Game Dev Tycoon
| Game Dev Tycoon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Greenheart Games |
| Publisher(s) | Greenheart Games |
| Distributor(s) |
|
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, Windows RT, Mac OS X, Linux |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Business simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Game Dev Tycoon is a business simulation video game that was released on December 10, 2012.[1] In the game, the player creates and publishes video games. Game Dev Tycoon was inspired by the iOS and Android game, Game Dev Story[2] (by Kairosoft), and many critics find substantial similarities between the two games. Game Dev Tycoon was created by Greenheart Games, a company founded in July 2012 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Klug.
Anti-piracy release
The game's developers implemented a unique anti-piracy measure for Game Dev Tycoon. Patrick Klug, founder of Greenheart Games, knowing that the game was likely to be torrented extensively, purposely released a cracked version of the game and uploaded it himself to torrent sites. Gameplay in this version is identical except for one variation, as players progress through the game they receive the following message:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />
Boss, it seems that while many players play our new game, they steal it by downloading a cracked version rather than buying it legally. If players don’t buy the games they like, we will sooner or later go bankrupt.
— Greenheart Games, Game Dev Tycoon
Eventually players of the cracked version will gradually lose money until they do go bankrupt, as a result of pirates.[3]
Progression
The player starts out in a garage in the early 1980s during the Golden age of arcade video games with no employees, limited money, and limited choices for the first game. As new games are created, new options are unlocked. When the first game engine is built, the player's game development skills improve. New consoles will also be released, and the player will be able to buy licenses for certain consoles, such as the GS, PlaySystem, mBox, and grPad which parody real life consoles and devices with different names due to trademark regulations. As the player progresses through the game further they have the opportunity to move to new offices and hire staff. After that further expansion is available, with players given the opportunity to open an R&D lab when reaching certain requirements that host major projects, allowing the player to unlock things they wouldn't be able to otherwise, such as MMOs and online game shops similar to Steam, Uplay, App Store etc. The player may also open up a Hardware Lab to create consoles and devices.
Reception
Game Dev Tycoon received varied reviews upon release. Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gave the game a score of 68 based on 21 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[4] Besides the mixed reviews on Metacritic, on the Steam Community, the game received a 10 out of 10, based on over 19000 reviews. The game was cited as "Overwhelmingly Positive" on its Steam page.[5]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
