

Were there any challenges you faced in ensuring APEXICON would run on the various PC system configurations?

Actually, our program should run on a variety of PC specs, so we’re not too worried about that, however we will be taking feedback as it comes.

 

Please talk about developing the art style, level design and music for APEXICON.

Well the art style for the game I knew had to be some sort of comic book/fantasy feel, and it was a long search to find an artist (and one that works for indie game rates!). Level design is much easier – since it’s a puzzle RPG, we lock down the combat and everything else springs from there. The world map, the shop, and everything else. Music is another idea, and my composer continues to come into his own as he creates some epic pieces as well as light and fluffy stuff to keep the game’s music enticing to listen to.

 

Outside of creating the game itself, what is the toughest aspect of being an indie developer?

Having a voice and trying to get people to hear that voice. Since indie games have exploded recently in popularity, that means those developers that enjoyed a specific laser focus on them have experienced dwindling fanbases. New indie developers who spring up have trouble gaining traction unless your game is incredibly artistic or immediately attention-grabbing at the start. It’s a tough world.

 

How did you go about funding APEXICON and did you receive financial or emotional support from friends and family?

Well funding is currently by angel investors, and that’s gone over quite well so far – but we’re really looking for the Kickstarter to go through to help us secure all the extra cool stuff we’re planning. Emotional support from family is a given, really.

 

Tell us about the process of submitting APEXICON to the various digital distribution platforms and if you encountered resistance in doing so.

Submitting APEXICON to various platforms itself was easy. Getting it actually on them is another. Currently, our Steam Greenlight page is doing okay, but we tie that into the fact that our game is pretty niche. Trying to get onto GOG was another problem, as they replied to us saying that we had to “serve their core base” of gamers. When we got that response, we were flabbergasted. Surely an RPG is a core base? Ah well.

Did you research similar titles when trying to come up with the launch price?

Yes we did. We identified that our specific game type was actually absent from a lot of platforms, so that allowed us to set a price that was reasonable.

 

Will you release a demo for APEXICON?

Well we haven’t released a demo yet, but we’re about to really. Very very close to one.

 

How important is it to get instant feedback about APEXICON from users through online message boards and other social networking sites?

Very important. We consider what our fans or onlookers tell us important in the way that we consider what they think is important to them, and try to modify it so we don’t change our individual vision but satisfy them in some way.

 

How much value do you place on the opinions of those who review APEXICON professionally?

Semi-important. And I say that because while I love what professional journalists have to say about APEXICON, I still value individual opinions about the same, because they are the people who will purchase APEXICON or support it in some way.

 

How do you feel about the various indie bundle promotions and the “Pay What You Want” pricing methodology? Would you be interested in contributing to a project like that in the future?

I love it. Depending on if you have a great game to add to that lineup, you could be adding extra value to people actually putting forth a good stretch of money on it. I’d definitely add APEXICON to lineups like that because at the very least, it gives people a glimpse into your game and the fact that you exist as a developer.

What are your thoughts on how the PC gaming industry as a whole are dealing with the problem of intrusive DRM and piracy?

DRM and piracy are two sides of the same coin, and honest purchasing is the thin line around the middle. Everyone wants to purchase without having to land on the DRM side, and people who pirate want to purchase without landing on that side either. So when both sides make purchasing look like the better option, I think we’ll see more people paying attention to their options, which is becoming clearer and clearer daily.

 

How do you feel about individuals posting videos and receiving monetization of APEXICON?

Love it. Any press is good press, and if people want to stream videos of APEXICON’s story, that’s totally fine. It’s up to the viewer whether or not they want to see it, so take responsibility for your surfing, heh.

 

How do you feel about DLC and its current implementation in the PC gaming industry?

DLC is also one of those coins. On one side, you got the fantastic appeal of adding more to the game once it’s already shipped. Then on the other side, you’re stringing more people along for content you could have included in the base game. The idea I like about DLC is, if it’s done right, can extend the experience far beyond the initial release, when consumers are looking for that next experience after your game.

 

How do you feel about the online modding community in general and specifically if mods were created for APEXICON?

Well if they did that, I’d support it. I love mods, and I love people’s creativity. Definitely would be a fun thing to see.

 

What advice would you give up-and-coming indie PC developers who are trying to break into the business?

Tenacity. You need it. Perseverance. You have to be able to tell yourself “I can do this.” every day. That’s all it takes. You have to say “It doesn’t matter who is big right now, I could be the next big thing.” That type of confidence is something you need, especially in the now-crowded indie industry. You have to let people know that you intend to deliver on good games, instead of making it just a small-time hobby.

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