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Super TOP SECRET Update - PART 6

Welcome to Super TOP SECRET Update - PART 6 The Controversy Edition.

This is the update where I spill some info that's probably going to really excite some folks and turn another set of folks off. There's not much I can do to allay any backlash that might come. We've drawn our line in the sand, and we're pumped about what's about to be revealed. I can only hope that our excitement overflows abundantly onto our collection of IconBuffet friends (that's you).

Before I completely spill the beans, a wee bit of backstory: First, we never imagined that IconBuffet would be met with as much love as it has. We thank you for that. Second, when we decided to build a game based on some of the same general foundations as IconBuffet, we originally had envisioned it as its own destination site. Third, our mindset changed dramatically when the oft-hyped Facebook opened their platform to third-party developers. We've done a lot of work with Causes on Facebook over the last year, and have become quite familiar with Facebook Platform as a by-product of that work. The thought of building a full-on social game for the masses without having to "rebuild" the social graph was too much for us to pass up.

Like many of you, I'm tired of maintaining friendships and relationships on multiple sites. Harnessing the existing relationships on a ubiquitous platform like Facebook allows us to focus on building a great game as opposed to building a social platform. Someone has already done that. We just need to take advantage of it.

So by now you know where I'm going with this... We're excited to announce that our new game — PackRat — exists entire (at this point) within Facebook.

Now for some updates: We're still a few days away from being comfortable with with our private invite preview. We're working diligently on usability issues, polishing artwork, and the little sparkles that make an app special.

Frankly, I think most of the apps on Facebook are crap. This doesn't mean that the Facebook platform is crap. The platform — and what it allows a developer to do — is remarkable. Most developers have simply been content to build gimmicky, shallow applications looking for a quick burn. Rest assured, PackRat is no such app. We began work on this game many months ago, and we've intentionally slowed development to make sure that when the game launches it will be considered the highest-quality application to be launched within Facebook.

I believe we're getting very close to achieving that goal. And we're very grateful for you patience in the interim.

So now for the fun part: You need to get ready to play the game. If you're already a Facebook member, the hard part us behind you. If you're not on Facebook, you should definitely consider getting an account soon. The game is much more fun when played with friends. You may even want to connect with some of your IB buddies on Facebook if you haven't already. No need to go hog wild though, a dozen or so friends should suffice to get your started (read: no need to friend a bunch of people you don't know — you'll be able to get by with a reasonably small handful of friends at first).

We've set up a group on Facebook where you can begin to congregate. We'll be posting game art, information, and other details on the group page. You'll also notice the name of the group, Alamofire. Like Firewheel, Alamofire is a nod to another Texas wildflower. But we'll save another post for the Alamofire story.

For now get on over to Facebook, join the group, and get ready to play with your friends. We're only days away from launch. Oh yeah!

Posted by josh Vip-micro on Oct 30, 2007 in News | 87 comments

gswd on Oct 30, 2007

Why does this sound like IB may not be around much longer?

josh Vip-micro on Oct 30, 2007

@gswd: the thought of canning IB hurts my feelings. : (

Not gonna happen.

jameshilton on Oct 30, 2007

Not sure what to think, Ive joined the group and i'm excited to see what happens.

Granf on Oct 30, 2007

that, gswd, was the most frightening post i've ever seen. Please, oh please, chefs, DONT PULL THE PLUG!

gswd on Oct 30, 2007

Okey dokey then. Since Facebook is banned here at work, I have to wait till I get home to checkout the links.

dustybunny on Oct 30, 2007

I'm not sure how I feel. I've always been against social networking sites. hmmm.

Granf on Oct 30, 2007

banned at school here, too. i'll have to wait.

gswd on Oct 30, 2007

This is why I got panicked"
"allows us to focus on building a great game as opposed to building a social platform"
It sounded like the social aspect of IB was an insurmountable problem.

Granf on Oct 30, 2007

you do realize that you, dustybunny, are a prime figure in IconBuffet, which happens to be a social networking site.

rossanyl on Oct 30, 2007

I'm like dustybunny, I never created an account on facebook or other networking site, i didn't feel the need for that. I will have to take a look at this facebook stuff...

josh Vip-micro on Oct 30, 2007

@gswd: I see how you could've understood it that way. I'm not saying that developing a social platform is technically insurmountable, its simply time-consuming.

We realize a lot of folks don't care to manage relationships across multiple sites, and the idea of building "yet another" social network of sorts was weighing heavy. Facebook simply allows us to focus more energy on the game, art, mechanics and such — as opposed to developing a new profile engine with friendships, interests and such.

bluepenguin on Oct 30, 2007

i'm so excited - can't wait!!

jameshilton on Oct 30, 2007

@josh:
Now that you have got that off your chest can you release Tokyo Hygiene please!?

jameshilton on Oct 30, 2007

Thanks!

