Interview: Eiconic – part 1

CG.biz: What do you see as the casual sector’s biggest challenge, and how are Eiconic expecting to tackle such challenges?

The lack of information available for developers on the sales of electronically distributed titles means trying to forecast sales and development budgets in this space is problematic at best. For developers and potential partners in the market this obviously causes concern and is limiting investment to smaller, less dynamic projects. The potential for electronic distribution is huge and over the next year or so we’re hoping to see some further advances, but for that to happen we’d like platform holders to be more open with their figures. This is something that has been brought to the forefront by people such as James Brooksby and is unlikely to be a subject that goes away in the near future.

We also need to consider price points as well and ensure the consumer is getting value for money. Some casual games that cost $6.00 to purchase are likely to only provide two to three hours of gameplay which seems like a poor return. That said, critics in various sections of the global games market have been commenting on the latest FPS titles only giving 10 hours of gameplay. Replay in a game is something that Eiconic constantly consider and therefore provide better value for money.

The very casual market also lacks a certain degree of originality, look at the various clones of match 3 and hidden object style games there is very little to distinguish between them. Casual games seem to be becoming the next ‘regurgitation’ platform where the monetisation of old IP is being exploited for a new market.

At Eiconic we look at where the market is going, understand what it wants and then develop and produce a game that is fresh and meets those expectations. Casual games are developed on smaller budgets but should also warrant the investment of time and money in their production quality. There is every reason why a casual game should have the polish of a full title; you’re trying to sell a product at the end of the day and if it looks and plays poorly then don’t be surprised when the sales are poor. Although as a disclaimer to those three points, the decision may be out of the developer's hands in what they deliver if they do not control the product.

CG.biz Continuing to look forward on a more positive note, what do you see as the most important emerging trends in the market?

For us the success of XBLA and PSN are where we’re primarily concentrating our efforts. Some of the original content coming out of them is just great. OK, so they’re not going to have the production quality of the likes of Halo, Rock Band, FIFA, et al. But the gameplay and fun you can have with Castle Crashers, Burn, Zombie, Burn, ‘Splosion Man rivals that of the boxed titles.

However, what is more intriguing is how the game is played and this is opening new ideas. Braid does an excellent job of playing around with time and reality whilst Lost Winds plays with new mechanics with which the player interacts and controls the game. These are examples of what the casual market has to offer, innovations and a platform to test out ideas without having to sink multiple millions in to developing an IP.

CG.biz: As the casual market expands, it appears the overlap between casual and hardcore is increasing. Is this something you recognise, and something Eiconic are hoping to take advantage of?

What is classed as a casual game is becoming more and more inclusive and the line that used to separate the two was quite clear but that overlap is expanding. Will we get a casual FPS? Unlikely, but look back over the history of games, certainly going back to products classed as hardcore gaming, and these are now influencing the design of casual games.

Think of something like Donkey Kong or Bomberman back in the day and they would have been classed as hardcore or gamers’ games. Nowadays they’re not hardcore, they’re more casual and the style of gameplay will further expand this overlap. This is something that we recognise and are building in to the design of all of our games. The casual sector has really expanded the potential market that is open to gaming and the success of titles such as Peggle, Bejewelled and Zuma is now being seen on current consoles. We understand that there is a growing need for a more in-depth and involving experience for a ‘casual’ game, whilst still remaining something that is very much pick up and play and Polar Panic is a great example of how we implement that philosophy.

CG.biz: What does Eiconic do that makes it distinct from other casual developers?

Our team size is incredibly small but those that we work with are extremely talented. It allows us to punch well above our weight when it comes to what we are capable of developing and delivering. Our development methodology is one that is extremely flexible and agile whilst allowing the development team to reside remotely either at home or as a mini-team at an alternate location or within another studio. Our management is extremely lean and the team owns the project.

The team is primarily responsible for the product vision and direction, based on what is fun to play, rather than management trying to second guess what the consumer wants. We’ve all worked at companies where this or that feature has to be concepted and documented before being implemented, reviewed and then rewritten again, a process that can take a number of weeks.

We implement, review and iterate in a fraction of the time that larger development teams do. We have no politics to overcome, no management to convince and no egos to massage. Well, maybe a little of the latter, but our clients are always amazed at what we deliver.

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Click here for part two of our interview with Monk.