Part 1: Interview With Metanet Software

Introduction:
Metanet Software, for those of you living with your heads buried in your armpits for the last year, is the Toronto-based independent game development company that released N in early/mid 2004. I'm not going to tell you anything about N, because if you don't already know what it is you should spank yourself and go download the game now: it's free, and it's on the short list.

Metanet is composed of two individuals, Raigan Burns and Mare Sheppard, who met in a computer science class and promptly joined forces to make the world of gaming a better place. They have been interviewed a number of times, and I'm not going to ask them any of the questions that they've already been asked -- check out those other interviews for more.

TIGSource:

Why make games? Aren't they a waste of time? What do you tell all the poor mothers out there who come to you crying because their children are squandering their lives away playing N? What do you tell all the bosses who come to you with similar complaints regarding employees? Do you people not care about world productivity at all?

Metanet:

No one has come to us with complaints quite like those [grin]... Maybe we're making games to get back at all those people who ruined our productivity with their fabulous games.

TIGSource:

So you regard game-making as valuable? What I'm trying to ask is, why make games instead of... I don't know… painting or something (I know you're into art, Mare).

Metanet:

Oh absolutely. And we do paint and make videos and all that too -- but games are different and fun and just as worthwhile. It's more of a new thing (the games industry), so it's more exciting...we think there's a lot we can do both in and for the industry. We have tons of interests, but games are on the top of the list.

TIGSource:

Continuing on then: why make free games? Don't you have children to feed, or causes to donate to, or ambitious plans of world domination that require lots of cash? Do you not like money? Or are you too embarrassed to ask for it because you don't think people would buy your games?

Metanet:

Well, there are a lot of good free games out there, and we want to give back to the community. Also, it's our first game, so it was a learning experience for us, as well as sort of one of those shady drug dealer type things: the first one's free [sinister smile]. Anyway, we also plan on making other free games. People like Pixel and Kenta Cho are inspirational for us; someday we'll figure out a good way of making money as well.

TIGSource:

So distribution concerns had nothing to do with the free-ness? Someone famous (whose name, conveniently enough, I can't recall at the moment) once said that the issue of charging for a game or not comes down to pride vs. greed: if you choose not to charge, it's only because you want the whole world to see your game.

Metanet:

We do think that N being free had a lot to do with its widespread distribution, but we planned on making it free from the start. For one thing we didn't know who'd pay for a game made in flash -- we wanted to prove that you could make a good game in Flash, one worth playing, and if that had been proven already perhaps we would have felt more inclined to charge for N.

TIGSource:

This is completely off topic, but do you have to be geeks to make computer games? Do you consider yourselves geeks?

Metanet:

We don't really think you have to be a geek to make computer games... Mare's not sure she can really consider herself a geek yet anyway (though she is closer to admitting it than ever before). Raigan is obviously a geek though. Mare makes fun of his twelve sided dice all the time.

Anyway point being, you don't have to be a geek, but being that much into games helps since you have a rich understanding of the field.

TIGSource:

Okay: give me a day-in-the-life.

Metanet:

Our names are Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns. We are twenty-five years old. We live in the American Garden Buildings on West Eighty-First Street, on the eleventh floor; Tom Cruise lives in the penthouse.

We believe in taking care of ourselves, in a balanced diet, in a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if our faces are a little puffy, we'll put on ice packs while doing our stomach crunches. We can do a thousand now.

After we remove the icepacks, we use a deep pore-cleanser lotion. In the shower, we use a water-activated gel cleanser, then a honey-almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then we apply an herb mint facial masque which we leave on for ten minutes while we prepare the rest of our routine.

We always use an after-shave lotion with little or no alcohol because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm, followed by a final moisturizing "protective" lotion...

There is an idea of a Metanet Software, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real us, only an entity, something illusory, and though we can hide our cold gaze and you can shake our hands and feel flesh gripping you and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: we simply are not there.

It is hard for us to make sense on any given level. Our selves are fabricated, an aberration. Our personalities are sketchy and unformed, our heartlessness goes deep and is persistent. Our conscience, our pity, our hopes disappeared a long time ago, if they ever did exist.

Metanet:

That's from American Psycho. Okay... so we both have day jobs to pay the bills, but we can code in the evenings. At least, we try to -- we do get a lot of video game playing in there too. And hanging out with friends, and cats.

TIGSource:

You said, in your interview with The Cultural Gutter that you would consider yourselves "indie gamers." What do you think about the current state of independent gaming?

Metanet:

There are a lot of good games out, but at the same time there is an unsettling trend towards becoming more and more mainstream: to emulate the "big leagues" of the video game industry. Looking at the music industry, it's depressing when the independent scene becomes a second mainstream.

TIGSource:

It's interesting that you should say that, because those tend to be my thoughts as well, and my next question was actually going to be about innovation in the indie scene, but you've pretty much answered that one already.

Could you name some indie developers that you would consider truly innovative though?

Metanet:

Oh yeah -- there are a lot of innovative games out there; we're just discouraged by the increasing amount of crap.

