Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Day One, the unreleased adventure game from the renowned Pendulo Studios! As Ethan, a young journalist receives the diagnosis that he only has one day left to live. One pill can save him from day to day. The last day begins now.
The campaign for Day One
In 2012 Pendulo Studios announced a new project: Day One. They had big plans and took their vision to gamesplanet.com, a crowdfunding platform, to secure funding for this ambitious gaming project. The goal was set high – they were aiming for €300.000, with a main goal of an impressive €700.000. Despite the support of 923 dedicated fans who contributed a total of 48.116 euros, the project unfortunately did not reach its financing goals. The result was an indefinite postponement of Day One.
The developers promised a DRM-free download version of the game for 12 euros. Access to the developer forum was available from 50 euros. Music, drawings and material should have been visible there. From 600 euros, the supporter would have been allowed to send in their own piece of text. 5.000 euros would have allowed a character to be sent in. Five submissions would have been accepted. Nothing came of the development of the PC game.
Why Clickstarter?
After such successful games like that Runawayseries, the question arises as to why the developers suddenly relied on Clickstarter. Rafael Latiegui is the studios' chief graphic artist. He stated that publishers were cutting their budget for developing new games. This is due to game piracy, which negatively affected game sales. This led to the step of launching crowdfunding for the game. It represented the back door of gaming financing.
The Story of Day One
Ethan, a young journalist, finds out at the doctor that he only has one day left to live. He finds a capsule in his apartment that tells him that he can survive for another 24 hours and that he should travel to Paris for more information. The game was planned as a tragic comedy and was intended to be a comic adventure similar to the Runaway games. Ethan tells the story himself.
A sarcastic comedy story was planned for the players, with funny and adult elements. Ethan as a character brings with him a cynical view of life. His idol is Ambrose Bierce, the author of The Dictionary of the Devil. Ethan is prone to sarcasm and invites a smile on serious topics.
The game was intended to show the duality between Ethan and someone who is used to winning. He is doomed to die and the question arises about Ethan's development after the revelation of his coming death. Many complicated decisions awaited him.
Dropped Features
The planned features for the game included beautiful 2D graphics and colorful characters. Great film sequences were planned, which should provide a gripping atmosphere. The whole thing would have been packed with harmonious music. Another aspect was references to culture and media.
Not exactly easy puzzles await you in the game, as do crazy puzzle solutions. The crowd creators should have a say in whether more difficult puzzles and levels of difficulty are desired in the game. You should have a say in game design decisions. Pendulo announced the game as a satire with a conscience.
Rafael Latiegui referenced Amrbose Bierce's "The Dictionary of the Devil" in an interview and indicated that this is exactly the tone the game is planned for. Politics, society and morality were themes for the game. Of course, the fun in the game should not be neglected. Serious issues should be included, however. In the adventure game, Rafael Latiegui saw space in which the mind is at the forefront as what triggers the thoughts. It was explicitly not aimed at children.
The budgeting
Rafael Latiegui describes the budget of €300.000 as relatively tight. Premiums, bank and PayPal transactions and taxes are deducted. For this reason, the donors should be included in the production. He was sure that the quality would not suffer. He also sees it as an experience to coordinate the production with the fans. He saw it as a new dimension in game production.
Player feedback is a positive aspect of game development. This applies to both positive and negative reviews. There is also direct contact between fans and the development team. Already in the production phase, when the game was supposed to start, the developers saw difficulties coming up. Difficulties sometimes included visibility issues. Potential investors almost missed out on the project at times, and Kickstarter was the only place to find out about it.
Ein weiteres Problem das Pendulo beim Einsammeln von Geld für Day One bekam, war die Tatsache dass sie sehr bekannt waren. Die Leute waren der Meinung, dass Pendulo ein großer Entwickler mit viel Geld ist. Die Pendulo Studios sind trotz allem ein kleines Entwicklungsteam, das mit seinem Budget haushalten muss. Dieses Problem brachte neue Herausforderungen mit sich, die im Endeffekt nicht bewältigt werden konnten.
A VIP area was advertised for Day One. There you could have seen how far the development of Day One is. Access to forums, surveys and exclusive news and content would have been unlocked here. With cloud creation, players could have decided what content goes into the game and what impact it has.
