Hello all, As we wrap up the year, we’re thankful for the amazing ways RA RA BOOM has developed and for the support from our community. Earlier this year, we announced that Gylee Games will be partnering with Midwest Games as the publisher of RA RA BOOM. This brings positive impacts on the game including additional funding, QA review, marketing support, and more. Our team continues to work diligently on the game, adding in so much cool stuff that we can’t wait to share soon! For now, we wanted to share a Q&A with Chris Bergman, Founder and CEO of Gylee Games, where we discuss his background, inspiration, and motivations in creating RA RA BOOM! [h2]Interview:[/h2] [b]Q - Hey Chris, thanks for taking time to chat. So, this is the first video game you've made, right? What was your background like before starting Gylee and what made you want to start a studio? [/b] A - Yep. RA RA BOOM is our first game. I’ve been a serial entrepreneur my whole life. My last company, Choremonster, was an app that gamified chores for kids and parents, so it was game-ish. I really enjoyed the creative aspect of that app: creating over 100 different interactive monsters. After exiting that company, I knew I wanted to start a studio with an initial focus on hand animated 2d characters. I also love starting from zero. Building something from the ground up. Putting together a team of talented people and installing a culture of transparency and collaboration. [b]Q - I think that vision shows in the main protagonists in RA RA BOOM, they are otherworldly, yet also pretty relatable. Could you share some of the direct inspiration behind the characters? [/b] A - The characters are an amalgamation of many different things. They’re all based on real people that have been in my life. There’s also a lot of myself in there. A lot of my own mental health struggles. That said, video games need more badass women and so that is definitely core to these characters. They’re on their own for the first time in a world they’ve heard about but have never seen. Watching them make discoveries about this world as well as their friendship is key to the story. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43737459/9c2bac166671a812bd4b7e0fe6dd461799a59327.jpg[/img] [b]Q - RA RA BOOM features completely hand drawn animations which is becoming more rare in video games. Was that your original intent before making the game or did that direction come later?[/b] A - Absolutely our original intent from day one. I grew up on Saturday morning cartoons and have always loved games that have that look. My time at Disney also gave me a renewed love for 2d and animation. We knew it was going to be difficult. In fact, we scrapped all of our original animation 1.5 years in because we knew it just wasn’t up to the bar that we had set for ourselves. Now, as we continue to playtest regularly, the number one compliment we get is always about the animation. [b]Q - That's a huge undertaking, besides upping the art quality, how else has the studio grown or evolved this year as you get deeper into RA RA BOOM? Anything you are particularly proud of? [/b] A -We signed with Midwest Games! It’s truly a wonderful feeling to have a whole new group of people getting excited about making Ra Ra. New feedback, new opinions, and most importantly new support. That has really injected a lot of energy into the team. We also signed with UTA, and they have been a huge help for the studio as a whole. Again, more moral support. Making games can be a draining, lengthy process. Oftentimes, it can be frustrating trying to get a level just right. Having others that aren’t in the office every day offering outside perspectives is hugely helpful. [b]Q - Anything else you want to add or say before we wrap up the year that is/was 2023?[/b] A - We have SO MUCH MORE to talk about in 2024! I can’t wait to share it all. And I definitely cannot wait for everyone to play RA RA BOOM! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43737459/2feb069b135521a9e9946d34caddbe1d9b7f782e.jpg[/img] Thank you Chris for the interview and taking time to highlight some of the background of Gylee and RA RA BOOM. Finally a big thank you to you all for your encouragement and support and we look forward to sharing more on RA RA BOOM in the new year! In the meantime, you can follow Gylee Games on [url=https://twitter.com/GyleeGames]Twitter[/url] and [url=https://www.instagram.com/gyleegames/]Instagram[/url] to keep up to date. You can also join us on [url=https://discord.gg/DMPzjNkdYS]Discord[/url] to keep chatting. [b]Happy Holidays![/b] -[i]Gylee Games and Midwest Games Team[/i]