This is now what…the 4th year of doing these annual review/preview blogs? You know the drill, let’s do it.
2021
A slow year for development. After 2020’s blistering pace, 2021 came to a screeching halt. Nevertheless, there were things that got done.
1) Mythlink 3D Models and Animations
There was some decent success here in 2021. Two of the three initial planned Mythlink’s have had their 3D models completed and they both have a healthy slew of animations to work with. More animations will be needed for the final release and the third Mythlink is not yet modeled (it’s in progress), but overall I think this ended in a good spot.
2) The Game Development World Championship 2021
The unexpected success of 2021 was GDWC, which Mythlink took part in June of 2021. Although Mythlink did not walk away as winner of the “weekly favorite”, I still thought it was a fun and interesting way to get exposure. Here’s to hoping more of these opportunities come around as we near release!
In 2021 I mentioned that ultimately, my goal was to release the paid version of Mythlink within 2021 or the early part of 2022. I suppose it depends on your definition of “early”, but as previously announced, I don’t see it happening before July of this year. You can call that a miss, but not one I feel too guilty about.
2022
So, we’ve still got some work to do (what else is new?)
1) Release the Paid Version of Mythlink
Look familiar? This is the same goal put forth in the 2020-2021 review/preview! It will happen this year though, I just know it and have been working hard to make it a reality. As previously mentioned, the game will release with 3 unique Mythlinks, each with their own abilities and quirks. The current target date is before July of this year. That means the current release date is June 30, 2022 I suppose! I really would feel horrible about missing the release date, but would feel more horrible if the game released as a buggy mess, so if it gets delayed, it gets delayed. I’m definitely doing my best!
2) Start a Fierce Marketing Campaign
This should probably be listed as number 1, since these efforts will start before the game is released. The short of it is, Mythlink advertising has been non-existant. This was for a number of reasons, but will change soon. I touched on this a little bit last year, but now I’ve got personel in place and the time is almost right.
3) Enter Competitions, Conventions, and the Like
Related to 1 and 2, the best part of release year is all the things you can do out the gate! Award shows, conventions, and lots of fun to be had. Assuming I can get Mythlink out in a timely manner this year (and I don’t mean December 31st), it would be really awesome to hit the road (either physically or virtually) and take part in these things. I’m quite looking forward to this. It almost feels like a victory lap after years of development.
Of course, as I’ve said many times before, once Mythlink is released, it’s just the beginning. There is work to be done that only starts with the release and I hope that it is successful enough to justify acting on those ambitions.
Here’s hoping for a rocking 2022!