Ondrej Holzman That the connection between Karel Čapek and modern games for mobile devices doesn't make sense to you? The developer studio Fun 2 Robots had a completely different opinion, where they decided to create their new game based on the motifs of one of Čapek's dramas. Future Factory (Future Factory in Czech) is supposed to be an action shooter based on the world-famous work of RUR, and Fun 2 Robots has a clear goal: to bring the gaming experience from consoles to mobile devices.
We say the goal they have, because the game is still in development and, above all, crowdfunding is at its peak these days campaign on the Startovač.cz portal, where the developers want to collect 90 crowns, and they only have to collect a little over 10 before the goal is met. It is on the Starter that you can find exhaustive information about the game Future Factory, which is supposed to be part RPG and part shooter, combining fast-paced action with rogue-like elements, but we were interested in a little more, so we asked the head of Fun 2 about the big Czechoslovak game project Robots by Vladimir Geršl.
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There is less than a week left until the end of your campaign. At Startovač.cz we can find exhaustive information about the Future Factory game, which will tell us everything important. However, try to briefly outline what is essential about your project and why people should support it in the last days.
It is the world's first game of its kind for mobile devices: a rogue-like action 3D shooter. We're trying to bring a level of tuning and experience to mobile games closer to what we've done before: big console games.
Creating a play based on the inspiration of Čapek's famous drama RUR is certainly a bold move. What is the real impact of RUR on Future Factory? Do you intend to promote the game through Čapko's person, or did his work primarily serve to create the storyline?
Today and every day we can see a bunch of games with an uninteresting setting and story. At the same time, there is so much inspiration around us, so many interesting topics that can move the game forward. This is what, for example, Bastion or Bioshock did. And that's what we want to do too! Why create a game in uninteresting settings, when we have the opportunity to draw from Čapek, for example. Yes, we are not creating a story RPG or an adventure where Čapek himself could get more space. Even so, we believe that the atmosphere of his works, retro sci-fi styling, but also a critical view of the world is something that gives Future Factory another interesting dimension.
With Future Factory you are heading to the world. Why did you choose the Czech Starter for the crowdfunding campaign and not, for example, go to Kickstarter, where you could have been inspired by the huge success of Kingdom Come?
We are going global, but we want to build a domestic audience first. We like the Czech and Slovak environment and know that there are people here who can give very good critical feedback and at the same time support the project until the end. A Kickstarter campaign could bring us about ten times the amount, but its preparation and execution are significantly more demanding in terms of time and resources and would basically stop the production of the game for several months. Maybe we will reach for it sometime in the future (and thanks to the experience from the Starter we will have a higher chance of success), but for now the home environment was a better choice for us.
What is unusual about Future Factory is that it will be released first for Windows Phone, where it will have a three-month exclusivity thanks to a grant from Microsoft. Did you plan to develop for this platform as well from the beginning, or did you start focusing on Windows Phone only after the grant was awarded?
When we founded the company with a few people who have been in the game industry for a hundred years :-), we were clear about what we wanted: an efficient, flexible team full of professionals. And that flexibility also means focusing your efforts in the right direction during development and not being afraid to grab a new opportunity when it comes. So when I saw the possibility of a Microsoft grant, I was quite clear. It's a chance for us to get some of the missing money, and at the same time, it's an uncrowded market where it's easier to establish ourselves. When Microsoft still promised us a worldwide promo, there wasn't much to deal with.
At Jablíčkára, we are mainly interested in the iOS version. Will it be possible to play Future Factory on both iPhone and iPad?
Of course - we already have some iOS devices in the company and we plan to fine-tune our version as much as possible for iPhone and iPad. Both platforms will have slightly different controls and a few little things that improve the big/small screen experience.
If you fail to raise your goal on the Launcher, will a grant from Microsoft be enough to cover the costs of producing the iOS and Android versions, or is the Future Factory for iPhones and iPads in jeopardy at that point?
Fortunately, the Czech gaming e-shop Key4You has now contributed a very substantial amount to us, so we believe that the remaining amount will already be collected. It hasn't been won yet, but there are definitely a lot of people here who are considering backing. And I have a request for them: don't wait and support us now! If more money is collected, we have other interesting things for you that we will finish in Future Factory (multiplayer, separate soundtrack, etc.).
We are pleased that there are companies and individuals who support the Czech-Slovak gaming scene, and at the same time we take it as a commitment. We'll do everything we can to make sure you play a well-tuned, fun game that's top-notch even on a global scale!
If the game Future Factory appealed to you, you can support at Startovač.cz.
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