Thursday, 18 August 2022
OpinionSportBusinessLifestyleRural
Residential Property Listings
Driven MotoringVideoPhotosClassifiedsBush TelegraphCHB MailHastings LeaderNapier Courier
NapierHastings
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Hawkes Bay Today

Sapiens: Hawke's Bay game developer has another global hit on his hands

27 Jul, 2022 05:20 AM3 minutes to read
The success of David Frampton's first game, Chopper, allowed him to buy a home in Hawke's Bay and pursue game development full-time. Photo / File

The success of David Frampton's first game, Chopper, allowed him to buy a home in Hawke's Bay and pursue game development full-time. Photo / File

Chris Keall
By
Chris Keall

Chris Keall is the technology editor and a senior business writer for the NZ Herald

VIEW PROFILE

It looks like Hawkes Bay game developer David Frampton has another hit on his hands.

His latest effort, Sapiens - "Create your own prehistoric civilisation and lead your tribe in a world you shape" - hit Steam today and within hours was number two on the giant platform's global sales chart.

Read More

  • Video gaming sector 'crisis': Australia tax breaks start, pull NZ firms across Tasman

When the Herald checked in mid-morning, Steam said there were just under 1700 people currently playing the $27.89 game.

Early reviews are encouraging, with one player, "Lethal Chicken", saying: "The best tribal management game of all time. The controls are intuitive, the music is outstanding, and the gameplay is satisfying." Overall, all 24 reviews so far have been positive - albeit with a few noting the odd teething issue.

"The launch so far is exceeding all my expectations," Frampton told the Herald.

"The signs were good, with tens of thousands of wishlists and good feedback from the demo.

"But the response so far has been incredibly overwhelming. I'm just really stoked that so many people are enjoying the game."

Image / Steam
Image / Steam

Frampton worked in TV weather graphics before creating his first game, Chopper, in 2010. The $2.99 game for iPhone and iPad - and its successor Chopper 2 - sold more than 350,000 copies between them, allowing him to quit his job in Wellington, buy a home in Hawke's Bay and pursue game development full-time.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

He followed up with Blockheads (2013) before beginning the long development haul for Sapiens.

The local gaming industry is heading to be a $1 billion export earner with powerhouses Grinding Gear Games, RocketWerkz and PikPok now employing hundreds between them.

But while The Big Three are engaged in a fierce war for staff with transtasman and global rivals, Frampton's company, Majic Jungle remains essentially a one-man band (although he did hire a Hawke's Bay local to manage The Blockheads community while he concentrated on finishing off Sapiens, and he commissioned composer John Konsolakis to create the new game's soundtrack).

Image / Majic Jungle
Image / Majic Jungle

And of course he did a lot of crowdsourced testing.

"But my biggest fear was that it might still miss the mark, especially given I took a lot of risks and diverged from the norm in many ways," Frampton said.

"With the seven-year development cycle, there was a lot at stake.

"Even though I had over 100 volunteer testers during the final two years of development, and knew I'd fixed a lot of the potential issues, I still worried a lot. I think you're always going to have doubts until it's actually out there."

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Apple project strikes at core of Hawke's Bay's art beat

18 Aug 06:02 AM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

Rocket Lab reveals more about Venus jaunt, cops downgrade

18 Aug 05:40 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Truck crash closes SH5 between Taupo and Eskdale

18 Aug 03:49 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Eight dead penguins likely killed by roaming cat or dog

18 Aug 03:04 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Big representative schedule for Bay's top cricketers

18 Aug 02:38 AM

Most Popular

7-year-old Wairoa boy died in Oranga Tamariki care
Hawkes Bay Today

7-year-old Wairoa boy died in Oranga Tamariki care

17 Aug 06:30 PM
Mum gives birth to NZ's first quadruplets in four years, stay-at-home dad 'coping'
Hawkes Bay Today

Mum gives birth to NZ's first quadruplets in four years, stay-at-home dad 'coping'

15 Aug 01:56 AM
Premium
'It is messy': Lecturer says anxiety growing among EIT staff over merger plans
Hawkes Bay Today

'It is messy': Lecturer says anxiety growing among EIT staff over merger plans

13 Aug 11:36 PM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to Hawke's Bay TodayHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionHawke's Bay Today E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP