This is a Game Dev Podcast, today with my guest Benjamin Zuckerer from Cip Soft, the creators of Tibia, an MMO that has been under continuous operation and development for over 30 years. This is an entertaining and educational look behind the curtain of how to make and run online games that last for decades.
Links to my Guest
➤ Wishlist Persist Online on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2082980/Persist_Online/
➤ Play Tibia Online: https://www.tibia.com/mmorpg/free-multiplayer-online-role-playing-game.php
➤ Jobs at Cip Soft, Germany: https://www.cipsoft.com/de/karriere/stellenangebote
0:00 - Intro
1:02 - The Origins of Tibia (1995)
3:04 - Pioneering the 'GMUD' Genre
4:25 - Tibia's Place in Early MMO History
5:37 - Surviving the Dot-Com Bubble
8:43 - Inventing the Freemium Model
10:44 - The Story Behind the Name 'CipSoft'
12:32 - Development Before Modern Tools
13:48 - Company Growth & Evolving Roles
15:21 - The First Mobile MMORPG & Launch Strategy
17:29 - Joining the Games Industry
19:13 - The Role of a Product Manager
22:58 - The 'Duping' Problem in MMOs
28:25 - Team Culture & Security Threats
32:50 - Single Player vs. Online Game Development
37:28 - Why There Is No Tibia 2
42:26 - The Struggle for a Second Hit
47:08 - The Birth of 'Persist Online'
51:12 - From Manager to Maker and Back
53:43 - Building the 'Persist Online' Team
57:09 - Prototyping & Co-Developing With the Community
1:01:45 - How to Listen to Your Players
1:07:21 - The Early Access Development Model
1:11:00 - The Economics of Free-to-Play
1:17:49 - Ethical Monetization
1:23:38 - CipSoft & Persist Online Today
1:27:53 - 20% Time: Fostering Innovation
1:31:04 - Testing 'Persist Online' (Pre-Alpha)
1:35:45 - The Challenges of Launching on Steam
1:45:28 - 'Persist Online's' Steam Release Strategy
1:53:57 - Advice for Indie Online Game Developers
2:02:13 - The Exponential Cost of Making Online Games
2:11:14 - Why Make Online Games? The Service Model
2:17:17 - Engaging Players with a Limited Scope
2:22:13 - Outro & Final Advice
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.