I have really been enjoying the game Parallel Mafia and Parallel Kingdom, so I decided to reach out to PerBlue and learn more about the company and the games. Check out my article over at DroidGamers.
Q. Tell us a little about your company?
A. PerBlue is a mobile and social gaming software company based in Madison, WI. We are a young and energetic team of engineers, artists, designers, and marketers founded in 2008 by students from the University of Wisconsin. Today we are a team of 36, fueled with the passion to build great products and entertain countless people. We endeavor to change the world by introducing a new genre of mobile gaming.
Q. How did you come up with the idea of doing GSP based mobile games?
A. The dream for our product, Parallel Kingdom (PK), started really simply. My co-founder Andrew Hanson and I were bored with homework one night around 4 am, so we decided to take a break and start on a totally new project. We wanted to make a game with four goals in mind: the game would be played on the phone, it had to be fun, it had to make money, and just for kicks, it would use the phone’s GPS. The iPhone had been released a few months earlier, and the Android was just announced, so we wanted to take advantage of this new technology and gaming platform.
Q. For someone new, like me, which of your games would you start with?
A. I would suggest starting with Parallel Mafia. The game launched earlier this month, and the world on the in-game map still relatively unclaimed. Parallel Mafia players are still learning the ins and outs of the game, and are busy establishing their Mafias. Overall, players are all in a similar place on the learning curve, and are willing to help new players with their questions.
Q. With PK, you can access the game via iOS, Android or the web. Can I play my account via the web if I created it on the phone and vise versa? It tried and it did not seem to work.
A. Parallel Kingdom for Web and mobile are completely separate worlds. Players will have to create an entirely new account to play on the Web. We made the decision to split the game servers for many different reasons, but mostly to protect our existing mobile players and to prevent hacking.
Q. What future plans for Parallel Mafia are there? Are you planning to having a web interface, mentors, etc like PK?
A. Right now we are in ‘bug fix’ mode, we’re busy making the game as seamless and polished as possible. Similar to Parallel Kingdom, we’ll be doing weekly updates in Parallel Mafia, with new in-game items and tweaks in mechanics. Hopefully down the road we’ll have the bandwidth to create an in-game mentoring system, as it works really well in Parallel Kingdom and contributes to better player conversion and retention.
Q. The platinum account- what does that do/good for? Do you need one for each game?
A. Platinum is a in-game resource earnable exclusively to those who are Platinum Members. First time Platinum purchasers will receive 100 Platinum, and then 10 Platinum per day after that. Platinum can be used to create a number of equipable items, discounts, and other features. Platinum members can create various leg and arm augments that speed up gameplay activities, or provide additional bonuses. It can also be used to modify weapons and armor. Right now Platinum subscriptions do not cross titles, you will need to purchase a subscription in each game.
Q. Any other games in the pipeline?
A. We have really found our niche in deep, location-based games, so you can expect another title along these same lines from us this later year. I wish I could disclose more, but you’ll have to wait for more details.
Q. Where do you see mobile gaming going in the next few years?
A. Smartphone adoption rates among mobile subscribers in the US is expected to reach 60% in 2012. This is a huge opportunity for current and emerging game developers, I’m positive that the space is going to continue to grow and mature. While the mass market loves playing casuals games like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, we are focused on creating deep and immersive games that keep players entertained for months, even years!
Thanks to Justin Beck from PerBlue for taking the time to answer some questions. Am looking forward to growing my mafia! If you play and want to join me, use my referral code: hpnqpo
