Game Dev Tycoon
| Game Dev Tycoon | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Greenheart Games |
| Publisher(s) | Greenheart Games (non-steam) Valve Corporation (Steam) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Windows RT, Mac OS X, Linux |
| Release | December 10, 2012 (non-steam) August 29, 2013 (Steam)[1] |
| Genre(s) | Business simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Game Dev Tycoon is a business simulation video game released on December 10, 2012.[2] In the game, the player creates and publishes video games. Game Dev Tycoon was inspired by Game Dev Story[3] (by Kairosoft), and many critics find substantial similarities between the two games.[4] Game Dev Tycoon was created by Greenheart Games, a company founded in July 2012 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Klug.
Anti-piracy release
The game's developers implemented a unique anti-piracy measure for Game Dev Tycoon. Patrick Klug, founder of Greenheart Games, knowing that the game was likely to be torrented extensively, purposely released a cracked version of the game and uploaded it himself to torrent sites. Gameplay in this version is identical except for one variation, as players progress through the game they receive the following message:
Boss, it seems that while many players play our new game, they steal it by downloading a cracked version rather than buying it legally. If players don’t buy the games they like, we will sooner or later go bankrupt.
— Greenheart Games, Game Dev Tycoon
Eventually players of the cracked version will gradually lose money until they do go bankrupt, as a result of pirates.[5]
Progression
The player starts out in a garage in the early 1980s during the Golden age of arcade video games with no employees, limited money, and limited choices for the first game. New games are created, new options are created, the first game engine is built, the player's game development skills improve. New consoles will also be released, so the player will be able to buy licenses for certain consoles, such as the GS, PlaySystem, mBox, and grPad which represent real life consoles and devices with different names due to trademark regulations. As the player progresses through the game further they have the opportunity to move to new offices and hire staff. An important milestone in the campaign sees the player moving into an office after making $1,000,000. After that further expansion is available, with players given the opportunity to open an R&D lab when reaching certain requirements that host major projects, allowing the player to create consoles, MMO's and Online Game Shops similar to Steam, uPlay, AppStore etc.
Reception
The game has received positive reviews that mostly focus on its value for money and its historical progression through past 30 years of game development history. The International Business Times gave the game a score of 9/10,[6] while it scored 69 on Metacritic.[7]
References
- ^ Game Dev Tycoon arrives on Steam August 29.
- ^ "Game Dev Tycoon Changelog". Greenheart Games. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
- ^ "About Greenheart Games". Greenheart Games. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
- ^ Wilson, Evan. "Game Dev Tycoon Review". Game Freaks 365. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ April 30th, 2013 at 12:54 pm (2013-04-30). "Australian Game Developer Trolls Internet Pirates". Aussie-gamer.com. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Mobile game of the week - Game Dev Tycoon". Retrieved 2013-05-30.
- ^ "Metacritic: Game Dev Tycoon". Retrieved 2013-05-30.