Declarations of Independents: I Wanna Be The Guy

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Declarations of Independents: I Wanna Be The Guy

Fri, Apr 25, 2008

Declarations of Independents focuses on the most independent of game developers: Small teams or individuals whose games have little or no marketing, advertising, or outreach, yet which have extremely loyal and dedicated followings. These games are the hidden treasures of the game industry, and it is our pleasure to bring you the thoughts and experiences of their creators on what it means to be an independent developer.

On today's feature, we bring you I Wanna Be The Guy: The Movie: The Game. IWBTG is simultaneously a wonderful and terrible game; three parts cruelty and two parts hysterical homage to classic gaming. A platformer where one-hit kills are the rule and every level is designed to destroy you in the least predictable manner possible, IWBTG requires the patience of a saint, the memory of an MK3 player, and the reflexes of Jack Burton. In the words of one of the game's own fans, the game is "a sardonic loveletter to the halcyon days of early American videogaming, packaged as a nail-rippingly difficult platform adventure." Despite an absence of any marketing, IWBTG has been featured in Games for Windows, 1UP, and most every blog known to gamekind.

We spoke with Kayin, the game's creator, about the process behind the punishment.

GameCyte: When did you first decide you wanted to develop an independent game?

The Kid Kayin: It has been a constant desire since I was a kid to make a game. When I was much younger, I attempted to make interesting games in the old Tim Sweeney game maker, ZZT, and its successor, MZX. These engines were both extremely flexible, yet extremely limited (working with a 2 color edited ASCII tile set is a serious challenge), and sort of allowed me to explore the creative process of games. Nothing good or playable came out of these ventures, but they got my mind rolling.

As I got older, I took an active interest in game design and game theory. I eventually got to the point where I had to make something, and had to start small.

GC: Tell us about IWBTG. What inspired the project? How did the development process treat you?

K: The Japanese flash game, Owata, stood as my main inspiration. While it's very difficult at first, the game gets extremely easy once you know the tricks you have to do. Since I was looking for a project to start on, I decided a trap-filled, basic platformer would be an excellent way to get to know the rather clunky and not very recommendable MMF2 engine. Myself, Kaizo Mario, and Syobon Action seemed to take the same approach to improving on Owata by adding difficult platforming elements atop the surprise factor of traps.

Another thing to note; the nostalgic nature of the game was not originally intended. It was generally just a slippery slope, where I eventually came to realize "This is about retro games."

GC: Have you worked a part of a larger development team before? If so, how has it compared to directing your own project independently?

K: I've always been an independent person and thus found working alone to be very natural. I've worked in teams on projects unrelated to video games, and always find my role to be one of an administrator. Working alone is a lot more hands-on for me, and a lot more enjoyable.

GC: How have you managed to sustain the project? Do you make money from sponsorships or donations? What is your "Day Job?"

K: Fortunately, IWBTG was simple enough to make in my spare time. It cost me nothing but time to make, and time is something I try and make sure I have a lot of. I've made some significant money off IWBTG, but not nearly enough to live off of. Honestly though, I didn't expect people to give me anything. Turns out people are actually pretty darn generous.

As for my day job, I'm a Visual Communications major at an art school (bet you wouldn't have guessed from looking at IWBTG). I supplement my meager income through computer repair and consulting.

You Retard GC: How has word spread about your game? Has it all been word-of-mouth?

K: Word-of-mouth, really. I haven't made much of an attempt to spread my game, personally. The initial spread was definitely sheer word-of-mouth. I didn't even have a site at first, yet the game was receiving far more downloads than it should have. I was also friendly with 1UP's Scott Sharkey, who, without me prompting him to even play it, fell in love with the game and plugged me every chance he got. This gave me a large enough boost for the game's popularity to sustain itself through various message boards.

GC: What has it been like to have such a dedicated fan base? Has it helped or hindered the development process; how receptive are you to suggestions or demands from your community?

K: It's nice, yet sometimes annoying. While the game generally attracts older players, older players aren't the type of people who make forum accounts. I attract a lot of young, immature kids, most of whom are very nice... though they can be a bit of a pain at times. Most of my older fans are content to just send me emails. I actually received one from the holder of Twin Galaxies' fastest Super Metroid run, which was a big honor as I consider Super Metroid to be one of the greatest games ever made.

As for suggestions... to be honest, I'm not very receptive. There's a boss/area suggestion thread stickied [in my forums] that's known for the fact that I've never read it. It is a personal belief of mine is that 90% of all ideas are bad (my own included), and that most people lack the vision to separate the good ideas from the bad ones. Even if I were to strike gold, I'd owe that idea to someone else, which may be an issue in the future. That said, I have many close friends and testers whose words and advice I take very seriously.

GC: What's the best part of being an independent developer?

K: No deadlines, no disagreements, total control. I don't have to worry about letting other people down when I feel lazy and I don't have to worry about getting held up when other people don't finish their work.

GC: What's the worst?

K: I'm limited by my own capabilities and time. While I can, for example, do nice sprites and graphics when I feel like it, I cannot do music. If I want an original score, I'm going to have to rely on someone else for this. It also increased my development time by a lot. If somehow IWBTG got picked up for handheld release, the time to remake the game would be, to my estimation, tiny.

What is wrong with you GC: If you could share one valuable experience or piece of advice with ambitious game designers, what would it be?

K: Don't start out big and ambitious. Don't say you're going to do an epic RPG. IWBTG took me about 8 months, despite how simple it was.

GC: What can we expect to see from you next?

K: Now it's time for me to jump on that "big, ambitious" project that I had in mind before making IWBTG. Metroidvania with Fighting Game Mechanics, anyone? And I don't mean fighting game as in "mash A and hit different directions" either, but something more Guilty Gear-esque... And of course there's still I Wanna Save the Kids and extra IWBTG content which could be out far before then.

We would like to thank Kayin for taking the time to speak with us. IWBTG can be downloaded, for free, here.