I was napping and got a phone call that I'm on the Reddit frontpage ( http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/ydbdk/these_kind_of_developers_truly_deserve_recognition/ ) and that my website is down. I got up and I am amazed and honoured, thank you! I'll try to do my best to answer any questions, and I hope you have some tricky ones! I wanted to do that in the comments and I was suggested to do IAMA instead. I guess I owe you guys this much, feel free to ask me anything :) I was asked to put proof here: https://twitter.com/Sosowski/status/236502193941917696

Comments: 1535 • Responses: 49  • Date: 

Wolfeh2012482 karma

Do you find it Ironic that you'll likely see a large boost in sales, after posting free codes for your game on TPB?

Sosowski468 karma

Haha, I don't. But I can't tell if that happened (no data). But it makes a good point, on how pirates are not thieves, and that they are really cool :) Ok, I shouldn't use the word pirates, whatever, I hope you get what I mean ;)

GripexJT249 karma

First of all, what a great game designed by a one man army! Incredible humor and skill put into this.

  • Could you please tell me how you came up with your solutions, I'm trying hard to find meaning (Since I do love my point and click adventure games!)

Also just fyi to you guys: Lets play by OFMGcata If you are unsure whether to get the game or not, atleast check this out!

Sosowski185 karma

Tough one. At some points, I run out of ideas (there are 100 levels in McPixel) So mostly, I just started drawing mindlessly. I think you can see how brain was not invlolved in creation of most of the solutions :P

trinitis138 karma

Just wanted to tell you I was interested in buying your game, but I really dislike paypal. So I'll be waiting until you hit the Android market for my phone, or steam if that pans out. Otherwise, thanks for making games. I don't think I say that enough to developers.

Sosowski181 karma

Thanks :) PayPal has an advantage of being popular, regardless whether people like it or not. Android version is coming reeeeaally soon, and I hope to get on Steam, with help of the people (Greenlight).

niceguyjohn65 karma

how greenlight works? i want it for steam!!

Sosowski139 karma

People vote for games to get them on Steam!

ronconcoca130 karma

Congratulations! I really want to check your game now.

Is it any good?

edit: that sounded really rude, is not, sorry :(

Sosowski148 karma

Haha. No worries :) Look the game up on youtube to see what's this about! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzYUAjRSG7Y

FCOS3 karma

Did you mean to put "May damage yor brain"? Because it works perfectly within the context lol

Sosowski5 karma

You are the second person ever to point that out. :P I forgot to fix that!

J_Sass104 karma

Why are you so chilled with people downloading your games for free, and what are your thoughts on piracy in general?

Sosowski186 karma

See other comments that just popped up for 'reasons of piracy'. People just pirate games for a wide range of reasons. Other's despise it. Others don't care. Some of the torrentors buy the game if they like it, some can't afford it!

m_s_m29 karma

Could you elaborate a little on how you've done financially?

I'd be interested to know how many donations you've received vs. how many times your game has been pirated.

Sosowski76 karma

I sold around 1k copies so far. No idea on amount of pirated ones. But I guess it's always proportional to sales. Somehow.

Lost446882 karma

I'm not saying your game is bad, but it is bad, it doesn't have any of what makes a game good, here's a list of what factually makes a good game:

Dubstep

Bloom

Heavy DOF

HD textures

First person

Snipers

Noscopes

360 noscopes

A ranking system

Prestige mode

Your game has none of these ;_;

Sosowski69 karma

It has bloom!

jutct64 karma

I'm at work, so I can't check now. Can you tell us a little about the game for those of us that don't know it?

Sosowski175 karma

Ok, McPixel is a save the day guy, like MacGyver or MacGruber. The game is a point'n'click adventure. But you traverse short simple levels. Each level has a bomb fused at 20 seconds and you have to use whatever's on screen to disarm it. Then you end up doing something totally awful and it blows up.

Kouron47 karma

I haven't actually played the game, but have watched Jesse Cox of OMFGCATA play it. I was wondering, has youtube playthroughs had a noticeable impact on your game's traffic?

Sosowski86 karma

Super friggin awesome impact. Better than any reviews and other stuff. And it's really fun to watch people play it! I suppose the game is 'photogenic' in a way :)

drunk_otter45 karma

What's you position on horse-sized ducks?

Sosowski197 karma

Misionary

Yoma81944 karma

I think your approach to piracy is awesome, you can only gain from it! Well done that man!

