This is a deliberation on perfection, and whether it has a place in what our game studio hopes to achieve.
When I see glossy new trailers, showcasing insane draw distances, photo realistic graphics, awe-inspiring moments rendered in 8K fidelity, it can be daunting. It can make me downright sad; it’s easy to look at those well-manicured assets and think “wow, we’ll never compete with that.”
In the face of multi-million dollar productions, it seems self-evident that we'll fall shy of the detail levels, content variety, and hyper-realized graphics showcased on the massive screens powered by the deep pockets of AAA publishers and 1st parties during each major press event.
I watch, transfixed, and without fail, a brief moment of doubt occurs in which my imposter syndrome informs me that we are hopelessly outgunned and out-manned, and then poses the question: "What could possibly be the point of continuing down this path?"
And that's when I lead my imposter syndrome over to a nice comfy chair, sit down across from it, and gently remind it that the point is we have a different kind of answer to what gamers are looking for. The point is we have the wherewithal to lean into artistry, and emotion, and unique solutions to improperly-solved problems.
When conceiving the studio, I set out to approach game development differently, to remove geographic limitations, respect time with family, ensure allowances for additional artistic pursuits, and promote a focus on creative collaboration across disciplines.
The goal was to create a team that could achieve something unlikely, something fresh and new and beautiful. By coupling light action with heavy narrative, we would blend organic fun with meaningful metaphor.
Today, AI gives us a timely topic within a timeless story about family connections. By overcoming seemingly impossible odds through a combination of intuition and empathy, Teddy comes to better understand who he is within the context of both his family and life situation. And that self-realization makes him a fitting and humble hero for our era.
Story drives our production, and it’s always been at the heart of our prototyping process. We want meaningful moments embedded with fun. And while we aim to achieve beauty, we aren’t interested in winning the visual arms race or chasing arbitrary trends. This story was conceived outside of that context 5 years ago, and we work hard to respect and sustain its purity.
Because of our unique approach, Always in Mind is as much an emotional plea as a commercial one, conceived to connect with like-minded consumers who wish to join us on this unorthodox game development journey.
If that's you, come help us build a game world that has impact, a game that not only stands out in the indie space, but also resonates with gamers and non-gamers alike through its positive themes, memorable characters, and unbelievable setting.
Our superpower is purpose; building experiences that connect with our players, inspiring empathy in a world where boundless fun is coupled with meaningful actions. We are on the cusp of achieving these goals. And with the support of fun-loving story-savvy gamers everywhere, our success is... inevitable.
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