What is Overworld Labs?
Overworld Labs is, at least for the time being, a one-man game development operation. My tool of choice for this task is Flash, both for its ease of use and unparalleled distribution model. This is despite the fact that I've never really liked Flash games. Before I got into development myself, I saw Flash as nothing but a noisy, unfiltered wasteland of the games industry, a jungle of amateurish distractions built by hobbyists.
But things are beginning to change. Flash itself has gotten better, and new services in the Flash world are making new business models possible. More money is coming into Flash games, which is not always a positive, but will ultimately lead to better games.
And my role in this new world? Like I said, I haven't been a big fan of Flash games. What I do like are games with depth: a sense of progress, discovery, challenge, and a need to think once in a while. All of these are not frequently found on Flash portals.
My ideal gaming experience lies somewhere in between adrenaline-pumping action and cerebral strategizing. A healthy dose of both, plus the varied elements that create depth, is the ultimate goal. To achieve all this inevitably requires fairly sizable games, and I am but a single man, so I may not always achieve perfection. And with the many ideas I'd like to see realized, my goal is to spend no more than 3-4 months on a single project. Not an easy task, but there is at least a rather remarkable efficiency in working alone. In my projects thus far I have achieved more on my own than I ever did in school with teams of five or six.
But that is not to say that Overworld Labs will forever be a one man team. While I like to think I'm at least capable in all aspects of game development, I haven't quite managed to master all the skills involved. Once it becomes viable to do so, I may hand over some responsibilities to people with more focused talents.
Information on upcoming projects can be found on my blog, for anyone who may be interested.
- Sam Raski / Feb 20, 2010
Contact Info:
E-mail: admin at overworldlabs.com
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=35905235&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro