CrunchTime goes big time

Street Fighter veteran's support studio starts making its own games; first project to hit Xbox Live Arcade early next year.

In some ways, Chandler, Arizona-based CrunchTime Games is the prototypical indie startup studio. It is staffed by a group of eager young designers pulled from local universities. Its first game is a labor of love made financially feasible by the current trend of downloadable console gaming. Its studio space is a converted garage.

CrunchTime's logo is the very definition of "in your face."

On the other hand, the studio has a few advantages over your average startup. It was founded and self-funded by James Goddard, a 17-year industry veteran who worked as a designer on the Street Fighter series (not to mention creating the character of Dee-Jay). It also has four years of history as a support studio, helping The Collective with Marc Ecko's Getting Up and working with Blizzard Entertainment on the cancelled Starcraft: Ghost, as well as World of Warcraft.

After years of working as a hired gun on other people's projects, Goddard wanted a change. He began to reshape CrunchTime as an indie studio that would make its own games, as he said, "uninhibited by corporate BS." To help him in that endeavor, Goddard looked specifically for developers who still had a passion for the business; something he feared might be harder to find in veterans that tend to grow jaded with life in the industry.

"I'm not going to kill myself and have limited time with my four kids just so I could hear other people [complain] about it and be not excited about the business," Goddard told GameSpot. "I didn't care if they were graduates, had never been to school, or had been working for 20 years, as long as they were passionate about what they were doing and down with taking this risk with me."

When Goddard first started looking into setting up a development studio, he balked at how expensive the venture was shaping up to be. He had seen other veterans establishing their own studios struggle to find financial backers or a publishing deal for their games, but Goddard was set on making the game using his own money and on his own terms.

"It all fell into place in November 2005," Goddard said. "I was tipped off about how awesome Xbox Live Arcade was going to be, slept overnight at Sam's Club, picked up the machine, went straight home, and played Geometry Wars and Mutant Storm and said, 'Wow, this is totally doable.'"

By the following March, he had his team up and working on its first Xbox Live Arcade game. Set for release in early 2008, CrunchTime's first original project is being kept under wraps for now. However, Goddard has teased a few details about it. The game will debut CrunchTime's own R.A.K. (Roaming Arcade Killer) Engine, created by three of the studio's first-time developers. It's also a new genre for Goddard, and more details about the project will be revealed in the next two weeks.

For more on the studio, check out the official CrunchTime Games Web site.

35 Comments

  • earthking

    Posted Nov 19, 2007 3:12 pm PT

    Chanler? I hope they're highering for beta testers. I would so apply. It's great to see new companies being formed in the industries.

  • SlikNik27

    Posted Nov 19, 2007 12:02 pm PT

    Best logo ever.

  • Strike_Zer0

    Posted Nov 19, 2007 11:40 am PT

    Sounds pretty cool. I wish 'em luck.

  • kori911

    Posted Nov 19, 2007 9:51 am PT

    Gratz to them, and that is an awesome logo.

  • Kobewars87

    Posted Nov 19, 2007 9:49 am PT

    they cancled Starcraft:ghost.......wow i totally missed that

  • makemeweak

    Posted Nov 19, 2007 9:46 am PT

    Nice - XBLA can always use more games.

  • ashuncc2

    Posted Nov 19, 2007 8:22 am PT

    Great news for CrunchTime. Hopefully, they will be able to provide us with some great games down the road.

  • GhostyMcboo

    Posted Nov 18, 2007 9:07 pm PT

    Nice credentials! Except for Dee Jay. Damn, what a sloppy use of a stereotype.

    I'd have given him big old dreads and made him less goofy and more badass.

  • wakko19991

    Posted Nov 18, 2007 9:27 am PT

    no this ctually sounds exciting. I'm hoping this works out for him and his company. The world, not just gaming, needs more independence form corporate morays and SOP.

  • gvg1984

    Posted Nov 17, 2007 8:27 pm PT

    This James guy seems like the type of person we need making games for our industry. I found his blog at http://www.djamesgoddard.com/ it really gives a good insight of what it's like to be in the industry.

