So where are we currently at in the development process?
Well, the story for Act one is finished.
The gameplay mechanics are complete but need some visual polish, as noted in the Mechanics teaser.
The sound design / direction is set and material is actively being created.
Playable in game locations are in place, and at various stages of completion. This means that you could play the game from start to finish but there are still areas with place holder props in need of refinement.
In game character writing and dialogue is still in development with some locations being more fleshed out than others.
Console development: We plan on releasing on all major systems (PC/Mac/Linux, Switch, PS4/pro, and Xbox One/X), but not necessarily all at once. Our plan is to release Ira simultaneously on the PC/Mac/Linux, and the Nintendo Switch, followed by PS4/pro, and Xbox One/X. On a side note we’ve already started to doing test builds on the switch with good success.
Marketing has been a steady process of collecting Youtubers, let’s players, and general people in the industry who want to review, and experience Ira. It’s going well, and is an ongoing task.
Deliverables were started months back but the final imagery rests on the completion of the end game content. So, we are waiting until things are in a more finalized state.
When do think we will finish, and when will Ira release?
Right now it looks like we will finish the core game by the end of the year, but that doesn't mean we are finished as we still need to do play testing with our Alpha cadets, respond to feedback, finalize / execute our marketing plan, make it through certification with Nintendo, and do any final touches to the game experience. Our actual release window is looking to fall somewhere between Q1 - Q2 2018.
Update frequency?
So we have been spacing out updates every 2 months as they tend to get a little repetitive in nature if we don't. As a general rule of thumb updates every month or every other month will be the norm until release.
How’s the Team doing?
We've been at this a long time now, and it hasn't always been easy. We've hit small bumps, big bumps, and everything in between, but we're still here and we've grown through it all. If you had told us in the beginning what this whole process would entail, we may have not been so eager to take on such a project. Those aren't the people we are now and those aren't the people that would be making Ira the game it is today. Not only is Ira better for taking the more challenging path, but we are too, and while we've grown through this process the project is growing right alongside us. We appreciate all of you for joining us on this adventure.
Let's talk about mechanics! So, one gameplay mechanic that’s been in the works for awhile now is our interaction system. Originally Ira started out as a point and click adventure game. The player would have to click in-order to get from point A to point B, and to interact with objects, and as much as we love point and click adventure games we knew Ira needed something that better fit our end goal. Ira isn't about getting from point A to point B, it’s about the journey, and the connection the players has to both the character, and the world. It was imperative that we create a system that pushes that connection as far as possible
One of the goals for the interaction system is to create a personal experience through the characters. By shifting the focus of interaction from soly the player's speech choices into characters actions/abilities/tools, people can directly connect, and influence their experience within the world. That being said, the characters have natural limitations so you can't break the story.
Here’s how it works. During gameplay you can select the character, and time slows down. Then a ring of icons appear around the character; each one relating to an action or skill you can toggle on or off. Different characters have different skills/abilities/tools, and thus interact with the world on their own terms but controlled by you!
Each character has their own way of speaking/expressing themselves. Now they have skills/abilities/tools to go with it. After a few months of quietly working we finally have the new system in order. Just to be clear this does not replace our dialogue system. The updated interaction system complements it, and lends to a more engaging journey. Check out the mechanics teaser for James.
- The Ira team
Mechanics update coming soon.
Just a quick update. We are alive! Our next update is coming very soon and it includes our all new mechanics / interaction system!
One Year Later
Has it been a year? Sometimes it feels like longer, others it feels like only yesterday. Looking back it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come, remembering where we were at this time in 2016. It was just a little over a year ago that we were celebrating the success of our Kickstarter, but also that reality was beginning to set in as we were preparing to dive into the long and (at times) arduous process of full time development. It’s been a heck of a year with many winding paths and obstacles to overcome, but we’re still here and we’re better for it. We’ve switched game engines, we’ve redeveloped nearly every aspect of the project from visuals to story to gameplay to sound, and we’ve grown every step of the way. With every struggle Ira is that much closer to becoming the game that we know it can be. We’re still on that path and great things are still in the making.
We want to thank all of you who were there with us a year ago, and those who are still with us today, following along and staying in touch. It’s that support that brought us here and keeps us going. Thank you all for your enduring patience, and know that Ira will be here in 2017.
And with that, what better time to release our first teaser? Ladies and gentleman, your latest glimpse into to world of Ira.
https://youtu.be/Xh5pZk9iDEM
Thank you all for taking this ride with us.
