ibb and obb

Posted: 11 Apr 2011
3 min read

ibb and obb, PS3, Q&A

ibb and obb is expected to release on the PlayStation Network later this year. The downloadable title is the result of two Rotterdam (Netherlands) based game development studios – Sparpweed and Codeglue (Rocket Riot).

We spoke to both Richard Boeser, co-owner of Sparpweed, and Peter de Jong, co-owner of Codeglue, about the game.

Richard Boeser

Co-owner of Sparpweed

ibb and obb is a “two player cooperative game. The basic controls are like most platformers, ibb and obb can run and jump. The catch is that their world is split in two. In the bottom half gravity is reversed. Through warps the players can move from one half to the other.“

“The shape of the world causes all kinds of challenges and puzzles. There are enemies making your life more difficult. Enemies can be destroyed by touching their soul counterparts. The gameplay is really focused on working together. Players will have to jump from each other and take out enemies together.”

The idea for the game came while “looking for an interesting core mechanic that was accessible and yet could lead to complex gameplay, the idea of double gravity came up. This was developed into a prototype and, from there, we followed a very iterative process of experimenting, building and playing.”

ibb and obb contains a unique visual style, which Boeser describes as “somewhere between abstract and recognisable. Shapes seem plant-like but are never realistic. With the colours, we try to achieve something fresh, a bit weird, yet pleasing to the eyes – we want the players to feel like they’re in a world unknown to them.”

As for the possibility of downloadable content, “this really depends on what happens with the game. If people like it a lot and we have nice ideas on new features, we’ll do it. However it is not part of an underlying strategy of some sort.”

Nevertheless, there are future plans to add extra gameplay elements. Despite being a co-operative game, Codeglue and Sparpweed are currently “focusing on the couch setup – two players on one machine.”However, they are hoping to add online co-op “at a later stage.”

Peter de Jong

Co-owner of Codeglue

Codeglue have previously worked on Xbox Live Arcade title, Rocket Riot, and noticed a “big difference in the technology we use to create the games. For Rocket Riot we used Microsoft’s XNA technology which makes the life of a game developer a lot easier.“

“For ibb & obb, we are using Sony’s Phyre engine, which is much more of a hardcore game engine, which makes it a bit tougher. Other than that both platforms are pretty much the same in terms of requirements, submission process, etc.”

As for future support for Rocket Riot, Codeglue are “currently working on Rocket Riot for iPhone and iPad. We want to see how our game works on such a mobile platform. For these platforms we have also planned downloadable content in the form of level packs.“

“Unfortunately we don’t have any DLC planned for the Xbox Live Arcade version of Rocket Riot, but we are still brewing on a possible sequel for the game. Suggestions for cool new features are welcome!”

ibb & obb has an estimated release date of Winter 2011. Thanks to both Richard Boeser, and Peter de Jong for taking the time out to answer our questions.