Bossa Studios

Well aren’t we BAFTAlicious!

Poppy Byron — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:32:47 +0000

We are hugely proud to announce that Merlin: The Game has been nominated for a BAFTA in this year’s Game Awards, in the category of Best Online Browser Game.

This is a huge deal for us at Bossa, and stands as a testament to the effort, dedication and skill that the team has put into this project. The game has been in development for over a year now and whilst we are very pleased with the result, we are over the moon to see our work recognised by such an august body as BAFTA.

If you haven’t tried the game out yet, what are you waiting for? Jump onto Facebook and try it out now, click the link below to begin the adventure immediately. See you in Camelot!

Speaking of cool things…

admin — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:11:27 +0000

We had our Comic Con debut this year.

This place rocks and if anyone was lucky enough to be out there in San Diego, we hope you managed to make it to the Merlin panel to see Colin Morgan (Merlin), Katie McGrath (Morgana) and Angel Coulby (Gwen) who were all super friendly.

If not, fear not. For we bring you exciting news! Merlin: The Game showcased its latest teaser trailer which can be seen right here on the newly launched Merlin Official YouTube channel.

If you haven’t already done so, make sure to sign up for your chance to play Merlin: The Game during closed beta at www.merlingame.com

Because Merlin says so…

Thrilled to bits!

admin — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:39:50 +0000

Can someone please pinch us?

This has been a dream year already, let alone doing an “Inception, dream within a dream” thing.

The last 12 months have been amazing for so many reasons; the Bossians, our players, Monstermind, a BAFTA and now, the accolade of ‘Best New Studio’ at the 2012 Develop Awards? Are you serious?

Ok come on now, who did it? Who hid that rabbits’ foot in our office, own up!

Aside from the very cool night that Develop organized in Brighton last week (very nicely done guys), what’s even cooler is the fact that we can be recognized by such a fantastic group of individuals and players.

For this… we thank you.

We’re all off to try our luck at the lottery now. Bye!

And our next game is…

admin — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:50:44 +0000

We’re SUPER excited here at Bossa HQ today, as this morning saw the announcement of our brand new project, Merlin The Game!

Being huge fans of the awesome Merlin TV show, the opportunity to bring the enchanting legend of Merlin & Arthur of Camelot to life in a brand new real-time game has had us spellbound for months.

When creating our latest adventure, we wanted to capture as much detail from the world of Camelot as possible and give players a truly immersive and co-operative experience. It’s certainly been A LOT of fun so far, we’ve even put on our movie making hats and made a cool behind-the-scenes developer video too!Take a peek at www.merlingame.com/video.

We’re absolutely thrilled at how it’s all coming together and cannot wait for you guys to be able to fight the dark forces of Camelot shoulder-to-shoulder later this summer. Closed beta is all set to open at Comic-Con International (12th- 15th July) which also means Bossians get to fly back over to LA…

…which makes us all do this —-> : )

There’s going to be lots more details about the game between now and then, so make sure you check back here to stay up-to-date with how everything is unfolding.

Follow your destiny & sign up for the closed beta adventure TODAY over at www.merlingame.com.

Happy Gaming!

www.merlingame.com
www.facebook.com/MerlinGame

BEST THURSDAY MORNING EVER.

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:30:32 +0000

… So the BAFTAs, eh?

Wow, we’re pretty floored.

When you work hard on something you love, it’s a bonus to receive even the smallest bit of recognition for what you do. At the risk of sounding terribly cheesy, we’re truly grateful for every bit of coverage we get – ranging from early reviews published in small, youth-run magazines (Yatta! Magazine, pg 9) to nominations for two BAFTA Video Game Awards.

Again, wow.

For context, it’s worth noting here that we’re short-listed alongside the likes of Bastion, Eufloria, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, L.A. Noire, Gardens of Time, I Am Playr, Resistance 3, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, The Sims Social, and RIFT. That we’re being recognised alongside many games that we’ve played and enjoyed immensely is both encouraging and inspiring.

So we’re taking these nominations as evidence that we’re on the right track. And while we still believe we’ve got a long way to go towards making That One Game, our collective determination is higher than ever.

You made this happen by playing with us. We can’t thank you enough.

Happy Gaming,
The Bossians

@bossastudios
www.facebook.com/bossastudios

BEST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON EVER.

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:28:22 +0000

To say that this year has been an incredible one for the Bossians and our debut game, Monstermind, would be a gross understatement. Having secured a BAFTA for best Online Browser game, we were happy to look on this year as one to be proud of.

However, after just receiving the news that we’ve been nominated not once, but five times for the Develop Awards, we’re a little wary of just how incredible this year has become.

We’ve been nominated for the following categories:

CREATIVITY : NEW IP
TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES : TECHNICAL INNOVATION
TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES : USE OF ONLINE
STUDIOS : NEW STUDIO
STUDIOS : INDEPENDENT STUDIO

Trust that we’re all exhaling a collective WOW at this recognition.

Big thanks to the folks at Develop Online for the huge honour of being nominated alongside so many awesomely creative studios.

An even BIGGER thanks goes out our awesome Monstermind players. Keep playing and keep telling us what you think on our Official Fan Page. We can’t stress how much we love to hear from you.

Back to work we go! There just might be something new in the pipeline.

Bossians, AWAY!

Happy Gaming,
The Bossians
www.facebook.com/bossastudios
@bossastudios

That One Game.

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:30:17 +0000

Last December we held a Christmas-themed lunch roundtable about the state of social games.

