Global Postal Service is on the verge of bankruptcy and in a desperate attempt to save itself, have created living, self-delivering boxes. Unbox is a 90’s style platformer, where you play as a self delivering cardboard box called Newbie. Explore epic worlds filled with collectibles, cardboard characters and super secrets.
Really one of the most unique games that I’ve come across in the recent past. We got in touch with Andrew Bennison at Prospect Games to give us a little more insight into the making of this one of a kind game.
Gaming Central: Congratulations on the release of your game, Unbox. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Andrew Bennison: Thank you! Unbox is a 3D platformer about the ultimate postal service, self-delivering cardboard boxes! Explore massive singleplayer worlds full of challenges, collectibles and boxy battles, then jump over to local multiplayer with your friends for cardboard combat!
GC: Unbox has a retro feel to it. What were your inspirations?
AB: We grew up playing 90’s classics like Super Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing and plenty of other amazing games. When it came to Unbox, we wanted those inspirations to inform the design while ensuring we also created a unique experience.
GC: What are the challenges you faced while developing Unbox?
AB: Actually finishing Unbox was probably the biggest challenge! No one ever feels like they’re truly done with their game and there was always areas we wanted to improve and things we wanted to add. What helped us finish Unbox was actually cutting a lot of content out so that we could improve the really important parts of the experience.
GC: Tell us a bit about your studio, Prospect Games.
AB: Prospect Games is a Manchester based studio made of young developers from a range of backgrounds. From AAA studios to modding and contract work, we’ve done a bit of everything. Our mission statement is simple: Make fun games!
GC: What do you think about VR Gaming? Do you think you would be developing games in VR in the near future?
AB: We’ve prototyped some VR experiences and I think it’s a massive industry waiting to explode in growth, provided that consumers are given worthwhile experiences for them to invest in. Right now there are lots of interesting ideas and not many fleshed out products on the VR market. We’d certainly like to change that given the chance.
GC: Has the change in the market towards VR affected indie game developers? If so, how?
AB: I don’t think there has been a massive change in the market towards VR yet, sure there has been a lot of hype but not much that lives up to it. Plenty of indie developers are creating cool experimental games in VR at the moment, it’s an exciting time to be in the industry.
The team at Prospect Games, UK.
GC: Now that Sony has announced the PS4 Neo, how difficult do you think it is for developers to make games for two different sets of hardware and graphical fidelities? Or do you think it is the same as developing for PCs?
AB: It won’t be the same as developing for PC as the console market still has strict compliance standards to ensure broken and poorly optimised games don’t get on their platforms. Both the PS4 Pro and the Xbox Scorpio have created uncertainty and confusion amongst consumers and developers, I’m sure these issues will be cleared up as more facts become available.
GC: Outside of gaming and game development, what else do you enjoy doing?
AB: I really enjoy getting outside as much as possible, usually running or hiking up mountains. I also enjoy rock climbing, it’s the perfect cure for stiff muscles after sitting at a PC for 12 hours straight!
GC: What’s your most anticipated upcoming game?
AB: I’m really looking forward to Yooka Laylee and I loved Nuclear Throne so I’m excited for Vlambeer to announce their next game. The unfortunate reality of making games for a living is that you don’t actually get to play many!
GC: What’s your favorite game of the year so far?
AB: I honestly haven’t played much over 2016 due to Unbox, can’t say I’ve played anything that came out this year…
GC: Gameplay, story, or graphics? Which is more important to you?
AB: It depends on the game and for most titles, these elements are like intertwining string. You can’t pull one without affecting the other, so it’s important to work on making each aspect of your game great. Our composer would also like everyone reading to not forget about sound and music either!
GC: If you were to give one piece of advice to budding game developers, what would it be?
AB: Start small and take things one step at a time. Rushing forward to make the game of your dreams could send your business into an early grave. Ensure you’re financially stable at each stage and eliminate risk by making products that consumers actually want, rather than just making what you want to play.
Prospect Games is an indie games team with a strong goal in mind: create unique and innovative games using the latest technology. Based in Manchester, UK, Prospect Games’ first title Unbox, the best 3D platformer about the life of a sentient and self-delivering cardboard box, which is available on Steam. Jasmeet loved the game and gave it a 8 on 10, read the full review here.