Innovative developers: Chronic Logic, Kenta Cho, Pixel, Michal Marcinkowski (Soldat)… Jon Mak (a friend of ours - Gate88)... there are tons more…

TIGSource:

On a side note, I noticed the link to apple.com on your site… you guys big Mac supporters?

Metanet:

Yes--Well, half of Metanet is... the Mare half. Raigan will grudgingly admit to liking Mac too: his major gripe has to do with the "crazy prices."

TIGSource:

I take it then that creating cross-platform games is something that's important to you?

Metanet:

Yeah it's important… we'll try to continue that trend in the future. Making games for the Mac is sort of like feeding the hungry, and we like supporting as many users as possible.

A lot of people [developers] are Windows only, just because Microsoft has made it so easy with the glut of DirectX game tools -- we think that sucks ass.

TIGSource:

Getting back to development… what do you guys consider the most rewarding aspect of being freeware game developers?

Metanet:

It gives us a chance to do what we love. Playing the games we make is awesome, and making games is fun in itself. Sometimes you want to play a game that doesn't exist yet. So you make it, and all is well with the world again.

TIGSource:

Okay, well, what's the worst thing about being freeware game developers?

Metanet:

People telling you to "Add guns" is by far the worst thing.

Also, friends and family not understanding why we're not making money from it.

TIGSource:

So, are you excited about the future?

Metanet:

Yes, one day robots will reach out to the stars in the name of humanity. That will be a good day. Also, we'll be robots.

TIGSource:

I had no idea…

Metanet:

To be serious, we're excited about making more games, and someday being able to do that for a living -- without working for someone else.

TIGSource:

Which brings me to my next question: you said in your interview with State that there are ways to get money from making games independently without "ruining your integrity." Explain these ways. I mean, you don't expect the "Soldat-style registration option" to actually bring in your bread and butter do you?

Metanet:

Well, it's working for him... Then again he lives in Poland, where we hear $9 USD is worth something.

Chronic Logic's scheme seems to be working too, and we feel they've retained their integrity. That might be an option.

TIGSource:

But isn't Chronic Logic's scheme sort of the standard indie scheme (albeit done successfully)?

Metanet:

Well, we suppose so. There's got to be a way of doing what they do but throwing a little freeware into the mix. At the very least we could alternate between freeware and shareware.

TIGSource:

I see... so "a little freeware in the mix" is what you're going for?

Metanet:

Alex Austin from Chronic Logic mentioned to us that he liked the idea of doing small simple freeware proof of concepts and then a larger production shareware game. We think that might work. Freeware is important...

TIGSource:

Which brings us naturally to my next question: how long will you continue making free games?

Metanet:

We'd like to always make free games. There was once a really good band that had free concerts throughout their career, even though they could have charged for them. That was cool. So it is with the indie games thing.

We do contracts and other stuff to generate revenue -- so far it's working okay. We would love to make our games full time, but not if we can't do it right (i.e. in line with our views on indie games and freeware).

TIGSource:

I'm sure people will be happy to hear that. Do you have any plans, though, on when you'll make the at least pseudo-switch to partly paying software?

Metanet:

No, not really. Possibly once we've made enough to live off our savings for a while. bookofhook.com has some interesting articles about that.

TIGSource:

Well, I think we're winding down here... but there's at least one last important question... WHEN IS YOUR NEXT GAME COMING OUT, AND WHY HAVEN'T WE HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT? WHERE IS CityDefender?? It's 2005!

Metanet:

Well, we're working on something for before the IGF, and maybe something else around the IGF time, and after that we're getting into CityDefender (v1.1 or whatever) and a billion other ideas. We've been kind of busy with our jobs lately, which sucks, but then again, we need the money for the next game, or something.

Anyway, sorry for the delays. But also, you have no idea how hard it is to write a tutorial. Good lord!

TIGSource:

[laughing] You're right: we should be more patient.

Metanet:

Well we appreciate the enthusiasm -- really.

TIGSource:

By the way, congratulations on the IGF Finalist standings.

Metanet:

Aw, thanks. We're not necessarily anticipating winning anything, but it'll be great to meet everyone.

TIGSource:

Well, I should hope that you have a good chance: I honestly think N is the best game in the bunch (but you probably think that I'm just flattering you).

Metanet:

Thanks, but of the major problems with the IGF is the scoring system, which makes graphics and sound both equally as important as game design. In short, it doesn't matter if N is one of the most fun or most well-liked games, it has an incredibly low chance of winning anything because of the details of how things are scored.

Since we're not likely to score well for audio, and probably not great for visual art, this means we're essentially screwed, because we'll lose 25-50% of all possible points no matter what. It's stupid that both "visual art" and "audio" are considered as important as "game design." Putting such a high emphasis on "production values" instead of gameplay seems backwards when you consider that independent developers' main strength is gameplay/design, and weakness is that they lack huge teams of artists, etc…

TIGSource:

I agree. Any closing comments, opinions, rants, ideas, or miscellaneous ramblings?

Metanet:

Katamari Damacy kicks ass!

Raigan thinks a good cat name is "Chu Chu Bonewagon."

Please visit insertcredit and look for the link to doukustsu by pixel -- it just came out and it's really good!

TIGSource:

I'll do that. Thank you for your time.