Jon Aristi, from Sage Innova: “Simple, fun games without friction are a winning strategy”
Jon Aristi may not have a lot of experience in the videogame industry, but his experience in the world of consultancy, software, and Knowledge Management for big companies have made him one of the most interesting mentors to come to the F2P Campus in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Jake Bales, Vice President of Game Design at Scopely: “The only way to convince people to spend time in your game is by having the most delightful experience possible”
Among his successes at Scopely, where Jake Bales holds the position of Vice President of Game Design and General Manager, are games like Yahtzee with Buddies, a free-to-play title which, after seven years on the market, is experiencing its peak in terms of revenue (top 40 grossing in the US) and players.
Amir Rajan, indie game developer: “Don’t go for the general public, find a niche in the market and make something that they would love”
Leaving a ‘real’ job in the corporate world to fulfil your childhood dream is never easy, but if there’s anyone who can tell us how to do it, it is, without a doubt, Amir Rajan. In an App Store where it would seem that only the big companies and their mass-market games could survive, Rajan has managed to find a niche for his independent, alternative games.
Alberto Toledo, Monetization Manager at AxesInMotion: “Designing a balanced economy is key for the success of a free-to-play game”
It’s not every day that you’re lucky enough to talk to the Head of Publishing at AxesInMotion; that’s why we couldn’t miss the opportunity to interview Alberto Toledo during his stay as a mentor at the F2P Campus in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Meet the team: Vectormonk, the creators behind Dungeon Card Hero
With members from Ukraine and the Czech Republic, Vectormonk is one of the most international teams that have taken part in the F2P Campus. Dungeon Card Hero may be one of their first games as a team, but Anna Onyshchenko (analytics and QA), Danylo Syrotynskyi (programmer), Vitaliy Onyshchenko (game designer and producer) and Mike (artist) have extensive experience in the videogame industry.
Meet the team: Cogoo, the creators behind Oh My Princess
When Geonhee Han, Sungjun Lim, Yewon Lee and Heyme Kim started working on Oh My Princess in their native South Korea, they surely didn’t imagine that they would end up spending three months in Vitoria-Gasteiz. It has been an adventure as exceptional as the story they want to tell in their game: to raise a little princess from childhood until she becomes a woman. All by completing match-three puzzles like those in Candy Crush.