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Our Around the World in 80 Games spotlight series is all about seeking out Xbox LIVE Indie Game developers from all around the world!
For our first installment of the series we spoke with Camille Guermonprez about what game development is like for his team at Arkedo Studio in Paris, France.
Where are you and your team from?
Arkedo comes from Paris, France. It's a nice city, especially during Christmas.
What languages do you speak?
French, English, and German mainly. [Some of us know a] bit of Spanish.
How popular are video games and video game development in France?
Very popular! France has been an important market for videogames for the last 25 years.
The creative output of the country is also nothing to be ashamed of, with some great titles and famous studios coming from here. Not to mention Ubisoft today.
Lots of people are playing lots of different videogames in France. It is very popular.
What are some challenges that you face that are unique to France? What are some perks?
Starting a company is always a difficut thing to do in France. But I reckon that the process has been simplified a lot through the years (it is my second studio, and founding Arkedo was much MUCH easier than what I had to go through seven years before this). I do not see a lot of challenges unique to our area... Ok, maybe too many good looking girls, and very tempting food, so we may eat too much! Life could be worse!
To be serious a second, I believe the challenges game studios are facing are global, not local. We share a common culture.
Could you describe Arkedo's games for anyone who hasn’t seen or played them, yet?
Arkedo games are always simple, but with a twist. We started on the [Nintendo] DS four years ago with Nervous Brickdown (which was our take on the Breakout/Arkanoid genre) and Big Bang Mini (where we did the same thing with shmups).
Our Arkedo Series are an experiment we are making. [We] release a game a month, so we can try various game types, and have a maximum of fun while making them.
Our first game is Arkedo JUMP! It's a 2D platformer where you... jump. But wait, there's more!
Our second is Arkedo SWAP! It's a dual-stick action puzzle where you... swap things (and have fun doing so).
Arkedo Series #03 should be out anyday, or will be out when you read this. There will be HUGE PIXELS in this one. (Editor's note: It is out! It is Arkedo PIXEL!)
One amazing thing with Xbox LIVE Indie Games is how fast you can get your work done, and get your game published on millions of consoles the next day. It is truly amazing to be able to do that today, without any devkit or [professional certification and] approval process. That was what allowed us to try the experiment, by the way. Adding a professional certification and approval process would have doubled or tripled the timing of our games, and the concept would not have worked.
What made you want to make these sorts of games?
The cool thing with the Arkedo Series is that we can go in various directions. We will always stay simple, but there are a lot of game genres that we want to play with. Or maybe even go really experimental in our design, who knows? If the [Arkedo] Series gets some success, we will be able to go a bit further.
What games influenced or inspired your games?
For Arkedo JUMP!, I believe it's part of the game to try and say "Got this one!" Some hints are obvious, some less. I don't want to ruin the fun so I'll stay shush.
What games are you playing now (other than your games!)?
It's funny, because if you look at what Arkedo folks are playing, you basically cover pretty much everything, which is quite normal because we [the studio] are now five [people], and it makes a lot of possibilities to play games. From PCs to consoles (also portable and iPhone), but also old consoles like the SNES or the first GBA. We even had, for a few months, two Street Fighter IV arcade cabinets in the studio, it was really nice to have other studios and friends come and fight on tournaments.
What made you want to use XNA Game Studio to make your games?
How quick we could design games and have people playing them. It was, and still is, amazing. Arkedo JUMP! was done in 40 days. It says a lot about what is given to the devs with the whole XNA [Game Studio and Xbox LIVE Indie Games] environment. I really do not know any comparable place in the industry today, on that aspect.
What other tools/programs do you use to help you make your games?
We ported some of our effects and graphic routines, as we always do. But basically, it was out of the box.
How many people are on your team? Five including me, so I would say four productive and useful people: Aurélien (gfx, production, gd), Eric (code) Maîwenn (code), and Dimitri (code).
How long did it take you to make your games?
40 to 45 days.
Can you walk us through a usual day for you and your team?
There is no usual day. Seriously!
Basically everybody works, some come late and leave late, and suddenly it's a mess with people singing and playing ping pong and yelling. And still you have one guy quietly working in the middle of this, with big headphones. It's a sight to see.
Do you have any ideas, wishes, hopes, and/or dreams for anything XNA Creators Club could do or provide to be even better? Ohhh yes. Please make the first contact, when you enter Xbox LIVE Indie Games [on the Xbox Dashboard], a selection of the most popular games, not the latest [releases]. I believe it would help tremendously those who made an effort on their games. There are a lot of gems: just look at the 20 first popular ones, and you have hours of fun.
What’s next for you?
Well, [Arkedo Series] #03 (editor's note: PIXEL is out now!) and #04, of course!
Want to download these games and check them out yourself? You can do that through the Xbox LIVE Indie Games channel on Xbox.com or through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace on your Xbox 360!
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