Sosowski45 karma

Thank you :)

jimmym00735 karma

Can you actually live from being a small indie developper?

Sosowski57 karma

Yup! But it can get rough on you.

sexual_predditer30 karma

please will you tell us when you're websites back up so we can buy your game? (or tweet when it happens, that works too)

thanks

Sosowski42 karma

I surely will!

Epileptics29 karma

How did you get in to creating games?

Sosowski56 karma

I wanted to do that since ever! I was toyiong with computers as a kid and breaking them and creating awful C64 BASIC games. In the end... I became a teacher! :P But then lots of things happened and I now make my own games for a living! And It's a thing I always wanted to do and it feel really cool :)

Dr_LoveEggs45 karma

If I could ask a few questions:

  • What language/software/framework did you use to create your game?

  • Did you use any external libraries?

  • Is the level creator/editor a separate application to the actual game?

  • How long did it take you to finish development?

Cheers.

Sosowski12 karma

Ok, here we go: - The game is made in AS3 using Flashpunk - I used flashpunk, as I said :) - The creator is an unlockable part of the game - It took me roughly 10 months to make that game. It was started during Ludum Dare 21 one year ago. LD is a 48 hours game making competition. The version made during that time can be played here: http://mcpixel.sos.gd/48h/

xrm428 karma

Dude, your game looks hilarious. Is there any way to buy it while your sites down?

Sosowski31 karma

No way to do that, sorries :(

RatKingsLair28 karma

Huh? You can buy it on Desura ...

Sosowski38 karma

Oh I forgot about that, sorries. Anyways, site's back up!

[deleted]26 karma

Because of TPB, I will buy the game. Enjoy my $10.00

Sosowski20 karma

Thank you! I will use it wisely!

Sosowski26 karma

Thank you reddit! This is really an amazing experience. I am honoured and flattered by your recognition. I will keep answering your question until I faint (I slept only 2h because and a find woke me up telling me to go to reddit and fix my website :P). I would like to assure you that this was not an elaborate marketing plot. If you look on the internet, you will find proof, but I won't give it to you. I prefer you trust me (or not, if you choose to). Anyways, I will try to answer all your questions, reply to emails and tweets. My fingers are swollen, but I'm having lots of fun! I hope you are also entertained by this chatter! Oh, and here is a pile of discount codes for you: * 02EC-AE1C-E49C * 02EC-AB15-0270 * 02EC-AB15-19B4 * 02EC-AB15-217C * 02EC-AB15-2946 * 02EC-AB15-3129 * 02EC-AB15-38E8 * 02EC-AB15-40BA * 02EC-AB15-7F3F * 02EC-AB15-870C * 02EC-AE1C-F836 * 02EC-AB15-8ED8 * 02EC-AB15-96A9 * 02EC-AB15-9E77 * 02EC-AB15-A64D * 02EC-AB15-AE1B * 02EC-AE1C-9A7A * 02EC-AB15-B5E8 * 02EC-AB15-C585 * 02EC-AB15-CD57 * 02EC-AB15-E2E0 * 02EC-AB15-E8B0 * 02EC-AB15-F206 * 02EC-AE1D-55F9 * 02EC-AB15-F97E * 02EC-AB16-0756 * 02EC-AB16-0FD2 * 02EC-AB16-273C * 02EC-AB16-2EFF * 02EC-AE1D-61B4 * 02EC-AB16-36DE * 02EC-AB16-4680 * 02EC-AB16-4E42 * 02EC-AB16-5611 * 02EC-AB16-5DE3 * 02EC-AB16-65B0 * 02EC-AB16-6D80 * 02EC-AE1C-F054 * 02EC-AB16-7552 * 02EC-AB16-7D26 * 02EC-AB16-8501 * 02EC-AB16-93D1 * 02EC-AE1D-137B * 02EC-AB16-A56E * 02EC-AE1C-7B2F * 02EC-AB16-AFEB * 02EC-AB16-BBA0 * 02EC-AB16-C36D * 02EC-AB16-CB53 * 02EC-AB16-DADD * 02EC-AE1C-8EAB * 02EC-AB16-E2AC * 02EC-AB16-F639 * 02EC-AB16-FE12 * 02EC-AB17-0604 * 02EC-AE1D-07C2 * 02EC-AB17-0DAA * 02EC-AB17-157A * 02EC-AB17-1D4C * 02EC-AB17-2519

Thank you, reddit!

