How Moon Beast plans to tap the well of player creators

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Most game startups struggle to market their games based on unknown intellectual properties. To address this challenge, Moon Beast Productions is collaborating closely with creator communities.

The Austin, Texas-based company is developing a fantasy action role-playing game based on an original intellectual property.

Phil Shenk, CEO of Moon Beast, shared in an interview with GamesBeat that the company is embracing various creators in and around the gaming industry. He elaborated on Moon Beast’s ambitious vision initially announced last year.

Summarizing, he stated: “We are in an era of creators. Creator content permeates every aspect of our lives, blurring the line between creator and audience, if such a line even exists.”

A unique gaming ecosystem

Shenk emphasized that Moon Beast is deeply integrating and engaging with the creator ecosystem in the game development process, departing from a “standard” ARPG approach. The team is focusing heavily on incorporating creativity as a fundamental aspect of gameplay.

He explained: “We begin with the foundational elements that make a successful ARPG, such as itemization, skill design, class roles, MOB design, combat interactions, which we excel at creating. We are then transposing these into a dynamic, open-ended world for players to explore.”

One practical aspect of this approach is the team’s creation of procedurally generated worlds at a detailed level. Each player’s gaming experience is unique, ranging from geographical landscapes and terrain features to encounter locations and challenges.

Shenk stated: “These dynamic worlds are heavily influenced by player actions. Each player’s journey is distinct, and their decisions impact the world they inhabit. Every battle scars the land, events shape the environment, and mysteries await exploration.”

The benefit for creators

According to Shenk, the game’s unique and customizable worlds offer abundant content opportunities for creators. From streaming unique gameplay to crafting walkthroughs and strategies, creators have endless possibilities to share their gaming experiences with others through Moon Beast.

Creators are not just reacting to the game; they actively shape, share, and enrich the gaming worlds they discover. The game’s high modifiability allows creator-developers to extend the game’s boundaries by introducing new content, characters, skills, and environments.

Esteemed game streamers like Ben “Cohh Carnage” Cassel and CJ “Rhykker” Miozzi have expressed enthusiasm for Moon Beast’s innovative approach towards engaging creators in the gaming process.

Aligned interests

Moon Beast actively collaborates with creators and creator platforms, aligning its success with the interests of creators. Shenk emphasizes that everyone involved in the game, whether player or creator, contributes to its success.

By fostering a community focused on creating entertaining and engaging content, Moon Beast aims to transform relationships between developers, creators, and players positively. This approach eliminates conflicts of interest and ensures mutual success.

Looking ahead, Shenk sees early access and funding as pivotal for Moon Beast’s narrative control and creator-driven development. The company is dedicated to empowering creators and expanding the game’s modularity to accommodate various creator types and preferences.

Demo time

Moon Beast is currently developing a demo that showcases the game’s creator-centric features. By providing in-game tools for building content, the team emphasizes the uniqueness and shareability of each player’s experience.

Shenk highlighted the depth of player choices, character customizations, and combat dynamics, combined with the world’s unique and shareable nature, as key elements of a vibrant creator economy within the game.