Almost every single interaction with the world you can do in Glitch benefits from having friends around, to the point where working independently creates such a drawback as to not make it practically viable. Mine a rock on your lonesome and you’ll get a chunk of ore. Help mine the same rock another player is mining and you will both receive two chunks each. Three players, and you’ll get all get three mineral ores each, and maybe a shiny gem.
Tip: when your president believes great games can only come through personal sacrifice, walk away!
When Tiny Speck Inc. launches the beta version of its first online game next week, it will do so with bulging pockets and a valuation north of $50 million. The company just secured a $10.7 million Series B from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz and Accel Partners, bringing its total venture backing to $17.2 million. Its first game, “Glitch,”is a cross between “World of Warcraft” and “Farmville,” the company says, and combines the whimsy of Dr. Seuss with the nuanced worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Just in case you have dollar signs in your eyes right now.
I’m the map,” the producer says. “I can’t create the treasure—I’ll just lead you to it.
Declared funding [of game companies] amounted to $1.89bn, up 130% on 2009’s total of $819m.
Typically, the Facebook games are built with $100,000 to $300,000 budgets over four weeks to 12 weeks with a team of 10 or so people.