JSun on Oct 30, 2007

I'm curious, so I joined Facebook. Let's see if I remain a member there ;)

bkendall on Oct 30, 2007

I am not being trying to be pessimistic but I am curious...your banking on the continued success of facebook who is in the process of being bought, what happens if it turns out to be a fad and dies away? hopefully you have a way to continue the development outside of facebook?

JBVisions on Oct 30, 2007

I'm on Facebook because it's not MySpace.

kralyx on Oct 30, 2007

Just a quick thought: do you think that by joining this group, it hurts or enhances our image as maintained on facebook? Some of you might have heard that certain companies look for employee's facebook before they hire him/her...

josh Vip-micro on Oct 30, 2007

Kralyx: If you're concerned about others snooping on your FB profile (employer or otherwise) you need to make your FB profile private. Regardless, playing our game won't hurt your reputation any more than playing Clue, Checkers, or Monopoly.

Winnopeg on Oct 30, 2007

@Josh: Well, if you were playing Disney Princess Monopoly Junior... ;)

gswd on Oct 30, 2007

@Winnopeg - but that just shows you understand the meaning of "Faaaaaa-buuuuu-lousssss!" :)

I'm not really worried about what people think when they see my Facebook page, cause nobody seems interested in giving me a design job anyway. I was concerned about my MySpace page, and then they went a changed the code somehow and borked all my enhancements. Oh well. Live, learn, move on.

Nell Vip-micro on Oct 30, 2007

I applaud this. Making a new social network is like making the next YouTube: totally pointless.

I'm not a big fan of these kinds of sites, but I have an account on most of them. Hmm...

soprano on Oct 30, 2007

Facebook banned at school… :(

gswd on Oct 30, 2007

Just closed my MySpace page. That leaves me with my Facebook, IB, and Hi5 accounts. Oh yeah, and my blog.

tamashii on Oct 30, 2007

@Josh: What tie-ins to PackRat are directly affected by, if at all, IconBuffet? Example: will any achievements here be reflected in PackRat?

I also noticed you made a Topic on PackRat Formula Sharing back on the 18th (Oct). I assume that since the game is not in the IBer beta phase yet, that we can't “subscribe” to the game yet (not sure how the apps really work in Facebook yet, to be honest) and this is for the rest of the Firewheel team?

I am interested in this game and look forward to its further development. I have slowly begun building my friends on the site, but I will certainly be more picky there (so no offense if I don't buddy you just because you are from IB).

tamashii on Oct 30, 2007

I noticed that when sending a Friend Request, you are not given the option to send a message along with it. Thus, one must additionally send a message, separately of the request. A cumbersome and needless step, in my opinion.

Not to mention these damn Security Checks with every conceivable action taken here…

(5 attempts to post to the Wall failed (and 3 more attempts to just post anything) - "Can't Open Socket" error or "missing" the word check is upsetting me)

HOLY MOTHER OF… Facebook has frustrated me to no end this evening. Just F*(#$&#($ ridiculous. Period.

minienvelope on Oct 30, 2007

I don't have a facebook account, nor do I intend to get one. That's a shame. I hope you're going to be releasing screenshots to the public.

grantneufeld Vip-micro on Oct 30, 2007

@tamashi: there is a tiny Javascript-driven link on the Facebook friend request dialog which you can use to reveal a message field when sending a request. It’s just above the button you click to send a request, IIRC.

aaroncampbell on Oct 31, 2007

tamashii: I just signed up today, but when I added friends, it gave a link in the box to send a message with the request. When I clicked that, it gave me a box to put a message into.

Spongefile on Oct 31, 2007

I think this sounds like an interesting project. Have been waiting for someone to break the Facebook Crap App barrier for a while now.

Spongefile on Oct 31, 2007

One thing I'm curious about, though: How will y'all get paid if the app is on Facebook? Will there be PackRat VIP? (And I do expect you to find some way of getting paid--as lovely as all you do is, it shouldn't be charity. This money question has been one of the things that has made me hold off on getting into Facebook app development) Guess we'll find out... :)

mixplusik on Oct 31, 2007

I can't join Facebook, because "I must fill in all of the fields". But I filled in all the fields!
I don't want to register where I can't register :/
Maybe select more "international" site than this your Facebook?

Novak Vip-micro on Oct 31, 2007

Someone may have asked this already, but are you still planning on offering the larger, for-sale sets on IB going forward, or will it be free deliveries from here on out?

(FWIW, I've been meaning to check out Facebook -- boy, am I late to the party -- to look at it for development purposes...but I've always had reservations about it; this new game might be the thing to push me into it...)

anti on Oct 31, 2007

I friended some people I recognize over there. Hope nobody sees it as a slight if I missed you, just testing the waters...

josh Vip-micro on Oct 31, 2007

@novak — our goal is to continue adding collections regularly to IB on both sides. Now the game has taking up most of our time lately... and thus slowed design for larger pay sets... but honestly I'd like a full blown Alexandria set at some point. Hopefully Etherbrian can make it happen.

