The new studio have several big projects underway
QuantumSquid Interactive have been on the development scene for a little while now, but only recently started developing for everybody's favourite iDevice. Their iPhone debut came in the form of Starball, an addictive pick up and play game that managed to score a respectable 8 in the AppGamer review. With more interesting games in the pipeline, we thought it was time to hit the studio with the ol’ question stick, and see what we could find out. Creative producer Dane Emerson offered to take one for the team. Here’s how it went down.
Hi Dane, thanks for taking time out of your schedule to chat with us. Before we get stuck into things, give us a little overview of QuantumSquid. Who makes up the team and what are your backgrounds?
QuantumSquid Interactive was started about 2 years ago. Prior to developing games for the iDevice, we had previously developed several games for the Xbox 360 Indie Games marketplace on Xbox Live. We also currently have a PSP minis game in the later stages of development as well.
The company is presently made up of 5 people: myself, Cowan DuBose, Shawn Lehner, Nathanael Iwata, and a contract programmer that is currently working on our PSP game. Cowan is my business partner in another software company, and one of the principles in QuantumSquid. Shawn has done all of the coding for our games, Nat has done all of the artwork, and I handle the overall business and producer roles, along with the core design decisions. We all actively contribute to various individual design elements throughout the development of each game.
The studio has previously developed a number of games for XBLA (including Rabid Gophers, which is available now on the App Store), what influenced your decision to develop for the iPhone?
Yes, we have previously released 3 titles for the Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace: Battle Havoc, Dock'em, and Rabid Gophers (which we ported to the iDevice and is now available in the App Store). Although we really dig developing for the Xbox 360 because of it's power, the call of the "App Store" proved to be to great; at least for now. I would say one of the key elements in the draw to start developing games for the iDevice was the potential for a big "upside". If you can manage to make it onto one of the App Store "lists", the potential for revenue is magnitudes greater than that of the current level in the Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace. I realize that in the present state of the App Store, being the next Flight Control or Doodle Jump is much more the exception than the rule. However, we feel we have what it takes to be one of the top tier developers.
In addition, I think we are also drawn to the relatively rapid development and distribution the iDevice has to offer. We are core gamers at heart, but this also is a business for us. For a small, independent company like QuantumSquid, it's hard to ignore the opportunity for potential success the App Store has to offer.
What are your thoughts on the ever-raging iPhone as a gaming platform debate? Can the iPhone really be considered as serious competition for the other handhelds? And do you see a long term future for the device as a gaming platform?
I think the overwhelming, worldwide adoption and support for the platform as a whole says a ton. Any platform that can drive over 120,000 applications in a little over a year is serious competition for just about anything. As far as the other handhelds, I see the PSP and the DS more alongside the iDevice. At the end of the day, both of those "pure" gaming devices have ACTUAL D-pads and buttons. That's a huge separation right there, nothing beats physical buttons for pure gaming. I think the bigger element at hand is the "99 cent" factor.
What else on the App Store has impressed you as a developer? What games could I find on your own iDevice?
All of us here tend to have pretty much the same taste in games. I personally have two main types divided on my iPhone. Instant, pick-up-and-play games, and the games that I can sit down and "get into". Doodle Jump, geoSpark and Fling (among many others) on one side, with Dungeon Hunter, Ravensword, Defender Chronicles being some of the more involved games I currently have on my iPhone.
This of course would include our own games, which I genuinely still enjoy playing despite all the testing we end up doing during development.
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