August Game of the Month: Teeny Titans!
We're back with a mid-month swap for Game of the Month! For the next few weeks, we will be highlighting our first mobile GotM, Teeny Titans! Erik (aka Wolfie) has a crazy streaming rig with a mobile adapter. You know what that means - more streaming goodness on Truth and Requiem! Does Teeny Titans sound familiar? Well, it should! Teeny Titans, based on the hit Cartoon Network show Teen Titans Go! and featuring an enormous cast of DC Comics heroes and villains, parodies the “collectible gaming figures” craze and offers a new take on a Pokemon-style RPG with 70 digital figures to collect and battle!
Meet the team behind the magic... er superpowers? Grumpyface Studios is a mobile game developer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with over 10 titles released for Apple and Android devices. Grumpyface is best known for its long-term partnership with Cartoon Network and Adult Swim Games, having developed popular titles for the publishers including Steven Universe RPG: Attack the Light, Teeny Titans, Adventure Time: Game Wizard, and Castle Doombad.
Time to talk shop. The super-powered dev, Chris Graham, took some time to chat with us about development at Grumpyface. We had questions, he had answers... Do you have your own in-house engine or use a third party system? "We primarily use Unity, which has been very good to use throughout the years. We’ve also customized and developed various tools along the way to better suit some of our specific project needs." What platforms do you release on now / plan to release on? "Though we’ve targeted mobile platforms since the studio’s creation in 2010, we’re now currently working on some exciting console projects. Hope to announce details soon!" What are the development tools you use the most? "Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Maya, JIRA, Git, 2D Toolkit" What advice would you give to a new studio? "It all starts with getting a game out there, so our advice is on approaching that first step. Take every opportunity to show you work to others. Get as many critiques as you can, from everyone you can, and never be discouraged by negativity or if your stuff isn’t grabbing attention right away – just keep working and keep improving. Many of us fail repeatedly before the stars align and we start to become successful! And of course: surround yourself with other passionate developers who will push you (whether that be through local meetups, or via all the great resources and communities you can find online). Game CoLab seems to have the perfect resources for getting started – we love it!" What marketing resources do you use? "We have a very fortunate situation where most of our marketing is taken care of by our Publisher, but we also keep an active presence on social media and game forums. It’s important to communicate with your players as much as possible – to keep them informed on known issues, updates, and what’s coming up with our studio." Any mistakes / hiccups you've made so far, something you would advise a new studio to avoid? "Don’t skimp on external playtesting – your own team playing your games is not enough! Get all ages and demos to try your game, especially people you don’t already know. Oh, and above all else… finish your game! Set realistic goals that you can meet, and be real with yourself. Be smart at the onset: don’t let yourself set out to make a project you can’t or won’t finish." Any last words? *laughs in Villain* Check out TEENY TITANS for your mobile device here: http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/apps/teen-titans-go/teeny-titans/index.html Follow Grumpyface on Twitter @Grumpyface or visit us online at http://www.grumpyface.net
