Strike Suit Zero – Kickstarter, Oculus Rift and Ni No Kuni
Strike Suit Zero launched to polarising critical reception at the end of January, but Ben Smith, Community Manager at Born Ready Games, explains how they’re taking it as a positive.
Write Trigger: A genre that’s not had a lot of love in recent years is space combat, but that seems to be slowly changing. With me on the line today is Ben Smith, Community Manager at Born Ready Games, and we’re talking about Strike Suit Zero. So, Ben, how have you been?
Ben Smith: I’ve not been bad. The game launched a couple of weeks back and it’s been pretty hectic here at the studio, but we’re in a bit of a lull now where we can gather our thoughts and work out what’s happening next.
WT: The game launched two weeks ago on the PC. How’s it gone so far?
BS: It’s been really good. As you said, it’s a genre that’s not seen much representation in recent years, so there’s a small army of people who are just so vocal and enthusiastic, and really into the game. There’s been a lot of chatter, a lot of great forum threads and people talking about the game, working out how best to complete missions and what strategies to use. The reaction overall has been very good, which we’ve been really pleased with. Some of the reviews were quite polarising; a lot of people found it too difficult, but we were always up for making a game that was for space combat fans, and these guys are a notoriously hardy bunch. We’re appealing to them, and they’re the people who seem to be enjoying it; they’re loving it at the moment. It’s been a good launch.
WT: You mentioned the small army of gamers who’ve been crying out for some space combat action, but what about the guys and girls who haven’t heard of Strike Suit Zero? What kind of influences are you drawing from?
BS: The kind of games we’re inspired by here are things like Wing Commander, Free Space, Freelancer, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter – all the space combat games of yesteryear. What we wanted to do was modernise that slightly; we’ve got some really striking visuals there, but in terms of the gameplay, we really brought that up to a modern pace with the Strike Suit itself. It’s a space combat game; you’re flying around in a ship, but at the touch of a button, you can transform into the strike suit, which is a mech.
The strike suit really changes the core dynamic of dogfighting; you can turn a hundred-and-eighty degrees in an instant and it makes the pace of combat a lot quicker.
That really changes the core dynamic of dogfighting; in previous space combat games, you’d have to spend a long time doing something which we call jousting. That’s where you end up flying back-and-forth past an enemy, trying to take them down. With the strike suit, you can dash about, turn a hundred-and-eighty degrees in an instant and it makes the pace of combat a lot quicker. We feel that we’ve really brought the combat up to speed and made it relevant to today’s audiences.
WT: The polarising reviews – how much of that do you think is down to the difficulty of the game?
BS: It’s the number one thing that’s focused on in these negative reviews. As far as I’m concerned, perhaps that’s just because the journalist in question just wasn’t familiar with the genre. If you’re not used to it, it can be quite punishing, and that’s fair enough; I don’t blame people for finding it hard, but you’ve got to be in the right mindset for it. You’ve got to know the strengths and weaknesses of the suit, know when’s best to use it and how to get the most out of it. I think [the difficulty] is perhaps the number one reason why people didn’t get on with it, but on the flipside, a lot of people have enjoyed that very thing.
If we just had sixes and sevens across the board, it’d be pretty dull; you’d go unnoticed.
The thing that some people hate about it is actually what another subset of people really love about it. For me, it’s really interesting reading the reviews and seeing that same thing divide people down the middle. I think it’s a good thing in many ways; if we launched and we just had sixes and sevens across the board, it’d be pretty dull; you’d go unnoticed. The fact that we’ve had everything from nines and five-stars, right down to a three from one publication, the fact that there’s such polarising opinion inspires debate and really gets people talking about the game, which, as far as I’m concerned, is only a good thing.
WT: A large talking point about the game was definitely the soundtrack by Paul Ruskay. How did you get him on board? I heard one of you guys just sent him a message on Facebook. Is that right?
BS: That’s pretty much how it happened, yeah. The guys here are big Homeworld fans, and Paul Ruskay to them is a known name and a known figure. I’m pretty sure one of the guys here just dropped him a line on Facebook, explained the project and what we were looking to do, and he liked the idea, he replied, and he was on board. It was quite a weird conversational approach; there were no meetings or formal routes to him, it was just a casual Facebook message which was quite cool, really.
WT: So, it was quite a hands-off approach and that extended to Paul’s work with Kokia as well; he didn’t ever meet her, did he?
BS: Yeah, it was all done back-and-forth via E-Mail and hearing samples. Paul has nothing but praise for Kokia, and he wants to do similar things in a similar vein in the future. I think those sort of collaborations really work well with his style of music.
The atmosphere, the vibe – it all kind of knitted together as we played and put the soundtracks in. It all just kind of formed around it which is great. I think that’s the way it should happen.
He also collaborated with an Indian group called the MIDIval Punditz, so that eastern vibe really comes across quite strongly. He’s been great to work with and he sounds like a great guy; he’s been nothing but helpful to us. He sounds like a top bloke.
WT: How about Okubo-san? Mr Junji Okubo – how did you get him on board? Did you send him a message on Twitter?
BS: (laughs) No, he actually knows one of our designers, so that was more of a personal thing as far as I know. The way he was brought on board was more organic; it was there from the beginning, He was there from the inception of the idea, right through to today.
WT: The tone of a game can be enhanced or complemented by the score, but do you think that it can actually influence the design of a game? Has hearing Paul’s work throughout the development process actually helped to solidify, or even change, the atmosphere you were going for with Strike Suit Zero?
BS: In terms of the design of the game itself, I doubt it. It’s definitely inspired the way that the visuals, the atmosphere and the general vibe of the game played out. The soundtrack was done quite some time ago, and we’ve had a lot of development time since then, so it can’t not influence the way that the game will eventually fit together.
One of the guys here just dropped Paul Ruskay a line on Facebook, explained the project and what we were looking to do. He liked the idea, he replied, and he was on board.
The atmosphere, the vibe – it all kind of knitted together as we played and put the soundtracks in. It all just kind of formed around it which is great. I think that’s the way it should happen.
WT: Like many indie titles, you guys used Kickstarter, but not in the traditional sense. That is to say that you actually started the campaign midway through development. What was the thinking behind that? What did you hope to achieve with the extra funding?
BS: Essentially, we were in a position as a small studio where we needed to launch the game. Our funding had run out and we needed to launch, but we weren’t quite happy with where the game was and we really wanted to get a few more months’ development time out of it – really polish it, bring it up to speed and really make it as good as it could be. This is our first game as a studio, so we wanted it to be good. So, rather than just surfing it out, we thought “let’s take the game to Kickstarter, see if we can get an extra three months’ development time out of it and just polish it up and make it a great game.” So, that’s exactly what we did, and, as we were saying earlier, because there’s a real lack of space combat games at the moment, fans of the genre really flocked to the project, supported us and got behind the game.
Our funding had run out and we needed to launch, but we weren’t quite happy with where the game was. This is our first game as a studio, so we wanted it to be good.
We secured our funding quite easily, I’d say. I know that might sound a tad immodest, but that’s what happened. We secured funding within just over two weeks. Our target was £100,000 and we hit £174,000, so I think, by all standards, that can be considered a successful campaign. That money allowed us to keep the game in development, and we launched on January 24th, so we got that three months’ development time out of it and we had a beta. This allowed us to incorporate feedback from actual players, actual space combat fans, and really start tweaking the game based on their time with it, so it really was helpful. Kickstarter was helpful in more ways than just extra money; it was a really valuable experience.
WT: As for the Kickstarter model, it provides a unique interaction with the fanbase. Are you a fan of Kickstarter?
BS: Yeah, I think it’s completely turned the industry on its head in the last year; it really has made things interesting. One of the best things about it, for me, is that it opens the doors of a studio. You get to see the people who work on the game. You get access to the project that you’d never normally see. Ten years ago, you wouldn’t have a clue how your games were developed or who was developing them – you just went into a shop and there was the boxed product. Today, you can see who’s making it and how they’re making it; you can influence the very design of the game.
Ten years ago, you wouldn’t have a clue how your games were developed or who was developing them – you just went into a shop and there was the boxed product. Now, you can see who’s making it and how they’re making it.
If you’re vocal enough through Kickstarter, you can actively be involved in the development of the game, which is great. You just wouldn’t have had that before. I’ve got nothing but praise for Kickstarter and crowdfunding in general. I think it’s only going to get bigger and we’re going to see people doing more and more interesting things with it as time goes on.
WT: Gabe Newell came out today and said that that kind of democratised development is something that’s going to be a big focus coming into the next generation, so we should see more of it. As for what you guys are working on next: Oculus Rift. Is that support coming?