Sosowski15 karma

Someone just pointed out I'm trying to use reddit's good nature for profit. I'm sorry it seems that way, You guys are really nice and I just wanted to return the favour! Thank you all again!

Sosowski8 karma

Sorry for the formatting, I have no idea how to use it!

Sosowski7 karma

Also, I am really glad that many people share my point about torrents. It is really reassuring to hear that!

MattCunnelly25 karma

http://www.desura.com/games/mcpixel

Is this a legit website too buy your game from, or should I buy it through your own website?

Sosowski30 karma

Yup. My website is back up tho, and you get a desura code too.

CoffeeandTV25 karma

I HAVE CREATED AN ART FOR YOU. IT SPEAKS MY SOUL.

http://i.imgur.com/M5qlh.png

Sosowski16 karma

This is so awesome! Please submit to the website! Thanks!

Queerfemme22 karma

How long have you had your company and would you count yourself as succeeding at what you aim to do?

Sosowski66 karma

I am not a company! Ok, I am, but just for tax collectors. I consider myself successful, because I do what I love. I make games that people enjoy! My aim reaches no further than that! At least for now!

sircmpwn19 karma

Proof?

Sosowski40 karma

Oh, https://twitter.com/Sosowski/status/236502193941917696 Sorry, I'm not a good redditor :P

[deleted]16 karma

How much money has this game made you? How much did it cost you to make?

Sosowski27 karma

It costed me 10 months of living to make 9you know, food and stuff. I sold around 1000 copies so far. I will use that money to make more games!

bloodbag16 karma

Have you considered getting this sold on steam? GOG? humble bundle?

I don't know the logistics, benefits, or anything else about this, just curious :)

Sosowski28 karma

Yes, Yes and yes! I'm looking forward for the upcoming Steam Greenlight launch (on 30th) to try and get it to Steam!

qaoqao16 karma

How did you motivate yourself to actually develop the game? And, what experience/training do you have?

Sosowski43 karma

I look in my fridge and have to make a game before food runs out :P Haha, well not all the time, but that happens to everyone. I have a tiny industry experience (worked on an startup MMO that failed www.lifeon.pl ) I have been learning making games by making games most of the time, because that's what I love to do and what I always wanted to be doing in life! (Ok, except for taking over the world)

dickflyr15 karma

I just watched the launch trailer and I am torn between awesome and wat?

How long did this take to develop?

Sosowski19 karma

10 Months roughly. First version was made in 48 hours for Ludum Dare competition and you can play it here: http://mcpixel.sos.gd/48h/ It had 6 levels. Making all 100 levels took a long time, and I made few other games in the meantime too.

Jmfva13 karma

Would you put the game on a humble indie bundle? I am watching the you-tube game play right now and it looks amazing man! Great work! You have my support.

Sosowski14 karma

I would! and I hope too in the future!

Sanae_11 karma

How did you feel when you saw the torrent for the first time?

Did you put those license keys because you are part of the movement "entertainment (music/video/games) needs to be shared freely", or it was more "oh, no f**** way I can remove that torrent, I may as well try something else"?

I'ld also suggest adding some links to your website/your game website. (sry for bad English)

Sosowski41 karma

As I said, I was actually looking forward to getting there and I was excited about it. They say that only good games get pirated, right? I can relate as to why people torrent games, and I just wanted them to know that I'm not EA or Activision, and that they should buy it if they like it and can afford it. I gave out the codes for people that cannot afford the game, or have no means of buying it. (Not enough codes, but it was meant to show that I can relate)

WinstonBay11 karma

Hey Sosowski, check your mail. We've got a proposition :) //The Pirate Bay

Sosowski8 karma

Which one? I got so much! I'll get to it once I'm done here, Cheers!

CrimsonOmen9 karma

I can see your game getting pretty popular. You have people like pewdiepie playing and that will get your game some much deserved attention. Great game friend!

Sosowski6 karma

Thanks :) It's really great to see people enjoy my game!

Veex9 karma

  1. What was your inspiration to make a game that is essentially a parody on the ridiculousness of other point and click games?

  2. How long did it take you to create the levels? I imagine some the bonus levels took a ton of time, like the bonus stage of chapter 4 with all those bombs.

  3. Which level do you think you've done the best/worst job on? (Reason?)

  4. Which level did you have the most fun creating?

  5. I assume from the menu that you'll create DLC now, but what's your plan after McPixel? Sequel? Or a different game / genre? Any plans you can talk about already?

