We spend a good amount of time trying to create elements that are cool, innovative, and practical. This creates an almost overwhelming need to concentrate and a somber mood can settle in the room. Then, someone will come up with the most ridiculous concept, and the mood will shift. Creativity flows more easily, we’re more confident sharing our ideas, and we can add a little fun to the whole process.

One of those suggestions was a mini-game in our upcoming Wild West shooting gallery game, Slinger. We were trying to think of an interesting, compelling mini-game that would be fun to play but also reward the player. After hitting a bunch of particularly dull walls, Ethan suggested something absolutely perfect.

“You know that sentence that has seven ‘Buffalo’s in a row, but is still grammatically correct?”

“Yes,” I said. He was referring to this structure. 

“We do a mini-game where the player has to shoot a bunch of buffalo, like in Big Buck Hunter. There will be 8 levels, and each one will progress the number of ‘buffalo’s in the title. So, the first one is ‘Buffalo.’ The second one is ‘Buffalo buffalo.’ The third one-”

“I get it.” I had to stop him because I couldn’t hear him over the sound of my wheezing laughter. I was imagining the player reaching the 6th level (Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo) and just raising a confused, and maybe slightly annoyed, eyebrow. It would probably even upset the people who got the reference.  My brain was simultaneously thinking, “can we do this?” and “there’s no way we can do this,” and “we have to do this.” The concept of such a vague, obnoxious referential joke just tickled me to my core. I couldn’t imagine the game without it. In that moment, it was the absolute most perfect thing I’d ever heard.

Moments like that are one of the most rewarding parts of the process. It might not even be that funny, but I’m giggling just thinking about it. After that suggestion, we were able to move on to even more ludicrous ideas, and then come back down to Earth, and leap back up again. Our ideas became smoother, and smarter, and infinitely more fun. We were able to ultimately work a lot longer and produce a lot more. That idea powered us through the less desirable stat applications and asset lists, as we were able to pepper in buffalo references and keep ourselves light. It was indispensable.

We have since nixed “Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo” as a mini-game, but it will forever remain one of my absolute favorite ideas in existence. If I ever see that game out there, I will play the first two levels fondly, then put it down forever.

Our team currently consists of everyone from philosophy majors to screenwriters to musicians to accountants to engineers. Though we have different backgrounds, we are all united by the love of games. Because of this, we all approach projects in different ways and are able to mold it from everyone’s perspective. Instead of clashing, the project ends up being a colorful, rich product with several angles which appeal to people from all walks of life. This opens our games to a multitude of consumers, no exclusion. Everyone will want to buy and play our games because there is something in them for each person.

We Know Games

We have lived and breathed games for over twenty-five years and have been working tirelessly to manifest that passion in our very own video games.

As writers, we want to create an amazing and unique experience that players will not only remember, but want to play repeatedly. We want to create worlds which the gamer immerses themselves within, a beautiful alternate reality in which many games can be set. By doing this, we are able to fulfill our desire to write amazing stories, but we also open ourselves up for sequels, novels, and merchandise.

As coders, we want to create intricate game-play unique to Long Haul. We want to invent and establish new types of games to inspire and delight our consumers. We want our games to run smoothly and be a wholly enjoyable experience to play. Doing this solidifies our reputation and creates loyal, repeat customers.

Because we know games, we know what doesn’t work. We run the gamut of target market- we have both males and females from 18-35 who play all sorts of different games on different consoles and platforms- and this input is invaluable when creating a game. Before beta testing, we are able to hone in on game-play and avoid all the common mistakes and quirks which disenfranchise the average player. Between that and our talented programmers, we save time, labor, and money which can be channeled into other aspects of the game.

As marketers, we want our brand to be recognizable and clear. Long Haul Interactive is there for the gamer- because we’ve been there ourselves. We are here to create games people want to experience, not just play through. We have worked hard to get where we are and will continue to do so through all rough patches we may encounter. We guerrilla advertise through social media sites and handing out business cards to interested parties. We create buzz about upcoming projects and garner interest by word-of-mouth. We intend to increase awareness of our company through producing excellent games and playing off the resulting feedback.

As fans, we want to play the games we make. We are excited about the ideas we produce. We brainstorm constantly, even when not at work, even when playing other games. We are our greatest fans, and that enthusiasm is apparent in every scrap of work.