The idea was sparked by a playground encounter back in Grade 2, and ever since, I've been plotting revenge in the form of creative arcade action animation!
(PRWEB) August 14, 2013
Taprr, an independent app studio based in Australia, revealed they are expanding to video games with the anti-bullying, action-packed game, Sumoboy. Taprr, an independent app studio based in Australia, revealed they are expanding to video games with the anti-bullying, action-packed game, Sumoboy.
Founder Chris Laurent, featured in the quirky campaign video, stated that Taprr started out making business applications, “Scanify,” and soon-to-be released social business app “Marveled.” They have always wanted to make the significant step towards being a diverse multi-vertical developer, so they are now putting their talented hands on game development. The first game in the series is titled “Heart of Kung Fu” and has been launched on a popular crowd-funding site Indiegogo this week.
See Sumoboy on Indiegogo. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sumoboy-heart-of-kung-fu
The Sumoboy game is aimed to be fun and uplifting, touching base on issues such as Bullying, which is a much-talked about topic globally. The game studio has a strong stance against bullying with its efforts to infuse the subject within its initial game app project.
In fact, Sumoboy is inspired by a true to life story of bullying, reminiscent to the founder’s experiences in his schooldays.
“The idea was sparked by a playground encounter back in Grade 2, and ever since, I've been plotting revenge in the form of creative arcade action animation!” - Laurent
Sumoboy encourages the ability to disconnect the mind from the effects that bullies can bring to one’s life, that is having the strength to be courageous when being put down and calling upon an up raise to achieve the unbelievable.
“To us that’s what gaming is about, telling an unbelievable story in a fun and positive way.” – Laurent
According to Taprr, they tirelessly spent over 10 months crafting a likeable character and anticipating how he will connect with players and the storyboard. During development Laurent and company focused on these questions: What does the hero stand for? What’s his history? Why will people play and hopefully stay playing?
“We made sure we answered these questions with a story, which everyone could relate to, and that’s Sumoboy. Sumoboy should be seen as symbol of courage against struggle -- what the unlikeliest of people can achieve.”
Sumoboy is kick-ass! However he remains polite to everyone he encounters, even his enemies. He is an underdog in a unique way, yet everyone should be able to relate to his personality.
So how about the action part? Sumoboy’s objective is to bring the Princess home and rid the land of evil. To achieve this, the player must help Sumoboy develop his skills through each level and collect the four elements of earth – Earth, Water, Wind and Fire. The gamer must collect the elements at crucial moments during the game and use them at the right stages to defeat The Darkness.
Game play will be fast and jam-packed with heaps of Kung Fu and Sumo fighting moves. Along the way there are heaps of Villains, as well as Zombie Bullies to get your hands on – not to mention the relentless and ruthless Bosses to battle head-to-head.
“We are looking for the addictive ‘one more time’ play effect.”
Visually, this game will also make fans of Kung-fu movies and characters nostalgic with Taprr’s choice of location and era. Sumoboy has been designed to emulate ancient Japan, which is demonstrated with paint-styled background art work inspired by the 80s.
To learn more about Sumoboy, see it on Indiegogo - http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sumoboy-heart-of-kung-fu
As part of Taprr’s strategy, they partnered with quality producers to ensure they deliver a high end game. One of those partners is an award-winning developer who has worked on titles such as “Up-In-Flames” for gaming giant, Chillingo a division of the video game company Electronic Arts.
With “Heart of Kung Fu,” 90% of the pre-development work is complete. Taprr’s designers are now working hard on concepts for Sumoboy’s second game “Beyond The Forbidden,” bringing on a graduate of The Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE), Aaron Attard as lead designer. Attard’s talented skills are evident in his work on Labyrinth a first person survival horror game, an AIE project that went viral on YouTube.
Taprr decided to look towards crowd funding because it’s a great way to have supporters and gamers directly involved in bringing a game like “Sumoboy” to life. It allows Taprr to give people the game play experience they really want and in return they are rewarded with exclusive perks, such as being in the game and limited-edition merchandise.
“Sumoboy” will be released free to consumers across iOS and Android devices later this year. Taprr will begin production on PC and Mac versions possibly via gaming platform ‘Steam’ if they are successful with the supporters from the Indiegogo campaign. With Sumoboy’s anti-bullying theme fused with action-packed adventures, the game could attract a good following and supporters.
With any game, it’s important to tailor to your target market; a lot of factors can affect the success of entering the game industry. The secret to creating an unforgettable game experience is a combination of fun game play, quality design and emotional connection with the gamer. The gaming psychologies behind these factors need to be perfect to create an addictive game play.
Generating more revenue than music, movies and television, the gaming sector is a $67 billion industry. There are many opportunities present in this market, if you are planning to make games that really connect with people, you’re not too late. It looks like Tappr is making its move (and rightly so) with the first of Sumoboy installments.
If you want to be a part of the project, go to:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sumoboy-heart-of-kung-fu