  6. Who is the old man who keeps appearing multiple times throughout the game?

Also, thanks for creating the game! It was great fun playing through it.

edit: Found a video to demonstrate which level I'm referring to in question #2.

Sosowski15 karma

  1. Ugh, it was first made in 48 hours for Ludum Dare 21 competition and had 6 levels. Theme was 'escape', that was my inspiration!
  2. Some levels took 2h to make, some took whole day. Mostly depends on the amount of re-used graphics.
  3. The poop level.
  4. I don't know! All the levels! i had olots of fun, but it also was a lot of work!
  5. No plans for now
  6. It's Uncle Frank! http://imgur.com/2PW0G Mosty McPixel Characters didn't have names, but this one was created when I planned for them to have names.

Kritz78 karma

Heya! So I study, among other things, game design as part of my University education. It's super fun, because I think that the soul reason programming languages exist is to make games from them. I got some questions about your perspective on the indie scene and maybe some about game development processes.

  1. The biggest problem I face when doing things is distractions. How did you manage the feeling of, "fuck this thing I'm doing right now I just thought of something way dumber to spend my time on and it will be -awesome-"?

  2. What was your workflow like when putting together McPixel? Did you do it adhoc where you kind of had an idea of what you were doing but mostly just sat down and coded until a video game came out? Or did you design doc the shit out of the alien that smokes a fuckin doobie on a desert island in the bush next to the hotdog cart?

  3. How do you get noticed in this business? It's always great when something like your game or other smaller games come into the spotlight and get the attention they deserve. But there seems to be enough cool games that just get swept under the rug, that never really get uncovered by the masses. Did you have any kind of way to get McPixel noticed, or did it just kind of happen as a weird internet thing?

  4. Yo, the fuck's up with those bonus levels.

  5. Relating to the third question, any games you wanna pimp besides your own? Or your own. I ain't the boss of you. You made a video game I can't make you do shit.

  6. It is 2AM I can't think of any more questions. I like your game. I loved the fanart thing. Got a favourite piece of user art?

Thanks for being video games,

  • Kritz

Sosowski10 karma

  1. When you run out of food, your basic survival instincts are focused on making a game that can feed you. also, disconnect internet.
  2. I did not code much. Most of it was drawing the levels. I just welll... made them. There was no organisation to it.
  3. I don't know! it just happens overtime I guess!
  4. Indie games is indie love! I always make sure to speak about fellow indies cool games when they come out, same with all the other indies. It's like a big family thing :)
  5. Oh man, all of it! I can't tell!

I didn't miss anything, right?

skippo1178 karma

What do you think of space butterflys?

Sosowski22 karma

It's not that. It's what the great Space Butterfly thinks of me that matters!

xxRECKONERxx6 karma

Congrats on your game, dude!

Sosowski4 karma

Thank you :)

Technolog6 karma

Your nickname looks familiar, some Slavonic roots?

Sosowski7 karma

I live in a small town near Poznan. Are we acquainted?

munk_e_man5 karma

Thanks dude. I don't have Internet besides on my phone, but I love that you did this. Keep up the good work and stay humble.

Sosowski5 karma

Thanks you :)

thehappypill115 karma

I appreciate what you are doing, you are making a good impression in the gaming community. Keep up the good work!

Sosowski7 karma

Thank you!

curviestsquare4 karma

Any plans for a new game?

Sosowski23 karma

Not yet, I need to answer some questions first!

hassanisahba4 karma

Can you describe the short-term effect (apart from crashing your site) that the reddit attention had?

Sosowski7 karma

My fingers hurt, I got some review copy requests pumped my twitter followers.

Sosowski14 karma

Also, my nap got disrupted.

akuun3 karma

What was your mental state when designing the levels for McPixel?

Sosowski4 karma

It was nonexistant :P

Imbignoob3 karma

As a someone who is interested in game development, what do you suggest what should i start learning first?

Sosowski10 karma

Just google tools. try Stencyl, Construct, Love, Game Maker! Use whatever you like!

LegoClaes3 karma

If you post a discount code for reddit users, I will buy the game without even looking at the video. That's what being a good guy developer gets you.

Brofist.

Sosowski8 karma

I don't have reusable codes promgrammed, so I'll just leave few discount codes here: 02E9-7813-FECA 02E9-7814-2DC3 02E9-7814-38CA 02E9-7814-414B 02E9-7814-4925 02E9-7814-5CA1 02E9-7814-6857 02E9-7814-7027 02E9-7814-77F4 02E9-7814-7FEC