Own creations and studies
Sogar eigene Kreationen hätten bei Day One berücksichtigt werden können. Sie waren jedoch belohnungsabhängig. Die Pendulo Studios arbeiteten mit der Universität Complutense Madrid zusammen. Unterstützer konnten ein Studium im Videospieldesign aufnehmen. Ein Praktikum bei den Pendulo Studios wäre weiterhin möglich gewesen. Plätze bei der Preisverleihung vom „Fun & Serious Game Festival“ standen in Aussicht. Zudem förderte das Studio Bildungseinrichtungen mit Übersetzungsstudiengängen. Das Studio wollte den Studenten zeigen, was zur Übersetzung eines Videospiels dazugehört.
The developers promised further rewards, which could not be implemented. Supporters would have received a DRM-free implementation of the game. Other rewards included a limited edition of handcrafted and numbered silver pins. Furthermore, a Pendulo calendar for 2013 was promised. Also included was a The Art of Pendulo studio book and a best-of album of the Pendulo game soundtracks. Handcrafted wallpapers with game themes were waiting. Most recently, merchandise such as t-shirts, posters and PVC prints were promised.
Due to the lack of support, the gaming world has to do without this game for the time being. Whether it will come at some point, only they know Pendulo Studios.
Das Genre florierte. Trotz des vorhergehenden Erfolges schafften es die Pendulo Studios nicht, die Investoren von ihrem neuen Spiel Day One zu überzeugen. Lag es an dem Thema Tod oder dem nicht ganz so sympatisch wirkenden Protagonisten mit seiner Glatze? Vielleicht erinnert es zu viele Menschen an die eigene Sterblichkeit.
money and commerce
It's about money and commercial adventures in gaming. Adult games were interesting for them if they were AAA titles. But Day One couldn't be classified as such. The crowd creators have a high influence on the game with crowdfunding. Finally they give the money. From the basic tone, Day One would have become a gloomy game, like the Yesterday games were. It turned out that Pendulo wanted to make adult games. Rafael Latiegui compared Yesterday to Hitchcock's Psycho and Day One to The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Rafael Latiegui's studio aimed at adult games and comics. Children were not the target group and yet Day One failed due to the game's low child-friendliness. Comedy was a genre of choice for the studio. The studio sought a departure from this genre. They wanted to turn to thrillers and adult themes. The studio also saw this tendency with the players. She was also recognizable among the reviewers. However, the people and the necessary money contradicted each other.
Crowdfunding challenges and success stories: Pendulo Studios and Daedalic Entertainment
Pendulo Studios, bekannt für ihren Hit „Runaway: A Road Adventure“, experienced a setback with “Day One,” which failed to reach its crowdfunding goal. This shows the uncertainties of game development, where even established studios can face challenges. It happened similarly Daedalic Entertainment With "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum„, einem ambitionierten Projekt, das aufgrund verschiedener Schwierigkeiten nicht sonderlich erfolgreich war. Während „Runaway“ ein Erfolg war und Pendulo Studios in der Adventure-Szene etablierte, verdeutlichen „Day One“ und „Gollum“, dass selbst bei renommierten Entwicklern nicht jedes Projekt erfolgreich ist. Solche Erfahrungen unterstreichen die Risiken und Unsicherheiten in der Spieleindustrie.
Comparison with the Runaway games
The Runawayseries, consisting of Runaway: A Road Adventure, Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle and Runaway: A Twist of Fate, is known for its colorful graphics, quirky characters and humorous dialogue. The games are rather light-hearted and rely on a mixture of adventure and comedy. In contrast, should Day One taking a darker and more satirical approach, where the humor would be sharper and the themes more serious.
The Case of John Yesterday and Yesterday Origins
The John Yesterday case and Yesterday Origins sind zwei der düstereren Titel von Pendulo Studios. Diese Spiele teilen eine tiefgehende, dunkle Atmosphäre und komplexe Geschichten, die sich um Geheimnisse und Verschwörungen drehen. Day One would have continued this, but with a unique approach, addressing the theme of the finiteness of life and the moral questions that accompany the search for healing.
Connection and difference to Blacksad: Under the Skin
Blacksad: Under the Skin, based on the popular comic series, is a detective game with a strong noir atmosphere. It relies on deep storytelling, complex characters and moral decisions. While Day One While also raising complex moral questions, it is distinguished by its dark humor and satirical perspective. However, both games share a commitment to deep narratives and atmospheric worlds, despite using different genre elements and styles.
You can find it at Gamesplanet Original interview with Rafael Latiegui
