PILE: a long and chaotic development
After months of hard work, we finally released our new game. PILE is a huge update of a little game we launched in 2012.
PILE 1 was actually a commercial failure. So why starting to work on a new version of a game that didn't sell? We were convinced that the concept of PILE could be used better!
We had many new ideas to improve the game: new blocks, new power-ups, new interaction techniques! We also wanted to try the freemium model. It should have kept us busy until the end of summer 2013 — That's all. But it went on for more than 6 months! We had gone too far, we had to continue.
We begun to continuously and intentionally add new features. Why not adding a Missions mode with dozens of handmade puzzles that would extend the replay value? What if an infography was created at the end of each game to show some stats? Wouldn't it be great to provide a shop where one could upgrade his/her favorite power-ups and buy extra ones during a game? With all these new great features, we definitely need animated tutorials! Oh, and the Game Center sucks, we have to redesign it properly.
In short, we had a new-awesome-and-incredible idea every single week. Every time we were under the delusion that it would be easy to add it, every time it was not. We sure took a lot of pleasure in creating the game we wanted, without restriction. The development was painful, every detail triggering rough discussions, but the result is extremely satisfying (from our point of view).
PILE is not a casual game. It is hard, brutal and very challenging. At 1Button, we don't like easy games. To our opinion, a good game must be difficult, especially if it is a puzzle game. For us, it is a way to respect our players.
PILE 1 was actually a commercial failure. So why starting to work on a new version of a game that didn't sell? We were convinced that the concept of PILE could be used better!
We had many new ideas to improve the game: new blocks, new power-ups, new interaction techniques! We also wanted to try the freemium model. It should have kept us busy until the end of summer 2013 — That's all. But it went on for more than 6 months! We had gone too far, we had to continue.
We begun to continuously and intentionally add new features. Why not adding a Missions mode with dozens of handmade puzzles that would extend the replay value? What if an infography was created at the end of each game to show some stats? Wouldn't it be great to provide a shop where one could upgrade his/her favorite power-ups and buy extra ones during a game? With all these new great features, we definitely need animated tutorials! Oh, and the Game Center sucks, we have to redesign it properly.
In short, we had a new-awesome-and-incredible idea every single week. Every time we were under the delusion that it would be easy to add it, every time it was not. We sure took a lot of pleasure in creating the game we wanted, without restriction. The development was painful, every detail triggering rough discussions, but the result is extremely satisfying (from our point of view).
PILE is not a casual game. It is hard, brutal and very challenging. At 1Button, we don't like easy games. To our opinion, a good game must be difficult, especially if it is a puzzle game. For us, it is a way to respect our players.
March 22, 2014