-The Ira team
Tis the season for an update
So, what have we been doing lately?
Well, a little bit of everything. Updating 3D models, levels, sounds, character interactions, game play systems, profiling for different consoles, and story elements. Basically we are cleaning house on some old components that don't reflect the current vision of Ira anymore, and things are looking really good.
You guys remember this Image? This is the living room from the original Ira. Looks like it’s from an early production demo doesn't it?
Now here’s what that room looks like in its current state. The differences is night and day. One of our goals for Ira is to create a world that people can really get lost in, and I think we are finally at that point.
All that aside we are pushing forward, and looking to the new year when we can release Act 1!
For those of you celebrating, have a great holiday!
See you in 2017
- The Ira team
Update time
Hello all,
It’s been a very exciting few weeks for us and we have a we have a lot of cool news.
First up, you may have heard that we attended Steam Dev Days, and we have to say, the whole trip was an amazing experience for us. We were in Seattle for about a week, and we met with so many amazing individuals and teams there. Being able to spend time with others in the industry was a refreshing boost that we needed desperately. We’re not alone! The conference was a great opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of other developers, and there was a ton of great information about the current state and direction of the industry.
While not entirely relevant to Ira at the moment, virtual reality was a huge focus of the conference, and we have to say, we’re impressed. It’s such an amazingly immersive experience and there is so much potential for interesting and meaningful experiences, we’re totally sold on the platform and we have some solid ideas about our next direction after Ira. Thanks to the fine folks at Valve we now have developer kits for the HTC Vive so we are ready to roll! Fear not though, Ira is the priority so we’ll do our best not to get lost in the world of virtual reality. ;)
Our only complaint about the trip? No Gaben to be seen… Was he busy at work on HL3? Polishing his knife collection? Stuck in a virtual world?... We may never know.
Steam Dev Days was great, and after returning home we barely had time to unpack our bags before the next big development came in. Apparently some guy on Youtube named “Markiplier” decided to showcase our old demo for a let’s play… Yup, the Markiplier played our game, and after few days the video is nearing the 1 million view mark. Yes, the demo is old and outdated, and we have no idea why this happened now, but it’s given us more of a spotlight than we’ve ever had, so a HUGE shoutout to Markiplier for the excellent playthrough.
With Steam Dev Days under our belts and Markiplier’s video play through giving us a huge boost in traffic, we have a new found energy burning in us, and the development train pushes on full steam ahead. We recently got Ira up and running on the Xbox One compiling, which is an exciting new development, and we should have new content to show you all very soon!
Until next time,
Nick and the Ira team
We are back with a full update
After almost 2 months of hard work we are back with a full update
Transition
As a few days ago we have completed our transition into the Unreal 4 game engine from Unity. This decision was not made lightly and we had been preparing for this transition for awhile now. Unity is a great platform and it has served us well but given our specific needs it’s time we moved on to an engine that fits us better. At the end of the day we want to create the best experience possible and Unreal 4 has opened doors to us that Unity cannot currently provide. All of the plugins we used in Unity were created by third party developers and when glitches arouse or new features were needed we would basically be out of luck. That’s not a problem anymore. Switching to Unreal 4 came with it’s own set of challenges but at the end of the day we can provide gameplay that’s glitch free and the Ira experience we set out to make.
The transition took some time and that has pushed back our schedule. I think our sentiment can be summed up by Shigeru Miyamoto who once said “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad”. We share the same philosophy and hope everyone is on board with that. We are moving steadily towards finishing Act:1.Backer rewards will be shipped when Act one launches.
Something Personal
To our backers who will appear in game. We never expected to learn so much about all of you. We’ve gotten some highly detailed and personal bios. Some of you detailing the events of your life that lead you to where you are now. We’ve learned about your dreams, aspirations and we’ve gotten to know many of you. After reading such personal bios I felt almost unnerved by what we had started. The amount of trust it takes to put yourself out there is simple moving, and it solidifies to me that we are on the right track. Every story we read influences what we create. I remember reading over a particular bio and I sat back in my computer chair, just staring at the screen in front of me. It was at that moment that I had come to realize that this project has become more than just our dream, it’s becoming an amalgamation of everyone's dreams. I feel like I don't own Ira anymore. I feel like it has become its own entity unfolding on its own admission.
Future updates
We are planning on doing small dev blog updates weekly and a full game update every month until completion. Some of the dev blog updates will include alpha test levels that can be experimented and played with.
Picture links to teaser 
