Earlier today, I was able to snag a Beta key for Bloodsports.TV, the newest game by Fatshark, an independent Swedish game development studio.
I downloaded the game on Steam and immediately launched it. I loved everything about it and wanted to sit down and chat with the developers. I chatted a bit with Liam, the line producer at Fatshark, and he answered a few questions for Gamespresso about the game.
I’ll start us off by saying that the music is phenomenal. It was literally the first thing that I noticed once the game was launched. Was there a company that you worked with to develop the music for the game, or were you the geniuses behind it?
Glad to hear you like the music! Since Bloodsports.TV is a spin-off of a game we previously released (Krater) we looked in to using a similar style of music as we used in that game. After experimenting with the style and new compositions we felt that the music just didn’t quite match the more action focused gameplay of Bloodsports.TV. We started throwing ideas around and stumbled upon Mega Drive (https://megadrivemusic.com/) who creates this fantastic electronic music fueled by retro synthesizers and vicious tempos. Looking back at our music from Krater and adding the element of increased action, it was a perfect fit – so we got in touch and struck a deal that to use the music in the game, something we’re super happy about!
How did all of this start? What was the inspiration behind an arena tower defense game?
It all started with the will to make a great Co-op game. The dev team built a prototype within the first month of development which you would barely recognize from the game we have today. We spent a long time iterating on the formula and figuring out exactly how we wanted the game to feel and play. In the earlier versions you actually moved with the WASD keys and fired with the Mouse!
As iterations went on we found ourselves lending from the MOBA genre for both control schemes and progression systems as well as old hero defense mods for Warcraft 3 which we’ve always loved. Its been a constant process of building something, testing it and discussing whether or not it made the game better, then repeating the process. Working with Toadman Interactive on the game has been a great experience due to their willingness to experiment with new ideas and iterate until we feel happy.
Since the game is currently in Beta, there are bound to be bugs and glitches. How do you work to improve them? And do you have users suggesting changes to the game at all as they play?
Before launching the public Beta we invited friends, family and aspiring game developers to try out the game and give us their feedback and suggestions. The problem for us as developers is that we lose sight of the first impressions of games since we’re so invested in them. Its super important for us to hear from first-time players about what issues they run in to and what they like and dislike. User suggestions definitely play a large role in to the changes we make to the game, great ideas can come from anywhere!
My personal favourite gladiator to use is Buzzer, due to his range as a marksman and the awesome stuns means awesome CC. What gladiator do you think players would enjoy the most, and which one do you enjoy most of all?
Its always been important for us is to make sure that each gladiator brings something to the table and is both interesting to play and useful to the team. When gathering feedback we always make sure to ask about favourite and least favourite gladiators, to make sure none of them are lagging behind in popularity. Overall I feel we’ve struck a great balance between them, though the Regulators certainly seem to be a community favourite at the moment 🙂
Personally I’m a huge fan of the Slayers, because they let me go for an all-out offensive build and live on the edge!
Do you think you will eventually implement more gladiators as time goes on?
While I’m unable to go in to any specifics it is definitely on our list of things we’d love to do!
As of right now, there are 6 different maps to choose from. Would there me more added to those, as well?
Its definitely a possiblity!
With MOBAs and eSports becoming increasingly popular, how do you think you’ll stack up in comparison to other games? And what are your expectations for it?
Since we’ve gone for purely co-operative play, I feel the comparison with MOBAs might not be the most accurate one. Our hope is that we can deliver on the hero defense formula and that the control scheme and style from MOBAs help make the game easy to pick up and play.
With our Leaderboards and the Path to Glory system I feel we have a competitive element to offer players who want to challenge themselves to become the very best. Already during the Beta we’ve noticed people teaming up and attempting to reach that #1 spot in the Leaderboards. Its a lot of fun to see and hopefully an aspect of the game we’ll be able to boost further in the future.
Will you be celebrating the release, on March 30th? If so, how?
Definitely! Most likely by playing with the community and looking back at where the project began and where we’re at today. We’ve certainly come a long way and hope to go even further in the future!
Bloodsports.TV is current available for pre-purchase on Steam, with a 5 pack available for you and your friends at a very cheap price.
Follow us on Twitter to know when we’ll be streaming with a team member from the game.
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