Interview with Troy Hepfner about Fashion Cents
Dressing dolls: A Family activity
By Russell D. Carroll [March 12, 2004]


What do you think makes Independent games distinctive?
Creativity. I don’t even look for games in the stores anymore, because there is nothing there I haven’t already played a hundred times. Independent games, on the other hand, are often fresh and innovative. They’re a lot more fun!

How did your studio get your start in working with independent games?
Besides the lack of creativity in mainstream games, we have also noticed a growing vacuum of clean, family-friendly games. We have many friends with kids who have lamented over this trend, and the more people we talked to, the more we realized that there is a sizable market here that is being largely ignored by the mainstream game companies.

I’ve always loved computer games, and I created lots of simple little games in college. With the encouragement of family and friends, I decided to see if I could turn my hobby into a viable business. So in the spring of 2003, my wife and I started our own computer game company. Our purpose is to create clean, family-friendly games for boys and girls of all ages, as an alternative to the trashy titles and grotesque games that are prevalent on the store shelves. Our target audience is primarily Christian families, although our games appeal to anyone who is looking for some good clean fun.

What is the most innovative feature of Fashion Cents and how is it innovative in your mind?
It is a game designed specifically for girls, and the gameplay is very unique for a girl’s game. Fashion Cents is based an activity that most girls can relate to, namely dressing up dolls, but we’ve taken the doll concept and turned it into a competition. Unlike other girl “games” which are usually activities without any real purpose, Fashion Cents features classic game objectives like levels to conquer, points to score, and bonuses to earn.

But it doesn’t stop there. Fashion Cents is structured to reward the gamer with much more than scores and bonuses as they advance through the game levels. The girls get very excited when they discover that the higher levels give them new clothing items to play with. As a result, the girls are driven to succeed so they can see what comes next.

What do gamers appreciate most about Fashion Cents?
We have received many e-mails from girls of all ages, and the one thing they all say is “It’s fun!” (We also get chewed out because it is so addicting.)

But seriously, I think what the gamers enjoy most about Fashion Cents is the large variety of clothing items and the freedom to mix and match them in new and creative ways. Registered owners of the game get to play with hundreds of clothing items, and we periodically release add-on packs containing lots of new clothes. We make the add-on packs available exclusively to registered owners, free-of-charge, which keeps the game fresh and entertaining. We want to make sure our customers get a lot of value for their money.

What was the most difficult part of Fashion Cents to program?
All the interchangeable clothes! We wanted the game to have a cartoon look and feel, so all of the dolls and clothes are hand-drawn. Scanning the graphics and sizing them all to fit properly was a real challenge. We ended up refinishing all the graphics and repainting them in Corel Photo Paint, so in a sense, we had to do most of the artwork twice.

Other than your own game did any one of the IGF finalists or Student Showcase games stand out to you? Why?
Funny you should ask. After we submitted Fashion Cents to the IGF, we began working on our next game. It was a word search game but instead of a traditional square grid, we decided to do a hexagonal-shaped grid and use a bumblebee theme. When the IGF announced the finalists back on December 12, we naturally looked through the list to see who our competition was. We were very surprised to discover an entry in the Web/Downloadable category entitled, Beesly’s Buzzwords! It was very similar to our idea! At first we were rather bummed. But then we realized that even though someone beat us to the punch, it was obviously a prize-winning idea! So we are encouraged by the fact that we’re on a roll!

What is your definition of an Independent Game?
To me, an independent game is one that isn’t controlled or dominated by the mainstream game publishers and their marketing trends. Because of this, independent game developers are free to be creative and produce games that are original and fun.

How do you think Independent Games will evolve in the future?
In recent years, I have seen very few “new” games produced by mainstream game companies. Most games are the same old games, repackaged with fancier graphics and sounds. I think many consumers are looking for something new and different, and independent game developers have a unique opportunity to satisfy that desire because they are not bound by corporate politics and marketing trends. Those developers who can think outside the box and create truly original games that give gamers unique experiences will do very well in this business. Those developers who can’t, who just reinvent the wheel, will never last. You can’t make it as an Independent by writing Quake and Half-Life clones, because you can’t compete with the mainstream game companies who produce those games far better than you. I think the successful independent games in coming years will be those that give the players something they haven’t seen before.

What is the biggest challenge facing Independent games?
Innovation.
Traditionally, many independent games have been technically innovative, blazing new trails in graphics and sound. For example, we all know that Commander Keen was one of the first games to bring smooth scrolling worlds to the PC, and Wolfenstein 3D paved the way for 3D games.

However, in recent years, technology has advanced to the point where technical innovation is time-consuming and costly. Most independent developers cannot compete with the deep pockets of the mainstream game companies in the areas of technical innovation. I think independent developers need to learn how to be innovative in new ways. Rather than being technically innovative, developers should strive for innovation in gameplay - give the players a unique experience. Or be innovative with respect to your marketing approach - write games for niche markets, like girls, small children, or Christian families (find a demand and fill it).

As one of the leaders of Independent Games, what is next for you?
We have two new projects in the works. The first project is a word search game, although it doesn’t use a hexagonal grid or a bumblebee theme anymore. We’ve taken the game in a new direction, and we are very excited about it. I can promise you that you’ve never seen a word game like this before! It is based on a toy theme, and it is much more animated than Fashion Cents. We are close to completing this project and hope to release it by the end of March.

The second project is a game that both boys and girls will enjoy, and we are just getting started with the game design. I’m not at liberty to say much about it yet, except that it will continue our tradition of good clean fun!