GGS Interviews Stacy Davidson [Jack Houston and the Necronauts]

Stacy Davidson is the founder of Warbird Games and lead designer for Jack Houston and the Necronauts. Unless you’re one of those Pinball Wizard kids, you’ve likely at least heard the title. There are several reasons Jack Houston has serious buzz in Gamer Land™, not the least of which is the fact that it’s one of those crowd-funded Kickstarter projects. And a successful one, to boot!

Warbird Games has surpassed its $56,000 pledge goal and will now become a reality. What’s more, if and when the pledged donations reach other specified dollar amount milestones, the team will add new features and hire the folks necessary to release Jack Houston on more platforms.

Within three weeks of the project being funded, we will go into production full time and begin filling YOU in with regular updates and behind-the-scenes videos keeping you involved in the project every step of the way. You’ll have exclusive access to the dev team through the private backers’ forum, and high level backers will even have certain perks including quarterly producer reports and the opportunity to vote on critical in-game content.

So, both the initial success and the continued success of this game will impact the experience and who can enjoy it. The amount you pledge determines what you’ll get in return, ranging from a copy of Jack Houston to access to the designers as they work, original artwork, being listed as an Executive Producer, and having the chance to actually play Jack or a female character in an exclusive version of the game. Supporters are also very much invited to offer ideas and suggestions as the team builds it…indeed, many already have!

That’s a crude summary of what’s going on Kickstarter-wise. As for the actual content and gameplay of Jack Houston and the Necronauts, here’s a crude summary from Warbird:

The interface will be a fairly streamlined verb coin point & click system. The setting should be familiar to anyone who’s seen Tom Corbett: Space Cadet or Perry Rhodan: bubble helmets, rockets ‘n ray guns galore.

As for the visuals of the game…they’re going back to the days of stop-motion animation sci-fi. And the character and environment designs hearken back to a forsaken golden era of space adventures.

It’s an iconic, instantly familiar, nostalgic feel, and it jazzes perfectly with the campy (a loaded word in these parts, as you’ll hear) story being told.

I think it’s wise to bring in Stacy at this point. On behalf of GGS Gamer, I was fortunate enough to speak with him and ask him some questions about the characters, inspiration and development of Jack Houston and the Necronauts. Stacy was a great sport. Apologies for the slightly borked audio – imagine Stacy’s transmissions are coming from spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace!

Jack Houston and the Necronauts is hurtling toward an inevitable collision with our planet. Hopefully now, you’re better prepared, better informed and better excited.

Er…more. Excited.

More excited.

Sorry.

Here’s the theme we talked about at the end of the interview.

That track really does establish the tone and “voice” of the game as Stacy described it. Watch GGS for more info on Jack Houston while it’s in production!

[Music tracks used: "Wanda Wanda" from Katamari Damacy & "You Will Go to the Moon" by Moxy Fruvous]
[Team quotes & game design images borrowed from the Jack Houston and the Necronauts Kickstarter page]
[Outer space icon image borrowed from Miss Trendy Kitty]