Phantom Cave - The Beginning

DISCLAIMER: "All art used in the blog is the property of Phantom Cave Studio and the artists at Phantom Cave Studio."

We were certain that developing a video game would be simple when we first had the idea in university.

After all, we had the skills to back it up. We didn't realize that this entire venture would require us to wear the hats of product owner, project manager, creative director and writer, business development, marketing, and pretty much everything else.

Imagine our surprise when we discovered all of these roles other than coding! So here’s the story of how we turn our vision into a reality.

Our company’s story started in 2011 when I tried to develop games with zero experience just out of curiosity and passion. We were two schoolmates bootstrapped and spent a full-year developing a third-person shooter game from scratch and learning on the go.

The ray of light for me and my friend Iqbal Ahmed Qureshi was getting selected for Microsoft Imagine Cup. Luckily, we won on National Level. One of our classmates, Affan Shahab, contributed to the multiplayer layer and documented everything related to the game.

After our experimental take on game development was fruitful for jobs, so we parted ways. I was determined to join the game studios with passion. After working for 10 years with different bosses and leaders in Pakistan, and spending quality time with inspirational figures in the game industry, I reached on this final conclusion.

The studio we envision is near impossible in our current corporate cultural setting as they do not value products so, a vicious cycle of project-based games cripples the creative freedom of game developers and artists. Hence we took a step and here we are. I believe the first step was the hardest for me but it is a long way to the top.

We have always been motivated by games and have spent most of our life playing and making games. What led me to open a game studio? That's Love for video games and respect for amazing game studios. Phantom Cave is looking for its place in the gaming industry.?

Pakistan Game Development Industry?

A total of 300 gaming studios in Pakistan create games for a worldwide audience. The majority of games are released by global gaming behemoths like Entertainment Arts (EA) Inc., Ubisoft, and Supersonic Software, however, some are also produced and launched locally. Out of these, only 50 of them are?tier 1?game studios, bringing in a respectable amount of money for the Pakistani market, although the rate of expansion is slow.

So I did what I could and started from scratch and worked for smaller studios with little to no budget but needless to say, it gave me a lot of experience. Deadly timeline, idealist and uninterested management with little to no gaming interest, lack of budget and resources, do-it-yourself mentality, and the list goes on.

Above mentioned problems gave me even more of a big reason to start my own company. A company where we can produce good games with the best quality and vision in mind.

However, starting a gaming studio is a pipe dream for many game developers. And yes! The prospect of working on your original projects without being constrained by the necessary and occasionally burdensome framework of other studios is typically alluring, it also carries the specter of increasing financial insecurity, which can be enough to turn some people off.

Key Component of a Game Development Studio

To be completely honest, not everyone is suited for a career in game creation. We have learned from our own experience that the dos required for every little task can be very challenging.

You need to begin considering how you want people to view your gaming studio. What unique contribution does it make? What issues are you attempting to address for the consumer when you first establish a gaming studio?

We had our answer for these first 3 reasons.

1. To provide a quality gaming experience for all our audience.
2. Be in the top 3 game development studios that produce Triple-A Games
3. To make sure Pakistan’s game development community is recognized globally by every game enthusiast.?

Managing a one-person operation while working with a few independent contractors is one thing. Starting a full-fledged business, which calls for more personnel, office space, and funding is something entirely different.

With these goals, we are all set to launch our studio which will solidify our name as a game developer in the industry.

Choosing a Name

I find it amusing that almost anything you would want to develop in the twenty-first century begins with registering a name. But you first need a name to register it. It wasn't simple to come up with a name related to my vision and the genre I wanted to put it into.?

The vision was “a dedicated place where we will produce the most epic game we can and no one will see it coming”.?

So, what to call a place that’s shadowed, undiscovered and hidden? Basement, bunker, forest, cave, peak? And what to call something that no one sees coming? Ghost, phantom, spirit.

On a gut aesthetic level, the one that seemed to trip off the tongue, and sounded like a buzzword was Phantom Cave. And the rest is history.

A Dedicated Team

No one can dispute the significance of a committed team that adheres to the same principles as the studio's founding concepts.

Finding one was a task, surely. As someone who’s been working in this industry for 10 years and have seen it all, I can surely say this was the hardest task besides developing, managing, directing, financing, and legalizing the studio.??

Nonetheless, I have found my dream team to kick-start the studio. I will continue to find the ones who share the same principle and passion for game development as I do.?

Legal Necessities?

Trademarks are things like your company's name, logo, and distinctiveness. As they are the first thing that your users notice, be sure to secure one. Your work is protected by copyright, which also limits its rights.

Additionally, these registrations stop others from stealing your game's name and distinctive logo. Above all, it demonstrates that you are the exclusive owner of the rights to the game and that only you have the authority to decide whether to sell, buy, or modify it.

The Environment

With all three key components mentioned above, we were almost halfway done. Now comes the place where we will be developing our dream games. Needless to say, budgeting all this was an extensive task.?

With the right equipment and necessities in place, we are ready to roll!?

Vision - Phantom Cave

Our philosophy is to create an entertainment culture through the development of highly creative games that excite people and stimulate their senses. We will aim to offer an entirely new level of game entertainment.

• We want to create epic gaming experiences for all our players.
• To commit to quality, lead responsibly, and keep learning and growing.
• To share our ideas and worlds through the medium of games.
• To provide enjoyable gaming experiences, we keep producing high-quality products while learning from consumer feedback.
• Make our games as fun as possible for as many people as we can reach.

Our Future

The game development industry is thriving. It has never been easier to create and publish a game, but the industry is also extremely competitive.

Knowing how to start a game production studio is the first step, but there is still a long way to go.

Finally, after much trial and error and ten years of planning, I was able to create my ideal firm.

While we continue to work on our trip, numerous factors must be considered. We are willing to take risks and reach our goals. Join our community, if you share the same passion for making games.

Shah