We were lucky to be joined by a few seasoned vets of the gaming industry with uniquely informed perspectives. David Rose (@HoiSonic), Raf Keustermans (@raf_keustermans), Martin Robinson (@vics_viper) and Tom Butler (@ThomButler) had a lot to say about current perceptions of social games and the challenges we face moving forward.

So here’s some of what we talked about over delicious Christmas-themed noms.

Social games are all about co-creation. Unlike monolithic boxed products, social games are mutant beasts that evolve after launch following player feedback. As developers and publishers we have the unique opportunity to test ideas and game mechanics and see how our players react, so if we get it wrong we can turn it around in a matter of days while learning from it.

Organic viral growth of social games is pretty much dead. Spam remains one of the biggest deterrents for potential new players of social games, and for good reason. Years ago people might have been compelled to try one out based on requests from friends alone, but now a cleverly allocated budget for advertising is crucial.

The new presence of established IP is a game changer. The Sims Social is an example of how well-loved titles are moving into social games, and we think that’s pretty cool, provided it’s done in a meaningful way.

Evolution is inevitable. When some developers moved from arcade to computer and console they were met with scepticism and ridicule. The same happened with the move from console to mobile. But in both cases there was always that One Game, that Masterpiece, that changed everything.

We think social games are on the verge of something great. All it needs is that One Game to prove that this new concept of ‘Social’ (real time social media network-based activity) can do a lot for the gaming industry in the same way that personal hard drives have.

It’s a big challenge, trying to make that Masterpiece, but the Bossians have one thing to say about that.

Happy Gaming,
The Bossians
www.facebook.com/bossastudios
@bossastudios

How to be a Bossian.

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:20:16 +0000

It’s been a pretty wild ride since we debuted Monstermind at this year’s Eurogamer Expo. Since then our family has grown in size, with the legendary Yoshifusa Hayama joining our team as our Creative Director. You can read more about his vision for social games on Eurogamer’s official website.

In light of our steady growth, we figured it’d be nice to talk a little bit more about what we’ve made, who we are and what we believe in.

Q. A Facebook game? Really? You expect me to take Monstermind seriously?

A. Yes, yes, and Yes! Why shouldn’t you take a real time strategy game seriously? We love our consoles, but we also believe that authentic gameplay can be experienced without keyboard or controller. Our goal was to make a real time strategy game that makes use of some of the pretty cool aspects of social networks in ways that add to a player’s gaming experience. It warms our geeky little hearts whenever we manage to convert a staunch hater of Facebook games with Monstermind, and we were able to experience this firsthand at Eurogamer.

Q. Secret passions, quirky profile photos. That’s cute and all, but who are you guys, really?

A. We’re a bunch of gaming professionals with a passion for games, plain and simple. Some of us have been working in the industry for a very long time on MMORPGs like Runescape, while others are new to the mix. We’re coders, animators, social media junkies and accomplished businesspeople. We’re generally pretty nice people too, so if you see us at an event, don’t hesitate to come over and say hello!

We’re always on the look-out for new Bossians, and we think it takes a special kind of person to fill that role. If you’re interested in joining us, you must be logical but daring, creative but willing to make mistakes. We’ve definitely made our fair share of mistakes (our servers should have been much stronger back then – thanks for that wake-up call, TotalBiscuit!) and we’re ready to make more. Improvement is the only way up.

But enough about us, play Monstermind and let us know what you think. The game’s Facebook Wall is home to a hotbed of player feedback and activity, and we value every single comment there. Check out our first Q&A with the Developers to see just how much!

Happy Gaming!

www.facebook.com/bossastudios
@bossastudios

Our baby said its first word last Friday: ROAAAR.

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:30:17 +0000

Several months have come and gone since we first began a conversation about the state of social games. We are happy to announce that our silence on the matter isn’t for a lack of having something to talk about!

Our previous posts were critical of the lack of innovation visible in our corner of the market while still remaining hush-hush about our planned contribution.

Today, we are excited and we are proud.

Proud of our talented new Bossians and of the steps we have taken towards our ultimate goal of making social games more social and less parasitic.

One of those steps was the debut of our awesome real time strategy game, Monstermind. And you know what? We think it’s just that cool that we’re going to avoid pimping it too much here and let the gameplay speak for itself.

But we will announce that many of you will be able to play Monstermind at the Eurogamer Expo running from the 22nd (tomorrow!) until the 25th of September. As gamers ourselves, this is a pretty big deal for us. Be sure to come see us on the showfloor (between Rage and Star Wars: Old Republic – how cool is that?!?)

So if we’ve managed to hold your attention up until now, this is the best opportunity to slake your curiosity and learn what Bossa Studios is really all about.

On that note…

Happy Gaming!

www.facebook.com/bossastudios
@bossastudios

Stealth no more. Sort of.

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:30:21 +0000

photo by mobypicture.com

We never actually planned to be a stealth studio, the accidental moniker came from Inside Social Games (thanks dudes!) when they learned we existed, but couldn’t find anything about us.

Since we stepped onto the TNW stage in Amsterdam to lambast the current crop of social games as unimaginative and suicidal in the long run, we made things even cloudier by the decision of not disclosing our current game to the audience.

Now people could roughly tell why we were different, but not how. After all, anyone can do the talk, few can do the walk.

Today, while still keeping our baby and the ‘how’ under wraps, at least you can learn who we are. In the new (and proper) website you’ll find a bit more about who makes up Bossa Studios, what we have done in the past (including the very social games we now want to disrupt) and what makes us go: passion for good gameplay.

And our own game? It’s coming, sooner than you think! Keep an eye on this very website and these spaces:

www.facebook.com/bossastudios
@bossastudios