Okay give me a second here. Let me gather my thoughts; this game is a little different.
In the evening of the first night of PAX, we met up with Calvin (Robot) and Alix (Kitty) of the husband-wife developer duo RobotLovesKitty to talk about their new top-secret project. John-Paul and I sat with them in a quiet area near the coat check, with Calvin’s laptop barely holding a charge. Soon enough, their new game Upsilon Circuit was running on the laptop and Alix began to describe the game to us. This is when things got more than a little intriguing.
Essentially, Upsilon Circuit is a game that has a single, persistent online world. Players will have to slash through enemy monsters and collect loot akin to an action RPG, while experiencing an epic story. This sounds pretty generic, yes? Keep reading.
“Only 8 players will be able to play the game at once”, Alix said with a grin on her face. I nodded with approval, but she could tell right away that neither myself or John-Paul understood what she was trying to say.
“Only 8 players will be able to play the game at once, at any time, worldwide. Literally only 8 people will be allowed to play at once”, reiterated Calvin with a sinister look in his eyes.
*gasp!*
Only 8 people will be able to play the game?! How is that even possible?
The duo went on to explain that Upsilon Circuit will be an interactive experience like no other. Played infront of the masses via livestream, the pool of 8 brave heroes will be selected from the viewership, and when they die, they are gone forever and a new viewer will step into their place. The audience will be able to interact with the adventurers in new, exciting ways. The audience will assign the adventure’s skill points for them, and provide auditory feedback based on whether or not they think the chosen 8 are doing a good job. If you hear applause, keep up the great work. If you hear boos from the peanut gallery, you’d best watch your back, because the audience isn’t just for watching anymore.
The audience will be able to get in on the action and have an effect on the adventure, for better or for worse. For instance, if you’re watching and you had a rough day at work and were looking to let loose some pent up rage, you can purchase items/enemies/obstacles that will place the 8 heroes in peril. Obviously there’s no specific details about how this will work (or what I will be able to drop on your head), but I think its a great idea!
As Calvin’s laptop battery died, we were left speechless. The game we saw was only a concept, but the overall concept behind it was incredibly fascinating. I can’t wait to watch this game develop, as there isn’t anything quite like it. RobotlovesKitty are treading on new ground, and they’ve got your’s truly really excited.