23 interviews: Nabi Studios

23's Nabi Studios Interview

So, you might remember my review a couple weeks back of the game Toribash. Well, Hampus "Hampa" Soderstrom, the maker of Toribash and CEO of Nabi Studios, let me do a little interview. While this one isn't as extensive as my last i think it provides some pretty nice information about Hampa and Toribash. Some of the questions may seem repetitive, but it's hard to predict the answer of the last one, so I try to cover all my bases. Anyway here's a pretty picture and a nice little review:

Some call it art, some call it brutality, either way you look at it it's really fun!

Could you give us a brief introduction as to who you are and what company you're a part of?

Hi, I am hampa. I work at Nabi Studios where I develop and run the online game Toribash. I am originally from Sweden, but enjoy the weather and food of my current residence Singapore.

What games have you made?

I've made Toribash, an online turn based beat-em up.

How did you get in to making games?

I did software development for a couple of years. Being a programmer making a small game is a fun exercise that I recommend everybody to do.

How did you come to work at Nabi Studios?

Having a company to run the game makes things much easier. It is really a necessity when you start dealing with payments, contracts and staff.

Have you worked for/with any other game developers?

Nope, I worked with other IT related work, such as telecom, before gaming.

Nice logo, eh?

How would you describe Toribash?

Toribash is an online fighting game featuring full body dismemberment and cartoon blood.
If you could place Toribash in one or more genres, what would they would be?

Best described as a beat-em up.

What are some of your influences? (other games/outside of gaming)

I am a fan of the books by Ayn Rand.

What's your favorite game?

The game I have played the most besides Toribash was Quake World.

Why did you decide to make a fighting game that wasn't just another button-masher? (question courtesy of GERARDAMO)

I just thought the game mechanics would be fun to play with. That most other games in the genre are button mashers didn't really concern me.

Who came up with the idea of Toribash and how?

I came up with the idea but since then it have evolved quite a bit and many people and players have been contributing to making it what it is today.

On my spare time I enjoy practising Judo, having a hobby besides a gaming can be good when coming up with ideas for games.

Off with his head!

What project(s) are you working on now?

Toribash for Wii

What new features are you planning to put in the next version of Toribash?

Version 3.7 (release feb 2009) has a new particle system and some GUI updates.

How well are your current projects coming along?

At a steady pace. I want the game to be perfect, and that doesn't always go hand in hand with good enough for release.

How do you feel about your fan base?

It is a nice mix of highly creative and fun individuals.

What are your future plans?

I am mostly concerned with finishing the current project we are working on.

Do you plan on making any games other then Toribash?

Yes, I have a prototype for a game called GlitchRacer. It is great fun and I hope to be able to release it some day.

Do you plan on making any games or ports on a console?

Yes, Nintendo Wii coming up!


Alright, well, that raps it up. You can check out Toribash, Nabi Studios, and Glitch Rider for more information. Once again we would like to thank Hampa a lot for the interview, and we can't wait for more Toribash!

P.S. Thanks for GERARDAMO and Kevin from It Came From /dev/null for editing and helping coming up with questions! Also, expect one more question to be posted soon that I forgot to ask.


Final question:

Why did you decide to give Toribash away free of charge?

We tried donationware, shareware, trialware, crippleware, velvet rope ware and addware. All of which more or less requires you to spend time making sure people can't play your game instead of making sure they are having fun. Selling virtual items for Toribash is both fun and supports the cost of further development.

Check out the Toribash blog, they actually blogged about us! So, if you're coming from there, thanks for the visit!