Check out this exclusive Q & A with Backflip Studios Co-Founder Tom Blind, who was also the lead developer behind the company’s new “Evil Dead” game on the I-Pod and I-Phone.
Learn all about this blossoming company and hot new title below.
Review Fix: What made you guys develop a game on a cult movie?
Tom Blind: All of us here at Backflip are avid fans of Army of Darkness, so when the opportunity was presented to make a game based on an MGM IP, we jumped at the chance to develop the official game for the movie. We knew we could easily combine our experience and talent as mobile game developers with our love of the classic film and create something that would truly appease our fellow diehard fans.
Review Fix: For those who have not played the game, what is it like? Is it comparable to anything else out there?
Blind:Army of Darkness: Defense is what we like to call a tug-of-war, casual defense game. Similar to tower and castle defense games, the main goal is to use resources to defend your territory. Waves of enemies will enter the battlefield, and it is up to the player to suppress and defeat them before they reach the interior.
One key difference in AoDD from the other games in the genre is that the player controls the main character, Ash, directly, as well as summoning troops and other defenses. The player can make use of a variety of Ash’s special abilities, including his signature ‘Boomstick’, to defeat enemies while waiting for his summoned allies to arrive.
Review Fix: What was your mindset while making this game, your inspiration?
Blind:Our main goal in making Army of Darkness: Defense was to create a game that would please both the devoted fans of the movie, as well as casual iPhone gamers who may have not even heard of it. To appease the fans, we knew we had to focus the game on Ash and his many hilarious one-liners from the movie. The true appeal of the film was the campy humor and we needed to make sure that same feeling transitioned into the game. But we also had to make sure that the game was fun, even if the player was not familiar with any of the references. It was a tall order for us, but I’m happy to report that the player’s responses have been overwhelmingly positive.
Review Fix: What do you think will be the major selling point for this title?
Blind:Well, being based on one of the most recognizable B-side cult classic movies certainly doesn’t hurt. Of course, a name alone does not make a great product. Alongside creating a deep gameplay experience, we put an enormous amount of effort into infusing the game with as much of the silly, yet witty humor that made the original movie famous. Being able to utilize the seemingly never-ending plethora of memorable, hysterical quotes was huge in this regard. Playing the game will surely bring back fond memories of all the unforgettable moments from the film.
Review Fix: What is your favorite part of the game?
Blind:One of my personal favorite elements of the game is the massive variety of strategies that can be used. Often times during development there would be huge debates over what the best strategy to win was. Some of the developers here would insist that they had come up with the perfect combination of troops and abilities, only to be shown a completely different, yet effective, technique by someone else. The game really allows for the player to choose their own style and play their own way.
Review Fix: If you could change anything about the title, what would it be and why?
Blind:One element that I think we would have liked to have seen in the game was more variety in the scenery. The entire game takes place in the same castle location. Unfortunately, time did not allow for more scenes and visual differences between the waves, and we wanted to focus our efforts on making sure the gameplay was fun. We hope that this is something we will add to the game in future free updates.
Review Fix: Are you surprised at all about the success of the game?
Blind:A lot of love, dedication, and hard work went into this title. So, of course we all hoped it would do very well. While Backflip does have a very strong track record of getting its titles into the top ranks, I think there may have been some doubt due to the fact that the game is based on a cult-classic movie, which not everyone is familiar with. So there was a bit of surprise when we realized just how many fans of the movie were really out there. We are also pleased to see very positive feedback from those who have not watched the film, yet still enjoyed the game.
Review Fix: Did Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell or anyone involved with the film have anything to do with this project?
Blind:While we did not have the good fortune of working with either Sam Raimi or Bruce Campbell directly, we had an incredible amount of help and support from the folks at MGM. They were very supportive of the project every step of the way by helping us secure all of the assets we needed for development, providing excellent feedback on the game, and aiding in promotion on a number of fronts. The game would definitely not have been possible without their assistance.
Review Fix: For those who have never heard of Backflip Studios, tell us what you guys are all about.
Blind:Backflip Studios is small game company based out of Boulder, CO. After starting in April of 2009, we have released a number of hit titles on iOS and Android including Paper Toss, NinJump, Ragdoll Blaster, and Strike Knight. We are pleased to announce that we have just recently reached 100 million downloads of our products across all platforms. We have been growing rapidly over the last two years and hope to continue doing so while always providing high quality gaming experiences to the ever-expanding mobile audience.
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