    Oh yeah that logo rocks!

  • agus23

    Posted Nov 17, 2007 3:43 pm PT

    I want a CrunchTime T-shirt!

  • Putzwapputzen

    Posted Nov 17, 2007 3:01 pm PT

    wow, thats good! i like the logo a lot too. haha its pretty funny.

  • davahsa

    Posted Nov 17, 2007 8:52 am PT

    Tons cooler name/logo than Eat Sleep Game...seems like the same idea though. Let the Indie wars commence! This stuff is the best thing to happen to gaming in forever. Hopefully we start seeing XNA stuff coming out of peoples homes by spring '09. Hey Valve..... make the people an XNA engine and start a whole new generation of modding that actually shows up in the average American living room. Woot to the possibilities!

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Nov 17, 2007 5:53 am PT

    thank you for deejay. the coolest cat from sf

  • DoctorEvol

    Posted Nov 17, 2007 1:00 am PT

    Cloud goes to UAT too? Goddard recently did a session at our Tech Forum talking about developing for XBL Arcade and giving out general tips about independent development. He then showed us his new game, it's not a fighting game like Goddard is used to, but there are several elements taken from fighting games. It looked fun, can't wait to download it.

  • KHCloud04

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 9:39 pm PT

    I've seen the game they are gonna release and even though we weren't told to sign an NDA at our school I'm not gonna mention any details out of respect for James. But I will tell you the game is 'gameplay with impact', it will blow your ****ing socks off!

  • olthof

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 9:38 pm PT

    go indie!

  • V-Nine

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 6:08 pm PT

    Looks like its time to tame and reclaim the industry from endless corporate hooha.

  • Sergsky

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 5:30 pm PT

    Cool logo!

  • mikewalsh69

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 5:02 pm PT

    good for him

  • Aretorihc

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 3:52 pm PT

    I hope this starts a trend where more indie developers start becoming the norm. It helps get out of the blatant sequel-itis and rushed game making policies of the larger corporations. The only problem I see is, can they make a good game? Gamers tend to be fickle and if the game doesn't play well it won't sell well and the smaller companies won't do well. I hope they can, but we'll see. :-)

  • ObsidianArbiter

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 3:35 pm PT

    sweet, good to know there are still developers that arn't willing to let be bought by ea

  • sonicare

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 3:11 pm PT

    good for them. It's nice to see GS give the independents some air time.

  • gvg1984

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 3:05 pm PT

    I love their logo! Their website just went live! I wish these guys luck and look forward to seeing what their game is going to be!

  • maxxorz

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 2:56 pm PT

    Always nice to hear about new startups, very promising!

  • frankeyser

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 2:34 pm PT

    just there logo makes me like them. i hope they put out something good. it is nice to see developers that are willing to strike out on there own and not just be part of the gaming studio norm.

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 2:12 pm PT

    At leas they have the passion, that's always the first step.

  • Kempatsu_basic

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 2:07 pm PT

    I havent seen passion like this since the 16 bit hey days. I support you

  • Roger_Smith

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 1:48 pm PT

    Always good to see new, fresh faces in the industry

  • Daffron

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 1:01 pm PT

    all devs should think like this, instead of "EA rehash 2008" games

  • BigDaveyDogz

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 12:36 pm PT

    good luck to these guys..gimme something good!!!

  • theemptyquiver

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 12:34 pm PT

    Their "skull with joystick" icon makes me want to support their endevours. I love that there are companies that are out there supporting XBL Arcade exclusively, because Arcade is what tides me over between major game releases. Thanks CrunchTime. Thanks for existing.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 12:29 pm PT

    I like that CruchTime logo

  • Spartan1017

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 12:23 pm PT

    sounds great, best of luck to 'em
    hope we get some really good games from them

  • MasterChief725

    Posted Nov 16, 2007 12:07 pm PT

    Thats really cool, what a story, I cant wait to play that game. I wonder what the R.A.K Engine is like?

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