DoctorEldritch
Last month, @CandelaSynth had the pleasure of chatting with Javier Ramello, one of the founders of Herobeat studios, responsible for the magnificent game ENDLING, which recently won a BAFTA award. Below is a series of questions and answers about their story, the creative process, the search for funding, and, in short, a first-person account of the joys and tribulations of indie game development.
Q: Where did the inspiration for Endling come from?
A: The storyline of Endling stems from personal concerns about the state of the world today: global warming, the destruction of entire ecosystems, irresponsible waste management... We wanted to present a plausible future as a warning. That's why we took a fox as the main character, because we didn't want it to do "magical" things. Why a fox? It's an urban animal, and if you look at all the animals in Endling, they are all urban. Foxes are very versatile, they are in the middle of the food chain - they are both hunters and prey and in many cities they feed on carrion - and one of our goals was to show different environments throughout the game... And last but not least: they are very cute!!! It would probably have been more difficult for the player to empathize with a rat...😂
Q: Could you tell us a bit about the creation process? From conception to launch
A: We are two partners in Herobeat: Pablo and me. We both had experience in the industry and worked together in a videogame development company for a while, but due to life circumstances, our paths diverged.
However, when the idea for Endling was already in my head, I contacted Pablo to help me make the logo. I was pleasantly surprised when he offered me not only to make the logo, but the whole game. Endling was born on a page in a notebook and from conversations with Pablo in coffee shops. We both ended up quitting our jobs and embarked headfirst on this adventure (with the invaluable help of our partners and family members). We contacted an incubator in Barcelona to help us with a workspace and advice. This was the conception phase, where we considered everything: game mechanics, story, supporting characters, and setting. After 6 months we already had a trailer to present to seek funding. However, the game ended up being very different, evolving little by little the more time we spent on it, almost organically.
For example, we knew we wanted to link the mother and the puppies to the environment. We wanted to make it a scrolling game, so we could control everything well, but in the end we decided to make it 3D, adding Metroidvania elements (like when the puppies learn skills) so that players had to go back to earlier points on the map and see how the environment has changed. This gave us the opportunity to play with environmental storytelling: there are mini-stories happening in the background, including characters that have nothing to do with the main plot, but add to the world. Similarly, how we approached camera changes evolved over time - at first, we tried to disguise them in both the trailer and the prototype, but a friend convinced us to emphasize that sense of depth, and in the end, it became one of the biggest selling points of the game.
We presented the trailer at Gamelab and thanks to that, we got an Epic Mega Grant that helped us create a prototype that we presented at Gamescom 2019 in Germany. There we managed to sign a deal with the distributor, HandyGames (part of THQ Nordic), which financed the entire creation of the game until its release in July last year.
Q: What were your main challenges?
A: I won't pretend otherwise: going down this road has been very hard, but we've done pretty well compared to other creatives who put in the same effort, so we feel lucky for that. When we started in the incubator, we were asked to set ourselves some very clear goals, which were these:
Q: How many people were part of the team?
A: At the beginning there were only 2 of us, but we had the help of some very talented friends and colleagues. Then it grew to 24 people in the development phase. Right now there are 9 of us.
Q: How does an indie developer seek funding?
A: We started with our own savings and by asking for private loans. We also applied for every crowdfunding application there is, but we didn't have a good experience, as there is not much support for indie developers in Spain. For example, RED.es gave us a grant at a decisive moment, but it arrived almost two years late and only with 20% of the money promised. The Generalitat gave us a loan that helped us to continue, but we had to pay it back. As I said, public aid is scarce and insufficient. To give you an idea, the maximum grants come from the European Fund, but they only subsidise up to 150,000 euros. What allowed us to finish the videogame was to sign with HandyGames, because the total development cost would have been impossible to cover with grants. A very valuable resource for figures on the industry in Spain is Libro Blanco del videojuego (DEV), whose cover this year features Endling, drawn by the brilliant David Calle of Fictiorama, who already has a history of drawing the covers of the book.
Q: Tell us how it feels to win a BAFTA... 🎉
A: Well, we didn't expect it at all, we had no idea! In fact, we almost didn't go, because it's a charity gala and you have to pay to go. We were nominated for other industry awards, but they were in places that were much further away. So we thought, we're not going to miss it! The hard way we took a little trip to London, and saw what was going on at the ceremony. It was a total surprise, as the competition was fierce in our category, with other very strong contenders. But when the moment came and we saw the cameraman approaching, I thought: "is it going to be true...?" And when we were nominated we couldn't believe it. It was a wonderful feeling.
Q: What is your favourite game(s) of all time?
A: This War of Mine. It's a very simple but emotionally charged game: It's about war and how it affects civilians. It's made by a studio in Poland so it's very much based on historical facts and experiences that are close to them. It had a big impact on me.
Q: New releases you'd like to play?
