Interview | Big Blue Bubble on Fighting Fantasy (Nintendo DS)

Adam Riley, Senior Editor at Cubed3: Can you please give our readers a bit of background information on your company?

Damir Slogar, CEO of Big Blue Bubble: Based in London, Ontario, Big Blue Bubble is a premium game development studio. The company started as a mobile game developer and quickly became a leading mobile gaming studio. We used this momentum to expand into the console space and then heightened our success further by diversifying into the casual games market. Today, the company's main focus is on casual and mass market games with a specialization in the creation of original IPs and the extension of established brands across multiple platforms.

AR: How did you become involved with this project and Aspyr take control of publishing rights? Given Ian Livingstone's ties with Eidos, is it set to handle the European release next year?

DS: I can't answer this question due to the confidentiality agreement.

AR: Has there been much, if any, consultation with Steve Jackson and/or Ian Livingstone?

DS: We were in constant contact with both Ian and Steve during development. Steve Jackson in particular played an important part in the story and dialog.

AR: How has the writing side been approached - was most of the story lifted from the original text, or is this more a reinterpretation of the book?

DS: The characters, settings, situations and some quest themes were taken directly from the book. To fill out the story and give the game more of a purpose, we took these concepts and elaborated on them to fill in the blanks that were left to the reader's imagination in the book.

AR: With this being based on the 1st book, which sold over a million copies alone, did it put the team under any undue pressure to not disappoint the legions of fans?

DS: We are also fans so the intent was always to do justice to the brand first and foremost.

AR: Are any of the team actually fans of the books, or did they read up on some of them to ensure the integrity of the book's style was kept intact?

DS: Most of the team was already big fans of the series before we started but the entire team made sure to read or reread the book before we began production.

AR: The original book is from 1982, so most who read it back then are likely to be in their mid-to-late 20s now. Was that fact taken into consideration, or have you tried to make something that will appeal more to the youth of today?

DS: The game was designed with this original demographic in mind. As such, younger players or those who aren't familiar with the genre may find the game too difficult for their liking. We didn't attempt to cater to those outside our core demographic. The fans will appreciate this.

AR: How does it take full advantage of the various DS features, and were microphone and Wi-Fi play considered? (If not, please explain why)
DS: Microphone and Wi-Fi features were considered initially but didn't really have a place in this game. Typically, if we can think of a cool way to utilize these features we will but we don't try to force them in for the sake of having them if they really don't belong.

AR: What has been the reaction been to the game so far, and has any external feedback been taken on-board during development?

DS: Player reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. It is really unique game and definitely not something that DS gamers are used to so many critics had a hard time with it. Feedback during development came mostly from multiple closed betas.

AR: Nintendo has had great success with 100 Classic Book Collection in Europe and EA has just launched its Flips range of books for DS. For those keen to read through the original book, will you be looking to strike a deal whereby the Fighting Fantasy books can be directly put onto DS?

DS: We currently have no plans to release the books on DS. Instead, we are releasing them on iPod/iPhone which we think is the ideal platform for these game books. The first interactive book is already available on iTunes.

AR: Also, what are your thoughts supporting the WiiWare and DSiWare services?

DS: This game in particular will not be ported to WiiWare or DSiWare. We released several games on WiiWare so far and results were slightly below the expectation so at this point we are not sure if we will continue development for those platforms.

AR: Will you be looking to branch out and port/upgrade any of your iPhone content to other systems?

DS: It mainly depends on the success of the first few titles.