Renewable energy may be seen as an alternative in the modern world. Rich Selfridge, a D.C.-area game developer, wants to reframe the discussion and get people to think of it as a necessity. That's why he is currently seeking funding for his new game The Grid on Kickstarter.
"I think renewable energy is a thing that people think about on a daily basis that’s not in their top 10," Selfridge told DC Inno. He hopes that a story set after aliens have wiped out Earth's human population will help elevate solar and wind use a higher priority.
Selfridge, who used to work with management operations at the Department of Energy, honed his skills at Stevens Institute of Technology and has been working The Grid for four years. That process has taken him through redesigns and new platforms, but now he thinks he has a formula for a build-and-defend game that will marry his altruistic goals with a compelling game that finds its way onto mobile devices.
"I don’t want to be overly preachy," he emphasized. "I don’t want to be annoying."
From the looks of the video clips Selfridge posted for his Kickstarter campaign, it looks as though the shooting, aliens and warfare that drive the game will all get a chance to balance out the fun and the education.
It's a compelling premise – and one that the game's creator hopes to see fully realized. Games such as Boom Beach and Clash of Clans have shown that the build-and-defend strategy genre can reach millions of players. Now, a new entry to the marketplace could deliver addictive gameplay with an added dimension of deeper thought.
Selfridge has one week to go in his campaign, which is looking to grab $9,500 by the time it ends. He's raised $1,275 as of Monday morning. His plan is to beta-test The Grid in the coming weeks, and – if he's successful – expand his one-man development team at RSELF Games and cover some of the work that will be necessary. He mentions animation as one of those key areas where he lacks expertise, though he hasn't balked at composing his own soundtrack for the game.
"I’ve had a lot of hurdles," Selfridge admitted. Just learning to ask his friends and family for money when his campaign first launched was one of those hurdles. But Selfridge is excited about wrapping up the Kickstarter campaign with the goal of launching his game by the end of 2016. And the process has made him optimistic about what he can accomplish.
"If you’re passionate about something," he said, "don’t let those things stop you."
