Ganymede Games, an indie game development studio based in Las Cruces, will release its first game Dark Sky on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Co-founders Jerry Prochazka, CEO, and Rob Thompson, COO, previously worked together for over eight years at companies including Riot Games and Wargaming. They headquartered Ganymede Games in Las Cruces in 2019.
Thompson is a lifelong gamer who played professionally and dropped out of college to pursue a career in the industry. Recalling the co-founders' time together at company Wargaming, where he and Prochazka worked on World of Tanks and World of Warships, Thompson said, “We wanted to build a studio in a location outside the typical coasts, because we saw it done successfully in Europe. We asked ourselves, 'Do you have to build a company in California or Texas?'”
Thompson said the company was drawn to Las Cruces due to the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) funding, the Job Training Incentive Program, Refundable Film Production Tax Credit and comparatively low cost of living.
Thompson said he and Prochazka sought to create a game for underserved audiences. He explained the creation of Dark Sky is comparable to television, where there can be a combination of genres of mystery and horror. The game sought its own “chocolate and peanut butter” combination by mixing two genres: role-playing games and an immersive world experience with tactical card combat, all while “uncovering the mystery behind a sudden planetary cataclysm.”
While this provides a fresh experience for gamers, the challenge is developer execution. Thompson said making content such as film, TV or music is already challenging, and creating a video game has the added challenge of making a technology product and a movie at the same time. The game also has 50,000 words and is available in five languages: Simplified Chinese, Russian, German, French, Spanish and English.
“The thing that’s stood out, is the team that we’ve built and assembled," Thompson said. "The experience we’ve had collaborating is hard to come by. … We now have experience putting a game together, and it’s a very important milestone for us.”
Ganymede Games, now a team of 16, carried out extensive research building the game, logging 100 hours of Zoom calls with gamers and releasing a survey across social media platforms that elicited 10,000 responses. The company created three different prototypes, and a campaign to see if players would purchase it.
Thompson said the process was a success, and as a result, the company acquired players profitably. He said the company also worked with influencersto see what they think — would the game be shared and would the players continue to use the game over a more prolonged period of time. The company then gained the interest of a publisher, Midwest Games, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which like Ganymede Games, understands what it means to be a startup and focuses on creating opportunities for talent in underrepresented areas.
The company’s research process is not necessarily unique, but Thompson explained that as a venture-funded startup, there is added pressure to fully understand potential customers and use investments responsibly. He added, “In a traditional model at a big company, its typical to spend four years at work and cross your fingers. … We involved players in the development process, building a game that resonates with their hearts and minds.”
Now, the Ganymede Games team is working on necessary updates to the game’s software. Thompson said the team will continue to make games and soon their focus will turn to “what they are cooking up next,” already having shared their vision with some investors.
The company has raised over $1.4 million to date for the current launch of Dark Sky. Investors include the Arrowhead Innovation Fund, New Mexico Vintage Fund, Techstars, Gaingels, Ingenuity Venture Fund and several gaming executives.
Thompson said they are currently fundraising for the next phase of the studio, which includes developing a second game. The company is inviting existing investors, and gaming-specific investors as there are now “more gaming venture capital funds out there.” Thompson said their “model of building what’s called ‘premium games’ has fallen back into favor and investors have taken notice.”
The game will be available on Windows PC through digital distribution platforms Steam and GOG.
