Kickstarter

Good morning and happy Friday, fans of Gravitaz.

It has been a while, has it not?

About a year has passed since our Kickstarter bid - and though little has happened in the way of development, I wanted to make a quick post today to share a couple things.

1. Just from it's initial bid, Gravitaz seems to have made an impression. With about zero promotion from me, the concept is compelling enough that I receive, monthly at least, a letter of support expressing a desire that Gravitaz comes to pass. It's not 'just me' that thinks it is a good idea. I will not lie: I was pretty wrecked (pun mildly intended) when our Kickstarter hopes faded after a seemingly strong start. We did okay though, and I can compare our bid favorably against many others that also didn't make it. I still feel we could have made it if the word was spread just a bit further.

2. There will be more. In the coming months - more work will be done. I am not prepared to offer a timeline, as my own timeline is in flux, however this Summer I will have some solid weeks and months to make newer, better, faster, stronger assets for the game. If and when there is enough, I hope to re-launch on Kickstarter before the end of the year. W's IP will be posted on our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/GravitazGame.

3. I want help. If you have something to offer, I'd like to know about it. I will be picky. This project was started with a crew of immensely talented friends with glorious careers in the game industry - however I am currently the only one among us without contractual commitments to an employer - the only one who can dedicate a big block of time to this. On this project, I am Lead Artist, Designer, Modeller, Texturer, Animator, etc etc etc. I can and will do the work. I would love to unload some of this - but only if I know the work will be done right.

4. We will be cross-promoting with worthy projects: starting now.

Just yesterday, I got a message from these Dark Seas games - developers of Road Redemption:
"It seems like Road Redemption and Gravitaz both share the desire to give a player the exciting feel of high speed racing while using an unorthodox weapons system to get ahead in the race. It is possible that we may share many fans and we were wondering if you could send out an update to your backers letting them know about Road Redemption, as a favor from one kickstarter to another.

We currently have about 1,600 backers and when our campaign finishes, we expect to have 3000-6000 total backers, and many more Facebook, Steam, and Twitter followers. Since it is likely that our projects share fans, we’d be happy to return the favor by helping to promote Gravitaz [...] when it comes to market by leveraging our existing fanbase.

Our kickstarter page is located here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkseasgames/road-redemption

Our Greenlight page is here:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=139649569"

I strongly suggest visiting their page and watching the video - gameplay comprises the first minute - I think it is very compelling and I want to play it /now/. These guys are going to make it, and I am going to help. Though I'm pretty much insolvent, I'm still going to be a backer, and I want you, fans of Gravitaz, to back it as well. I do this for selfish reasons: I want to play the game, and I want their help when our next try at funding happens - but I also, altruistically, want them to succeed. I've had no prior contact with them, and for this talented group to find enough value in Gravitaz to make this appeal, creates in me further inspiration to Gravitaz 'a thing'.

I've thought about Gravitaz pretty much every day for a year now - and the desire to see it through has grown, not lessened. It is a compulsion, practically instinctual at this point, and I'm going going to be at ease until it is made.

I'm not sure what my next move is, but there is work to be done and I will be doing that work.

Look for updates.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

-Dennis

Just a quickie update to point you to an interview I just did with +10 Damage~

http://example.plus10damage.com/?p=845

Cheers!

Pulse-Pounding Video of Race Released, Lead Designer Addresses Fans With Call-To-Action

###

From the press release sent out minutes ago:

Logitech Sponsors New Racing Game by Glass Bottom Games

Bestselling Wireless Gamepads Now Available to GRAVITAZ Kickstarter Backers

DENVER, CO (April 24, 2012) — Glass Bottom Games LLC, an independent developer of video games for PC and mobile devices, today announced that the company has engaged Logitech, a world leader in computer accessories, to provide fans with the most fulfilling entertainment experience possible.

As part of the company's Kickstarter campaign for its futuristic combat-racing game, GRAVITAZ, a limited number of pledges will include a complimentary Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad.

