Nimbly Games Interview

And here it is.

NG: When did you first decide that you wanted to transform yourselves from gamers to developers? What made you act on that notion?

Nimbly: We’ve always enjoyed multiplayer games, and as far as I can remember we’ve always wanted to make our own.  My first game was an RPG on a TI-83 graphing calculator (coded during middle school math class).

NG: Would you like to add people to the team, or do you prefer just the two of you?

Nimbly: Yes — we’re working with some talented contractors, but it’d be great to have another full time team member.  Unfortunately it’s tough to balance given the budget constraints of indie development.

NG: How would you describe the video game industry’s attitude towards Indie game developers? Hostile? Hospitable? Welcoming? Do you feel there are plenty of opportunities for people like you?

Nimbly: I feel like the whole range of attitudes is represented — but most of all, apathetic.  For most gamers and mainstream developers, independent games simply don’t show up on their radar.  There are definitely opportunities, but working the press sometimes feels like playing the lottery.

NG: Would you be interested in bring Altitude to home consoles? Would you be interested in developing your future games with consoles in mind?

Nimbly: Yes!  We’ll continue to explore console opportunities in the future, but Altitude is likely to remain PC/Mac/Linux exclusive.

NG: Talking of which, anything you can tell us about what Nimbly Games are planning for the future?

Nimbly: We’ll continue to work on Altitude (working on our 32nd significant patch since launch right now) but I can’t say anything about future projects just yet

NG: What advantages do you feel you have over bigger developers? How about disadvantages?

Nimbly: Intellectual freedom.  It’s nice to develop games that we actually enjoy.  It’s hard to get noticed without the $.

NG: What do you think the key to a good multiplayer experience is? What stops a simple premise from going stale quickly?

Nimbly: Solid, fun, nuanced, well-balanced mechanics.  Real people + interesting choices + room for improvement = longevity (or something like that).

An interesting read for any wannabe Indie developers out there!

Remember, we’ve an ‘Altitude’ give-away tomorrow so join up to be in for a chance to win! If you don’t know about Altitude, read our review.

If you’re craving some more of our patented just-like-Ma-used-to-make home-grown interviews you can check out our recent Q&A with Visceral!

Finally, thanks to Erik Measure and Karl Sabo for taking the time to answer our emails.