Here we are, back with yet another exciting Developer Spotlight! Today we are taking a moment to shine the spotlight on 2 Minute Football by igamebank. Before we start we would like to thank Bob from igamebank for collaborating with us and for taking the time to talk with us about 2 Minute Football! 😃
Thanks Bob! Let’s get started!
*Some answers have been edited for clarity.
/// Thank you for taking part in our latest Developer Spotlight! Before we start talking about 2 Minute Football, could you please start by telling us a little about yourself and why you are making games?
Sure, I’m a husband, father, musician, and creator of all sorts of things.
I grew up in the age of arcade machines and early consoles, the thought of making games seemed like magic to me back then. So when I realized that the tools I was using could be used to make games for the browser I was hooked.
I love making games because there’s nothing like creating something from the ground up, out of thin air. Bringing these things to life still feels like a little bit of magic after all these years, and that’s why I keep building games.
/// Moving on to 2 Minute Football, in a nutshell, what is this new game all about?
2 Minute Football is all about boiling down the most rewarding aspects of football into a quick, simple, and fun game you can play anytime, anywhere.
2MF features offense-only gameplay where you must score as many touchdowns in two minutes as possible. Your score is based not only on the number of touchdowns, but things like consecutive catches, first downs, yards after catch, and hail mary completions.
In addition, 2MF also allows users to play against their friends online. 😄
/// Every game has a backstory, and we would love to know the story behind 2 Minute Football! Why did you choose to make this game?
Well, 2MF actually has quite a long history. I built the first 2D version of this game back in 1998.
It was one of the first browser-based football games back in the late ’90s. I continued to develop new versions until plug-in technology was no longer supported in the browser. 2MF was played hundreds of millions of times during the 14 years it was available on the web. I built this game because it was always one of my favorites, and I wanted to be able to bring it back to life for a new audience.
/// Are there any funny or exciting episodes from the development phase of 2 Minute Football that you can share with us?
From the early days, one of the fun things was seeing users discover bugs or different ways to play the game that you never think of as a developer. Some of those videos are still up on YouTube.
In terms of the current development, the thing that has been a lot of fun is watching the competition between friends and family. My wife loves football and loves to compete, so hearing her talk smack and have so much fun with the game has been great.
/// Where from here? Is there anything you would like to add to 2 Minute Football in the future, or perhaps even a new game on the horizon?
Well, I had to rebuild the entire game from the ground up in Unity, so there are many little details I’d like to work back in. In this version, I’d like to add more defenses to play against.
It’s very likely there will be other variations of the game, this is really just the beginning. There is also a good possibility of a desktop version, which we used to have years back. The game is a lot of fun to play on a computer screen with a mouse as well.
/// Are there any secret developer tips for playing 2 Minute Football you could give our readers?
Sure! Focus on the scoring components listed on the summary screen at the end of the game. Be sure to drag your finger to run after a catch, try to hit the Hail Mary when you can, keep your eye on the clock. There’s more than one way to work towards a good score.
/// A question you would like to ask your future self next time we shine the spotlight your way!
That’s a tough one. I think I’ll be most curious to see what I’m building 10 years from now, both the type of content and for what sort of devices. I think some pretty amazing things are ahead!
Thanks again Bob for participating in our Developer Spotlight, and for taking the time to talk with us about 2 Minute Football! We look forward to talking with you again sometime soon! 😃
Get 2 Minute Football on App Store