Supplies are limited to the first 20 backers at the new $65 tier.

In GRAVITAZ, players fly jet-propelled hover vehicles for fame and glory on the rough-and-tumble courses of the world's first antigravity racing league. Players compete with computer and ghost opponents against time on delicate tracks scaffolded over the faces of skyscrapers and down through city streets with a diverse pool of vehicles, from scratch-built garage projects to high-end sponsored racers.

With the Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad in competent hands, midair collisions and detours through office buildings will be kept to a minimum. “Our latest game, GRAVITAZ, breaks new ground in the combat-racing genre, but games like this just don’t feel right without full analog controls,” says Megan Fox, cofounder of Glass Bottom Games. “With the Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad, I believe players will experience the game as we intended.”

Learn more about how to bring futuristic racing into the present at www.GravitazGame.com.

### About Glass Bottom Games LLC: Glass Bottom Games LLC is a Denver-based independent developer of video games for PC and mobile devices, such as The Savage Garden and GRAVITAZ.

Founded by industry veterans in 2011, Glass Bottom Games creates exciting, new player-centric worlds where interactivity, exploration, and choice matter. Media Contact: Megan Fox Glass Bottom Games LLC megan@glassbottomgames.com

Oh and, there's a newly updated "main" video up on the top of our Kick page.  :]

Greetings!

We sent out a press release today:

4/16/2012: GRAVITAZ blew the doors off its Kickstarter, and we’ve already hit 14% - fantastic! To celebrate, we’re unveiling some new information. Weapon details, track design theories... maybe even some new swag for supporters.

We had a few prototype vinyl bumper stickers made up, and they look pretty great. What better way to celebrate a racing game than by slapping it onto the back end of your car?

We’ve also answered some questions from our fans, a sample of which is available below. Most of these have come from the SomethingAwful.com forums, where we’re fielding any and all questions:

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3477930

Question: “What would your response be to naysayers who'd say this is just another Wipeout ripoff?” - from ‘Urdnot Fire'

Answer: There are two areas in which we’re really focusing our differentiation: weapons, and track design.

Weapons in racing games have always been a bit of a mixed bag in terms of effectiveness. A missile fires out, hits a car -- yay -- and then your opponent stops dead in his tracks, you can't swerve in time, and all you've done is knock yourself back. Not fun. So, skilled players just treat the weapons as recharges and instantly absorb them; mid- to high-level play might as well not have weapons at all.

We believe that weapons in a racing game ought to affect racing. Rather than a missile that stops opponents dead in front of you, how about a weapon that shoves them out of the way? One that slings you ahead of people? A power-up that lets you bull through a crowd, knocking everyone back without hurting your standing? Weapons should be strategic, with a real sense of risk and reward. We're steering well clear of anything like Mario Kart’s infamous Blue Shell, or heavy “rubberbanding” physics, but... there's a lot that could be done to make weapons more relevant to the genre.

Track design is another element that's gotten a bit weird. If you look back at Wipeout XL, or Hi-Octane, or any of the earlier racers, you'll see wider tracks. There's plenty of space, plenty of lines to take, and as a result, they were fun for just about anyone. Great players nailed the perfect route, novice players swung a bit wide, and you could dart around opponents and get a true sense of jockeying for position. Fast forward to current day: track widths have been cut nearly in half (by making the cars twice as big visually, amongst other tricks), and the experience has been carved down to just high-end players optimizing lines in tight alleys.

We're going to widen the tracks back out, and work on giving players a sense of choice and risk in the paths they choose. We're also looking at adding shortcuts back to the genre: tactically advantageous side paths that you may or may not want to run depending on your skill level. "Well, I could try and stick that thin path up there, but man, if I fall..." or "Ok, those crunchers just went up, I can make it!"

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P.S.: More details regarding the vinyl stickers as a Backer reward in the next update.

P.P.S.: As of this morning, GRAVITAZ is now a Kickstarter Staff Pick ...and we'd just like to say THANK YOU!!

Watch this space for more updates soon!