Vince McDonnell, the mastermind behind The PlayForge, recently opened up about the origins of the game development studio and the highly anticipated launch of their latest game, Zombie Life. McDonnell’s journey began when he worked for Double Helix, a renowned console game developer. However, the rise of success stories in the App Store caught his attention, sparking his desire to partake in the mobile gaming revolution.

Motivated by his dissatisfaction with his current work, McDonnell made the bold decision to drop everything and embark on developing a mobile game. Recognizing the limitations of mobile devices in terms of screen size, he focused on creating simple and casual games that seamlessly adapted to smaller screens. McDonnell stated, “If you make a simple game, all of those problems go away. That’s why I chose to make casual games.”

Zombie Farm, McDonnell’s first solo project, marked a pivotal moment in his career. Prior to that, he had developed a chore management product called Chore Hero. However, his true passion lay in gaming, and Zombie Farm allowed him to combine his love for video games with the casual gaming trend that was taking the industry by storm. McDonnell revealed, “I was learning to pick up iOS, and it was very time-consuming. My passion is playing video games, but I didn’t have the time to do it. But I still found time to play social games.” Inspired by the satisfaction derived from playing games like FarmVille and Plants vs. Zombies, he aimed to create a similar experience that users could continuously return to.

Zombie Farm’s success hinged on McDonnell’s unwavering dedication and his willingness to pour his heart into developing a great game. Taking a leap of faith, he embraced the freemium model, which was not yet widely adopted at the time. Reflecting on his decision, McDonnell shared, “I was very apprehensive about making a freemium game, but it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.” Despite limited marketing efforts, the game’s popularity soared, proving that a well-crafted game could attract a significant user base.

Following the triumph of Zombie Farm, the pressure was on for McDonnell to deliver a worthy successor with Zombie Life. However, he remained steadfast in his belief that creating games he personally wanted to play was the key to success. McDonnell explained, “If I follow that approach, success will follow. If I start making games that are not what I believe in, that’s when I’ll be afraid whether or not I can make something better.” Zombie Life, a life simulation game, introduced new challenges in terms of revenue models, leading McDonnell to explore consumables as a logical choice.

As the first game McDonnell built with a team, Zombie Life posed a learning curve for him in terms of management and building a company. Adjusting to his role as a director and navigating the complexities of team management were significant challenges. Nevertheless, McDonnell embraced the learning process, determined to overcome the obstacles that came his way.

When asked about porting Zombie Life to other platforms, McDonnell emphasized the importance of focusing on one platform to deliver exceptional gaming experiences. He drew from his console experience, where spreading resources across multiple consoles compromised the game’s quality. McDonnell stressed, “We want to focus on making great games for one platform. We can’t spread ourselves too thin if we want to make the games we want to make.”

Offering advice to aspiring mobile developers, McDonnell emphasized the significance of passion and belief in one’s creation. He urged developers to create games they genuinely wanted to play and to hold off on releasing a game until they wholeheartedly believed in its quality.

With the launch of Zombie Life on the horizon, The PlayForge continues to push the boundaries of mobile gaming, guided by McDonnell’s passion for creating captivating and enjoyable experiences. As fans eagerly await the release, all signs point to another thrilling addition to The PlayForge’s impressive lineup.