Full streaming video here

Last March, Andy hosted the annual Independent Games Festival Awards show. The show was attended by 2500 people and awarded the highest honors that an independent game developer can receive.

A few of the big winners were:
Crayon Physics Deluxe
World of Goo
Audiosurf

Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa was a finalist for the IGF Grand Prize in 2005, back when Pocketwatch Games was just getting started.

I’ll be giving the Game Career Seminar keynote lecture at the E For All conference on October 3rd. If you are at the conference get there early, it’s likely to fill up!

The lecture is with Dan Paladin of The Behemoth (Castle Crashers, Alien Hominid) and it’s entitled “Design By Committee”. The lecture is described thus:

Dan Paladin of The Behemoth and Andy Schatz of Pocketwatch Games have different design sensibilities. Andy builds cerebral strategy games about animals. Dan builds gonzo-retro-arcade-style games. Using input from the audience, they’ll somehow find a way to agree on a game design — and in the process illustrate their styles and processes in an open-ended art and brainstorming session.

An excerpt:

Will simulated worlds be all that is left of the Arctic?

Two thoughts spring to mind. The first is a bit contrary to the message of some environmentalists (of which I consider myself one) – the Arctic will not disappear, but it will change.

It’s not going to turn into a parking lot simply because it is warmer, but it will be vastly different for the animals and peoples that live there today. It’s even possible that some animal populations might flourish in the long run because of global warming. It’s easy to imagine Arctic wolves, or even caribou finding themselves to be unexpected beneficiaries of warmer weather.

Unfortunately, a crash in fish populations due to a squeeze in the temperature bands in the northern parts of the globe, along with other problems created by rising temperatures and lack of sea ice will likely cause catastrophic changes in many unique ecosystems globally. We will look back with regret at how full of riches the world once was.

I should note that while I have done plenty of research and I feel personally connected to the fate of the Arctic, I am not a scientist. I hope I can contribute in some small way towards preserving the Arctic as it exists today simply by helping kids to appreciate the beauty of the natural world we’ve been entrusted with.

 

I’ve always focused on making the Venture Games for ANYONE with a curious mind and an interest in animals and the outdoors - the fact that the games appeal to ALL ages is partly what makes them such strong games for kids. Parents and kids can play them together, teachers can use them to teach, and gamers can just play them for fun.

He pronounces the game’s eco-friendly box and theme more than just a buzzworld or a sales gimmick.  We are the real deal!

For two years, Pocketwatch Games has donated a large percentage of the revenue from their PC/Mac games Venture Africa and Venture Arctic to The WILD Foundation.

Venture Africa, an ecosystem-building game set in the Serengeti, was originally released in 2005, garnering major award nominations in the 2006 Independent Games Festival and 2006 Slamdance Gamemaker festival. The follow-up to that game, Venture Arctic, was released in 2007 and received GameTunnel’s Sim Game of the Year award, as well as being named the 28th best “indie” game of all time. In both games, players build and manage ecosystems of animals, trying to balance the needs of each of the diverse species. In addition to their entertainment value, both games have been used in the classroom to help kids learn about food chains and animal behaviors. Pocketwatch Games sells the games in digital format from their website as well as in retail box format in stores across North America.

Beyond its cash donations to WILD, Pocketwatch Games’ has consistently contributed to the environmental movement. Founder Andy Schatz recently served as the Executive Producer of Green.com, an upcoming eco-themed kid’s website, while the retail box of Venture Arctic will be made entirely from recycled packaging. According to Schatz, this will be the first ever major video game released in such an eco-friendly box.

The donation of revenue to The WILD Foundation is significant since it is coming from an independent video game studio. Typically, “indie” studios operate on such a small budget that they cannot afford to make charitable contributions. Vance Martin, President of The WILD Foundation, commented, “The WILD Foundation is very enthused about our partnership with Pocketwatch Games and Andy Schatz, because they are at the front end of the curve in their approach to environment and business. Our programs will benefit from this continued Pocketwatch sponsorship, and we applaud the corporation’s exemplary commitment to wilderness, wildlife and education.”

About Pocketwatch Games
Founded in 2005 by game industry journeyman Andy Schatz, Pocketwatch Games, LLC creates “enriching entertainment” for kids, gamers, and families. For more information, visit www.pocketwatchgames.com.

About The WILD Foundation
The WILD Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Boulder, Colorado. WILD works internationally to protect and sustain wilderness and wildlife while meeting the needs of human communities. For more information, visit www.wild.org.

Press Contacts:
Pocketwatch Games
Andy Schatz
press@pocketwatchgames.com

The WILD Foundation
Emily Loose
emily@wild.org
303.442.8811

To list just a few of the changes:

• Kid’s mode has been added — This mode makes all the tools free and removes the goals, providing for a more sandboxy experience.
• High scores and an ecosystem advisor have been added, helping you to achieve a perfectly balanced ecosystem.
• Artificial Intelligence for the wolves, ravens, jellyfish, hares, lemmings, foxes, and more have been improved.
• Deforestation presents a much bigger challenge now in later levels.

Enjoy the update!