Here we are, back with another developer interview! This time with Flow Inc. the creator of Star Shoot VS. Before we start we’d like to thank the Flow Inc. Team for participating in our interview and for answering all of our geeky questions! Thanks!
*Some answers have been edited for clarity.
/// Thanks for taking the time to talk to us about Star Shoot VS! Could you kick-start this interview by telling us a little about your studio, yourself, and what drew you into the gaming industry?
Since I was a student, I’ve been making games using software such as “RPG Maker” as a hobby. However, I didn’t choose a video game company as my place of employment, I joined a web company. One of my colleagues I work with is named Tack and is who I’m developing with. Tack and I made this game together as well as the previous puzzle game we published called Favo!
/// Ok, let’s start talking about Star Shoot VS. What are the highlights of your latest game?
I think competitive shooting is quite new …what do you think? The rules and controls are very simple, but I think it’s a game with a lot of depth and tactics that you can enjoy.
/// What was the core idea or inspiration behind Star Shoot VS? And perhaps more importantly, where do you find inspiration for your games in general?
We were thinking about making a game that could be played by two people on a shared smartphone, and Tack created a simple prototype of what is now a prototype of a face-to-face shooting game using a tool called Processing.
At that point, there was already a hint of fun in it, so we went through a lot of trial and error from there until we settled on the rules we have now. Inspiration… I feel like I often get a good spark when I’m in a daze, like when I’m in the bathroom or in the shower.
/// How long was Star Shoot VS in development for? And are there any interesting and/or exciting moments or experiences you would like to share with us from that time?
It took us four months to release the beta version on Google Play, and then six months to release it as the production version. I remember being very impressed when we launched the beta version and were matched with users we didn’t know for the first time. 😃
/// What software, developer-tools, or black-magic(?) did you use when making Star Shoot VS? Is there anything you would like to share with the developers who read Edamame Reviews?
Development is done in Unity. The network uses a service called Photon. It’s our first time developing a synchronous network game, so we’ve created a community site and taken surveys, and we’ve been listening to our users to come up with updates.
If you would like to join our community on reddit and help make Shoot VS better, that would be awesome!
/// Is there any secret “developer-advice” you can give our lucky players who read this interview?
We are planning to revamp the rate system soon, but when we move to the new system, we are thinking of doing something good for those who have a certain amount of high rates. I hope that this is the right time to start.
/// What can we expect to see in Star Shoot VS or from flow Inc. in the not so distant future? What do we have to look forward to next?
Star Shoot VS will be updated more and more, so please look forward to it. We also have a game that we’ve been working on for about two years in secret, and I’m sure we’ll be able to release more information soon, so I hope you’ll look forward to that as well.
/// Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to our awesome team of Writers, Developers, and Supporters who keep Edamame Reviews up and running?
We are developing a game that can be played by people all over the world. I am so honored to be featured in such a media outlet. Thank you very much.
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