Vancouver man brings his long-time dream to life — a video game called Stikkmenn
It took more than 15 years, but one Vancouver man’s video game dream is finally becoming a reality
In 2009, a digital world of smarmy green pigs, furious wingless birds and towers of blocks swept through the world of mobile gaming like an avalanche. The combination of addictive, time-blurring gameplay and whimsical game design turned Angry Birds — the product of a small, independent Finnish gaming studio — into the most downloaded game in history, with more than two billion downloads today.
Angry Birds is a juggernaut. There are 16 editions of the game, merchandise, cartoons, and even a feature movie in the works. It is the epitome of success out of the blue, and it could only have happened through an independent studio.
The challenges of trying to pique the interest of a big game developer with a product that runs counter to current trends is something that Vancouver’s Eric Haugen knows intimately.
“If you tried to pitch birds, slingshots and some green pigs to a big studio, they would have laughed you out of there. It’s really hard to predict this kind of stuff,” said the 43-year-old Haugen, who worked for the largest video-game company in Vancouver during the 1990s.
While working at this particular company, he pitched his own idea — a game that revolved around a stickman character. His bosses passed on the idea.
“We should keep in mind that while I worked for the big studios, the main focus for games was on cuttingedge graphics and hyperrealism,” he said. “This was decidedly before the casual games craze, and certainly before silly combinations like wingless birds and slingshots were at all feasible. I believed then that there was a huge potential market that wanted to step back from the cutting edge, and I guess I was right.
“Looking back, I’d say that what ‘it’ was waiting for was the advent of touch-enabled devices, mobile gaming, and the hordes of gamers who wanted something more funny, more casual, and less stressful to play. I could not have known this back then, but it’s as clear as day to me now.”
Haugen put his game back on the shelf, where it incubated for the past 15 years. In 2012, he went to Norway to visit family, and ended up putting down roots in Oppdal, a small town (pop. 4,000) about 400 kilometres north of Oslo. It was there, in this rural community where sheep and farming is far more prevalent than iPads and game design, that his idea was resurrected and came to life. Stikkmenn was born.
In its current incarnation, it’s a mission-based game akin to Super Mario, but this first edition is just the “tip of the spear,” with plans for expanding the mobile/tablet app into multiple gaming platforms and genres. The crux of the game is its central character: the stickman.
“What differentiates Stikkmenn from the pack? I’d say the chief element is our character,” said Haugen. “He’s someone that everyone on the planet already knows. We see him every day on street signs and washroom doors, and we’ve probably been drawing him since we were kids. If you want to take a longer look at that, consider the paintings on cave walls and hieroglyphics ... Stikkmann has been around since we were cavemen.”
The game is being developed trans-Atlantically. Haugen has teams in Norway and Vancouver, both working frantically to get the game ready in time for their planned summer release. The global production is fitting, considering the cultural elements they’ve embedded in the game. The goal is to produce a character for every country, every region, and beyond.
There are Stikkmenn in the garish plaid pants made famous by the Norwegian curling team; Vikings, cowboys, ninjas, astronauts, beach volleyball players … the list is endless. And it’s exactly what Haugen and his team want.
“Some of them have come from the recesses of my own mind, some have come from members of our team, and some have come from kids and fans,” said Haugen. “This is the real strength of Stikkmenn: everyone can imagine a cool or funny character, and thus everyone can submit an idea. We will embrace this, and we will create a never-ending roster of Stikkmenn characters to add to our game. International Stikkmenn, Stikkmenn from history, fantasy, and mythology, and Stikkmenn from the wild imaginations of all the people who play it.”
Haugen’s five-year-old son Jonas has been an inspiration for several of the characters, as well as the game itself, and serves as the youth beta tester for their production company, Eight Legged Steed.
“That’s really just icing on the cake,” said Haugen. “I’m making this game with (and for) my son Jonas. I didn’t have this little guy to inspire me before, and now I see that it’s a crucial piece of the puzzle. ... what I’ve got to do. My family, friends and colleagues know I’ve been talking about this for decades. Whether it becomes a hit or whether it’s just out there, I have to do it no matter what. Success or failure, I’ve got to go through with it. I hope it speaks to people.”
Judging from the response they’ve had, it will. Stikkmenn has received massive interest wherever they’ve demonstrated it, from New York to Copenhagen. In August, in conjunction with the game’s launch, is a 33-city RV road trip across Europe, where the game will not only be displayed at conventions, the team will gather unique and identifying cultural traits that will be incorporated into the game. Everything from local music, dances, landmarks and landscapes will be recorded and mapped.
Next year, Haugen hopes to do the same type of road trip in Canada and the U.S., but until then people can submit character ideas through their Facebook page ( facebook.com/Stikkmenn).
Haugen knows that he and his team are jumping into a competitive melee where it’s increasingly harder to gain any traction before catching on. Take Rovio, the a fore mentioned creator of Angry Birds; it took them 52 games before they found the magic formula. But that hasn’t deterred them.
“I think the current state of free-toplay games is kind of stuck in quicksand, and it needs to have a shakeup,” he said. “I think there is an overemphasis on sequels and formulaic content, and an over-reliance on shooting and death. … Whether (Stikkmenn) sells or not, I’m not gonna make one of those games. I’m doing this with my kid, and for you and your kids, and I think we could all do with a few less ‘fatalities’ in our world — virtual or otherwise.
“I think there are some awesome indie companies out there that are starting to take some big chances and imparting some change to the industry, and I hope that we can be a part of that.”
“(Making this game) is what I’ve got to do. My family, friends and colleagues know I’ve been talking about this for decades. Whether it becomes a hit or whether it’s just out there, I have to do it no matter what. Success or failure, I’ve got to go through with it. I hope it speaks to people.” ť ERIC HAUGEN