Xbox Live Developer Interview - Ska Studios, makers of Z0MB1ES (on teh phone)

Nosotros continue our Xbox Live Developer Interview series by speaking with James Silva of Ska Studios. James and his partner/fiancée Michelle Juett are currently finishing upward the Windows Telephone-exclusive collection Z0MB1ES (on teh phone). Bring together u.s.a. every bit nosotros hit them upwards for details on that game also as their Xbox 360 brawler, Charlie Murder.

Head by the intermission for the total interview and exclusive Z0MB1ES (on teh phone) screenshots.

Does Ska Studios actually consist of multiple studios or just 1?

1 studio, ii people. We've also recently formed a Charlie Murder subgroup called Team Renegade Radio. The subgroup contains the same two people, but is withal mathematically legit as a subset (only not a strict subset, thanks, Wikipedia).

Studio, studios, any. Ska Studios is named after a musical genre. Has music been a major influence in your lives?

More or less. I was really into ska and punk rock in high school; I'd idolize groups similar The Toasters and The Specials and had a ring that almost played with Catch-22. Ska Studios is as much a nod to downright stupid levels of teenage enthusiasm equally it is about the fast, messy, brawly feel of a alive Streetlight Manifesto show.

That existence said, we… unfortunately [missed a recent] Reel Large Fish show, but nosotros're pretty stoked nigh [getting to see] Journey (non a ska band) [in concert shortly thereafter].

You've published two Xbox Live Arcade games on the Xbox 360 so far: The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai and The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile. How did The Dishwasher go picked up as an XBLA game?

The Dishwasher won the offset Dream Build Play in 2007; I flew out for Gamefest and flew back with an XBLA contract.

Your next XBLA title, Charlie Murder, was originally announced as an Xbox Live Indie Game. How volition the game modify at present that it's an official Xbox Live offering?

Original indie version championship screen

The XBLIG Charlie Murder was basically a never-out-of-graphic symbol homage to 90's coin-op beat-em-ups like The Punisher and X-Men, consummate with 'Insert Coin' mechanic and 'Winners Don't Utilise Drugs' splash screen; it was a impaired beat-em-up totally worth the dollar I was planning on selling it for.

The XBLA Charlie Murder is getting a agglomeration of overhauls and a lot more game. The new fine art really pops: the game looks completely amazing next to the build we demoed at PAX Due east 2 years ago. We've RPG'd it upwardly with stats building, loot drops, tattoo upgrades, and stuff similar that. The boodle and tattoo system lends itself to some pretty cool customizability: you end upwardly feeling like yous're taking your Rock Band band on a raid.

The vanquish-em-upward genre is one of my favorites. Did any past games influence Charlie Murder's development?

Charlie Murder WIP screenshot

My permit'due south-make-games feel that almost sort of worked was in 2001 with Zombie Smashers X, a side-scrolling crush-em-upwardly where a grouping of punk rockers took on a bunch of zombies, vampires and cultists. Information technology was a total homage to River City Ransom, an amazing Nintendo game that combined street brawling, quirky mechanics, and RPG-like progression. I'd like to call information technology the first BallPG.

Anyway, at some point I realized that Charlie Murder, as part of its XBLA-ification, has become to me something of a spiritual successor to Zombie Smashers X. It's basically the culmination of an obsession that started two decades ago. - James

Fun Charlie Murder Fact: the whole band uses Windows Phones. - Michelle

Rad! Speaking of Windows Telephone, let's talk almost Z0MB1ES (on teh phone). How far forth in development is it?

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1

Everything'southward implemented and in place, in that location are just bugs to prepare and technical things that need to be ironed out, and information technology couldn't injure to tweak functioning a tad.

Did you pitch the phone game to Microsoft or did they arroyo y'all?

That part'due south kind of a blur.

Z0MB1ES (on teh phone) contains three separate games: I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1, ENDL3SS Z0MB1ES, and Time Viking . How does ENDL3SS Z0MB1ES differ from I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!i ?

Time Viking

Endless Zombies takes place in a little, infinitely looping labyrinth that has a room-by-room progression similar to that of Smash TV. It's a peachy challenge mode for some twin-stick time killing, but information technology'due south definitely not nearly as epic as I MAED A GAM3.

Gotcha. Time Viking, on the other paw, is a brand new game. How does information technology fit in with the 2 Z0MB1ES titles?

It's sort of the followup to I MAED A GAM3 that I've been wanting to make for a while. Information technology's got the aforementioned epic rock ballad progression as Z0MB1ES just a little (non too much) more polish. The economic logic of Z0MB1ES on teh ph0ne is astonishing: Z0MB1ES on XBLIG was $ane, therefore a $3 game on the phone must have three times as much stuff in information technology or else everyone will hate me. (If only publishers felt this way about iPhone ports. –ed.)

What is Time Viking's premise ? Does the game have an ending?

Fourth dimension Viking is a twin-stick side-scroller where you command a fourth dimension-travelling Viking who uses his telekinetic ability to explode an endless barrage of robot ninjas whose exploded flake in turn helps the Viking build a tower to the moon. Information technology has an catastrophe!

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N Information technology!!!one is famous for its lyrical theme song. Will Fourth dimension Viking get the same treatment?

Time Viking'southward got a vocal. I rap in function of information technology!

Getting back to Z0MB1ES, what is the mysterious Mega Games Creator 2000 feature?

Mega Games Creator is a 100% overstated feature that lets you bandy in photos from your phone over zombies in I MAED A GAM3.

The Dishwasher panel games are fairly challenging overall. How would you compare the difficulty of the titles in Z0MB1ES (on teh telephone)?

They're still on the challenging side. There'south also a challenge inherit to the phone controls; there's only so much you tin can do without a proper gamepad, and it took me awhile before I was able to beat Z0MB1ES again. Still, it'south all just twin-stick shooters. Bespeak your left thumb away from enemies and your right thumb toward them.

What tin can you tell usa near Z0MB1ES (on teh phone)'s Xbox Live Achievements?

The game has twenty achievements for 200 GamerScore, simply I don't call up whatever of them are all that mind-blowing. The toughest ones are for beating I MAED A GAM3 and Time Viking without losing any lives.

The console version of Z0MB1ES supports four-player cooperative play, which obviously isn't possible in Windows Telephone games at the moment. Might y'all add together some on-the-go multiplayer following the Windows Phone Mango update?

No plans currently, though I'd love to play around with multiplayer when Windows Phones kickoff supporting it.

How would you lot compare the evolution of games for Windows Telephone and Xbox 360?

You do have to be a lot more mindful of performance and control on Windows Phone.

Lastly, does Ska Studios take any future plans for Windows Telephone?

I'd really like to make a Charlie Murder tie-in game earlier launch!

A humorous image by Ska Studios, who are actually large Windows Phone fans

…

Thanks for reading! WPCentral will let you lot know as shortly every bit Z0MB1ES (on teh phone) gets a release engagement.

Bonfire Lit 🔥

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/xbox-live-developer-interview-ska-studios-makers-z0mb1es-teh-phone

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