BS: It is, yeah. We haven’t got our dev kit just yet; there’s been a delay for everybody with the kits themselves, so we’re having to wait a little bit longer, but I’m so excited about Oculus Rift. I think it’s going to really turn things on its head. I tried it at PAX last year and it was one of the most interesting experiences with a game I’ve ever had. To be able to bring that on board with Strike Suit Zero and use that is going to be really interesting. We’re going to have a separate beta for that at the end of the year, and we’re hoping to release late autumn. Oculus is going to be big.
WT: How are you guys going to implement that? I know you have a first-person view, but there’s currently no cockpit view in Strike Suit Zero. Is that something you’re considering?
Oculus is going to be big. I tried it at PAX last year and it was one of the most interesting experiences with a game I’ve ever had.
BS: Yeah, that’s actually being worked on here as I speak to you. The cockpit’s going in, and obviously for the Oculus version, that’s going to be really important; it’s going to be your interface with the game, it’s going to be how you want to experience it because it needs to be first-person. I can’t talk about how it’s going to play out, mainly because we haven’t got a kit yet, but it’s going to be really interesting from a development perspective to tackle these interesting new problems.
WT: The release date for the console versions is still TBA 2013. Are the console versions something you’re working on actively right now?
BS: We’re going to be talking more about the console versions shortly. We haven’t got a date we can reveal just yet, but it’s something that we’re working on.
WT: And that’s for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, correct?
BS: We can’t talk about exact platforms just yet, but they’re still in the pipeline. It’s still something we’re working on; they haven’t been forgotten.
WT: Was a Wii U version ever on the cards?
BS: We talked about it, but it’s not something we’ve planned for at the moment, unfortunately.
WT: I’d just like to talk about you for a while, if that’s okay. For those who don’t know, Ben used to be a journalist for VideoGamer.com. You attended PAX, TGS and CES, is that correct?
BS: Yeah, in my first year at VideoGamer, I got to do the big three – E3, Gamescom and TGS.
WT: Attending a conference as a journalist versus attending as an exhibitor – which do you prefer?
BS: As an exhibitor, it’s a lot more physically gruelling, mainly because we’re a small studio. I’ve got to set up the booth and stand there all day, talk people through the game, and it’s a lot more physically demanding. As a journalist, you do a lot of walking around, and there’s a lot more writing. You get privileges that you might not get as an exhibitor, but I think it’s more rewarding as an exhibitor. We took Strike Suit Zero to Rezzed in June of last year, and that was the first time the game had really ever been seen. To see people go hands-on with your game that only 10 people from your studio had played before, it’s really rewarding. So, there are pros and cons to both sides, but I prefer the exhibitor side, I’d have to say.
To see people go hands-on with your game that only 10 people from your studio had played before, it’s really rewarding.
WT: After you left VideoGamer, you joined Born Ready Games – or what was known as doublesix at the time – as community manager. Do you think your time spent as a journalist helped you in your role?
BS: Absolutely. You need to know about the press side of things. I played a big hand in the PR and marketing side of things as well, so that kind of information is really important to know. I’d like to think that was part of the reason I was brought on board in the first place.
WT: Aside from Strike Suit Zero, what kind of games are you playing at the moment?
BS: I’m pretty knee-deep in Ni No Kuni at the moment.
WT: Oh, so you finally got a copy then?
BS: Yeah, not just one; two. Two copies (laughs). I went to our local GAME here in Guildford. There’s the Wizard Edition and the Standard Edition. The Wizard Edition has been the hardest thing to get hold of; they didn’t predict how big this was gonna be. They’re like gold dust now. They had one in at the Guildford store which a member of staff had managed to get his hands on. It retails for £70, and I offered him £120. He was having none of it, so I had to stick to the standard edition.
I’m pretty knee-deep in Ni No Kuni at the moment. It’s one of the best-looking games I’ve ever played.
When I got back, I found out that Play had six in stock, so I snapped one up and now I’ve got two copies. Generally speaking, JRPGs are my bag, so Ni No Kuni’s been a long time coming, for me. I’m a big fan of Studio Ghibli, so it’s great. It’s just one of the most charming, comical…it just looks incredible; it’s one of the best-looking games I’ve ever played.
WT: Okay Ben, enjoy Ni No Kuni.
BS: I shall.
WT: Thank you very much for talking to us today, and good luck with the console launch.
BS: Thank you very much.
About the Author
Rory Cocker | Founder Rory founded Write Trigger in 2012 as a place to post his musings. Shortly after the launch, he landed a writing position at Nintendo World Report. A month later, Rory snagged his first paid position as the Video Features Editor at Nintendo Life, where he continues to ply his trade.
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