A: Well, of the ones I've seen recently, Star Wars Outlaws has really caught my attention. But to be honest, rather than looking at upcoming releases, I look at indie games on Steam to see what's interesting. However, as the father of a two year old, I don't have time to play much these days! 😅
Q: Could you name other developers that you admire or think are doing a good job, whether they are indie or giants in the industry?
A: Well, rather than naming a particular studio, I would like to emphasize the good vibes and solidarity of the whole collective. We have met a lot of Spanish developers and we have a very good relationship with them: Nomada, Piccolo, Titutitech (who helped us with porting to consoles), Lince Works (a classic and a reference, which unfortunately has had to cease its activity recently, news that surprised and hurt many of us).
The list is long and contains a lot of talent!
Q: Where did the name of the studio come from?
A: Actually, the name Herobeat came after Endling, which was decided almost from the beginning. We did a poll with quite a few names that we had come up with from all the people who were already participating in the game. And Herobeat was voted on. The name of the company refers to those players who make a difference with small gestures, like supporting this game. They are little heroes who care about issues that a priori are not dealt with in videogames, so the name is our tribute to them.
Q: And talking about this kind of gestures...tell us something about the part of the profits that are destined to environmental causes.
A: From the very beginning we insisted a lot on our interest in carrying out actions dedicated to environmental projects. For example, during development we ran several campaigns on social media to reforest forests on behalf of the winners of different raffles. Through THQ Nordic Japan we are currently collaborating with a Japanese conservation company. We also wanted to send a message of environmental awareness by example, so the physical copies we released come in a recycled cardboard box. In the merchandising section of THQ Nordic, they have taken great care to produce items with a low environmental impact, and if we release a collector's edition with art prints and a plush toy, we will follow the same line of using recycled materials.
Q: What's next for Herobeat?
A: We are working on another game along the same lines as Endling. It has the same message, and we continue with the idea of creating games with social impact...we will announce something soon. Stay tuned!!!!
Q: What would you change in the industry?
A: I wish low-budget indie studios had more visibility on distribution platforms. It's an obvious problem that the main pages of digital shops are full of AAA titles and that slots are very limited for the amount of videogames that are released every day. This is something that is decided as much by the budget invested in marketing as by the interest that a video game generates. Unfortunately in Spain the culture of independent videogame consumption is still not very deeply rooted, and this type of product is better valued in other markets. If something were to change, it would be this trend, so that the love for videogames would be more widely distributed among the thousands of existing studios instead of going to the big ones.
The interview ends here, but the good news don't! We liked the game and the interview so much that we decided to make a competition with ENDLING game as a prize, so be sure to check it out!
Q: Where did the inspiration for Endling come from?
A: The storyline of Endling stems from personal concerns about the state of the world today: global warming, the destruction of entire ecosystems, irresponsible waste management... We wanted to present a plausible future as a warning. That's why we took a fox as the main character, because we didn't want it to do "magical" things. Why a fox? It's an urban animal, and if you look at all the animals in Endling, they are all urban. Foxes are very versatile, they are in the middle of the food chain - they are both hunters and prey and in many cities they feed on carrion - and one of our goals was to show different environments throughout the game... And last but not least: they are very cute!!! It would probably have been more difficult for the player to empathize with a rat...😂
Q: Could you tell us a bit about the creation process? From conception to launch
A: We are two partners in Herobeat: Pablo and me. We both had experience in the industry and worked together in a videogame development company for a while, but due to life circumstances, our paths diverged.
However, when the idea for Endling was already in my head, I contacted Pablo to help me make the logo. I was pleasantly surprised when he offered me not only to make the logo, but the whole game. Endling was born on a page in a notebook and from conversations with Pablo in coffee shops. We both ended up quitting our jobs and embarked headfirst on this adventure (with the invaluable help of our partners and family members). We contacted an incubator in Barcelona to help us with a workspace and advice. This was the conception phase, where we considered everything: game mechanics, story, supporting characters, and setting. After 6 months we already had a trailer to present to seek funding. However, the game ended up being very different, evolving little by little the more time we spent on it, almost organically.
For example, we knew we wanted to link the mother and the puppies to the environment. We wanted to make it a scrolling game, so we could control everything well, but in the end we decided to make it 3D, adding Metroidvania elements (like when the puppies learn skills) so that players had to go back to earlier points on the map and see how the environment has changed. This gave us the opportunity to play with environmental storytelling: there are mini-stories happening in the background, including characters that have nothing to do with the main plot, but add to the world. Similarly, how we approached camera changes evolved over time - at first, we tried to disguise them in both the trailer and the prototype, but a friend convinced us to emphasize that sense of depth, and in the end, it became one of the biggest selling points of the game.
We presented the trailer at Gamelab and thanks to that, we got an Epic Mega Grant that helped us create a prototype that we presented at Gamescom 2019 in Germany. There we managed to sign a deal with the distributor, HandyGames (part of THQ Nordic), which financed the entire creation of the game until its release in July last year.
Q: What were your main challenges?
