Jackreyes' Gaming Blog

If you check other gaming sites then you’ll probably heard about “bob’s game” which is a DS game made by only one person. It took him 5 years, he was originally going to make it for the Gameboy Advance but then the DS came out and he made the switch. This is obviously a great achievement for anyone, especially seeing as he (Bob) is self-taught.  He is now looking for a publisher. To read more about his motives and thoughts on the game click here.

Below is his trailer followed by 2 demo videos.

It truly looks like an interesting game. Curious, but interesting.

I emailed Bob because I had a few questions to ask him about the game, and his reasons for making the game and here is what he had to say:

1. On your site it says you made this game because you always wanted a game like it as a child. Do you think that games these days are all too similar?
I think that the majority of what gets released or funded pretty much has to be similar to what’s already come out. It’s good business sense to stick with what works, and there’s no marketing data for a new idea. A lot of independent games have unique ideas, but they don’t sell well even if they’re great, because there’s no advertising campaign and a publisher still won’t take a risk on pushing it really hard. Then, because it hasn’t sold well, it gives the publisher negative marketing data towards that kind of idea.

2. Was there anything in particular that triggered your start in making the game?
I was sitting with some friends, drinking coffee at a 24 hour restaurant, when the subject of games came up. I mentioned the idea I’d had for “the perfect game” since I was a kid, and started scribbling on napkins laying out a basic outline. I spent the next few weeks desperately trying to get a pixel to move on a GBA emulator, and it just kept going from there.

3. 5 years is a significant amount of time. What motivated you to carry on working for this long?
The more work I did, the more motivated I was to keep working. I really liked the idea, and I was hellbent on making sure it came to existence.
I think it’s different coming from my perspective. 5 years actually passed very quickly for me, because I was very busy the entire time trying to beat the clock and cross off the next thing on the list. The next thing I knew, I was 25 years old, and it was done.

4. Did you ever think about dropping the game to work on anything else?
I was tempted, sure, but I wouldn’t have been able to even if I wanted. I kept imagining myself as an old man, looking back and wondering what would have happened if I had tried a little harder. I’ve got notebooks full of ideas for other projects and other games, and I’d just fill a page or two and set it aside. That was good, because I know exactly what I’m going to work on next. It’s not “bob’s game 2,” it’s very different.

5. Is there anything about the game or its storyline that you can tell us that isn’t in the Trailer?
Nope, just that there’s still a lot that hasn’t been shown, probably a majority of it. I haven’t shown the second half, and I haven’t really revealed the storyline at all yet. The in-game “bob’s game” hasn’t been revealed, nor has the touchscreen or many of the characters. I think that when it’s ready for review, almost everyone is going to be extremely surprised by a lot of things. I can say that there’s a narrator, and that the game doesn’t stay set in the same time period. There’s also more games than just “bob’s game,” and those are played throughout the game.

6. What other games do you see Bob’s Game similar to, if any?
I’m told it’s similar to “Shenmue,” which is pretty amazing considering that game took $70 million to make.
I would say it’s sort of similar to “Harvest Moon” or “Animal Crossing,” but with a story and an ending, which makes a pretty big difference.

7. What games do you think Bob’s Game will be as popular as?
I have no idea. It would be great if I could sell as many copies of Pokemon, but it’s far more likely I’ll sell about as much as any other unadvertised niche game. That’s fine with me, I really didn’t make it for the money- I made it because I wanted it to exist.

8. Did any publishers contact you during your work on the game?
Nope. Nobody knew about it until I released the first video.

9. Can you tell us which publishers you have spoken with, or have spoken with you up until now?
Nope. Every company so far has had the same policy- Don’t say a word. I think that might have something to do with stock prices or something, who knows.

10. What makes Bob’s Game different from every other DS game?
Of course, it’s by one guy- which matters! A lot of people don’t understand why it’s relevant, they just think I’m talking myself up.
First of all, it hasn’t been done before for a retail console game, and it’s been called impossible by a lot of guys in the industry- so right there you’ve got something relevant on the video game timeline.
More importantly though, it makes it more like a book, or a graphic novel or comic, or an independent movie script. Video games are big productions, involving a lot of money and a lot of people. During the development of these games, the dialogue and story is tested constantly through market research, and the whole thing is engineered to appeal to the largest group of people. It loses all of the individual quirkiness that makes it unique- and it ends up being this sort of bland story that doesn’t offend anybody, but isn’t very exciting either.
It’s like those TV commercials with that really unfunny, corporate sort of humor- that’s the result of strict market research.

All that aside, it’s also a genre-crossing type of game. There’s really not anything like it on any console, besides maybe “Shenmue-” which I haven’t yet played, so I’m sure it’s quite different than even that.

Personally, I can’t wait for this game. Looks like it has the potential to be a great game.

I’d also like to wish Bob the best of luck finding a publisher, and to thank him for taking his time to answer my questions.

- Jackreyes