A: I won't pretend otherwise: going down this road has been very hard, but we've done pretty well compared to other creatives who put in the same effort, so we feel lucky for that. When we started in the incubator, we were asked to set ourselves some very clear goals, which were these:
- To make games with good reviews (both from players and press);
- To become a benchmark company as a videogame creator;
- Create a game with impact.
Q: How many people were part of the team?
A: At the beginning there were only 2 of us, but we had the help of some very talented friends and colleagues. Then it grew to 24 people in the development phase. Right now there are 9 of us.
Q: How does an indie developer seek funding?
A: We started with our own savings and by asking for private loans. We also applied for every crowdfunding application there is, but we didn't have a good experience, as there is not much support for indie developers in Spain. For example, RED.es gave us a grant at a decisive moment, but it arrived almost two years late and only with 20% of the money promised. The Generalitat gave us a loan that helped us to continue, but we had to pay it back. As I said, public aid is scarce and insufficient. To give you an idea, the maximum grants come from the European Fund, but they only subsidise up to 150,000 euros. What allowed us to finish the videogame was to sign with HandyGames, because the total development cost would have been impossible to cover with grants. A very valuable resource for figures on the industry in Spain is Libro Blanco del videojuego (DEV), whose cover this year features Endling, drawn by the brilliant David Calle of Fictiorama, who already has a history of drawing the covers of the book.
Q: Tell us how it feels to win a BAFTA... 🎉
A: Well, we didn't expect it at all, we had no idea! In fact, we almost didn't go, because it's a charity gala and you have to pay to go. We were nominated for other industry awards, but they were in places that were much further away. So we thought, we're not going to miss it! The hard way we took a little trip to London, and saw what was going on at the ceremony. It was a total surprise, as the competition was fierce in our category, with other very strong contenders. But when the moment came and we saw the cameraman approaching, I thought: "is it going to be true...?" And when we were nominated we couldn't believe it. It was a wonderful feeling.
Q: What is your favourite game(s) of all time?
A: This War of Mine. It's a very simple but emotionally charged game: It's about war and how it affects civilians. It's made by a studio in Poland so it's very much based on historical facts and experiences that are close to them. It had a big impact on me.
Q: New releases you'd like to play?
A: Well, of the ones I've seen recently, Star Wars Outlaws has really caught my attention. But to be honest, rather than looking at upcoming releases, I look at indie games on Steam to see what's interesting. However, as the father of a two year old, I don't have time to play much these days! 😅
Q: Could you name other developers that you admire or think are doing a good job, whether they are indie or giants in the industry?
A: Well, rather than naming a particular studio, I would like to emphasize the good vibes and solidarity of the whole collective. We have met a lot of Spanish developers and we have a very good relationship with them: Nomada, Piccolo, Titutitech (who helped us with porting to consoles), Lince Works (a classic and a reference, which unfortunately has had to cease its activity recently, news that surprised and hurt many of us).
The list is long and contains a lot of talent!
Q: Where did the name of the studio come from?
A: Actually, the name Herobeat came after Endling, which was decided almost from the beginning. We did a poll with quite a few names that we had come up with from all the people who were already participating in the game. And Herobeat was voted on. The name of the company refers to those players who make a difference with small gestures, like supporting this game. They are little heroes who care about issues that a priori are not dealt with in videogames, so the name is our tribute to them.
Q: And talking about this kind of gestures...tell us something about the part of the profits that are destined to environmental causes.
A: From the very beginning we insisted a lot on our interest in carrying out actions dedicated to environmental projects. For example, during development we ran several campaigns on social media to reforest forests on behalf of the winners of different raffles. Through THQ Nordic Japan we are currently collaborating with a Japanese conservation company. We also wanted to send a message of environmental awareness by example, so the physical copies we released come in a recycled cardboard box. In the merchandising section of THQ Nordic, they have taken great care to produce items with a low environmental impact, and if we release a collector's edition with art prints and a plush toy, we will follow the same line of using recycled materials.
Q: What's next for Herobeat?
A: We are working on another game along the same lines as Endling. It has the same message, and we continue with the idea of creating games with social impact...we will announce something soon. Stay tuned!!!!
Q: What would you change in the industry?
A: I wish low-budget indie studios had more visibility on distribution platforms. It's an obvious problem that the main pages of digital shops are full of AAA titles and that slots are very limited for the amount of videogames that are released every day. This is something that is decided as much by the budget invested in marketing as by the interest that a video game generates. Unfortunately in Spain the culture of independent videogame consumption is still not very deeply rooted, and this type of product is better valued in other markets. If something were to change, it would be this trend, so that the love for videogames would be more widely distributed among the thousands of existing studios instead of going to the big ones.
The interview ends here, but the good news don't! We liked the game and the interview so much that we decided to make a competition with ENDLING game as a prize, so be sure to check it out!
Last edited by DoctorEldritch; 03-07-23 at 14:36.