@Spongefile — no PackRat VIP (yet). We'll definitely be looking for ways to make money and self-support the game eventually, but that's not our focus at launch. We simply wanted to build a fun game.

@Soprano — Tell your school to lighten up. What harm could there be in surfing Facebook at school. ; )

soprano on Oct 31, 2007

Well, I actually think it's the entire school district, so that would be hard…

“The Websense category "Social Networking and Personal Sites" is filtered.” Meh.

davethegr8 on Oct 31, 2007

Yay. Now I can friend-spam the chefs.

louiemctool on Oct 31, 2007

:p on facebook. guess i'm not playing the new game...

:)

tamashii on Oct 31, 2007

@grant and aaron: ya - i noticed the java link a bit after i made that post. blah.

@josh: still looking for some insight on my question earlier.

josh Vip-micro on Oct 31, 2007

@tamashii - we're staying mum on PackRat / IconBuffet tie-ins, although I'd say its safe to assume we'll have some sort of tie in at some point.

JoJo1031 on Oct 31, 2007

<-- jealous of the VIPs.

Betty on Oct 31, 2007

Maybe I'm too much of a old fart, but I'm not comfortable with the privacy statement on facebook. Maybe some of you young'uns could explain. I really don't want my full name floating around out there in order to play this type of game.

tamashii on Oct 31, 2007

@Betty: To be fair, Facebook is the most anti-privacy social network around. Anything and everything you post on the site is and will be sold and/or distributed to just about anything. If you're not comfortable with that, I would suggest not joining the site. I post very little info about myself, nor any materials/examples of my work that could be used by them under their "we own everything about you on this site" terms of service.

louiemctool on Oct 31, 2007

like i said:

:p on facebook...

:D

danielsemper on Nov 01, 2007

The rat logo of this Facebook group looks like a Chef from a known Pixar film.

;)

Joined!

MiCCAS on Nov 01, 2007

That sucks, I can't personally get an account because I have no network to join..

grantneufeld Vip-micro on Nov 01, 2007

@MiCCAS: you don’t need to join a network. Lots of folks are on FB without a network.

josh Vip-micro on Nov 01, 2007

@tamashii and betty - Facebook takes privacy concerns VERY seriously. FB allows you very detailed controls over who you allow to see information about your self. They certainly don't resell that info. I don't know what basis you would use to assume that anything posted to FB will be sold or redistributed. It is simply not true.

That said, like any social network, you should educate yourself about their privacy features so that you can control your own destiny.

tamashii on Nov 01, 2007

i am jealous of your exposed

Now - how right or wrong that is, it seems clear that those statements in Facebook's ToS are a might suspect. And to be clear, I joined Facebook and I am comfortable with the level of share I put on there. I was just informing Betty that it may not be the site for her if she is concerned about her privacy on the site.

I don't know 100% what Facebook actually does or doesn't do with our information - nor any social networking site for that matter - so I make sure I take the time and effort to be as selective and honest with what I feed these sites with.

meggan on Nov 01, 2007

Aw dang.

I was all hyped up about this until I found out it was on Facebook. I don't have an account, nor do I really intend to get one - like you said, I don't need yet another social networking site to log in to and maintain.

Facebook wouldn't let me join years ago (when it was still very locked down) even with a legitimate college and college email, and I haven't looked back since. I haven't liked what I've read about them lately, and I think it's kind of sad that this new game is so proprietary. As in, even though I'm VIP, I still can't play the game because I have the same complaints you do about maintaining profiles on multiple sites.

I'm sure I'll give in eventually, but... meh.

dyar on Nov 01, 2007

And, if there aren't enough Social Networks, Google is going live today with Google OpenSocial. Some interesting information in the article.

tamashii on Nov 01, 2007

I just want to add that Facebook is the only social network I, personally, have ever seen with the kind of embedded apps and what have you as they do. To be quite honest, there are two games that I installed that have me hooked. I am actually looking forward to PackRat because of the integration Facebook offers with their applications and your "network" of friends.

Betty on Nov 01, 2007

Have fun, guys. After researching further, I've decided that FB is not for me. See you around the buffet.

Pims on Nov 01, 2007

@josh: let developers do the hard work for you. Provide us with a way to export our data, and we'll do the tie-in , ourselves :-)
or we could still scrape the html and get the data out ourselves... i'll give it a try i guess

gswd on Nov 01, 2007

Oh my. The world just keeps getting scarier. I want to buy my boat and get out to sea where none of these leaches can get me.

Steax on Nov 02, 2007

I'm not interested in it, then. I don't want to gamble on facebook's integrity as a platform for your game. Look at IB - due to the localization of the systems, we have lots of customization, like how tags are being used for "guilds". I'd much rather have it personal this way - I don't like the idea of mixing up my online communities as one. I don't mind them separate, so I can be myself on each one and and it really doesn't bother me to have a couple tabs open in firefox.

So just IB for me, then. Good luck, everyone else... =)

VINZ on Nov 02, 2007

I lost my vip because of credit card issues (declared lost). The new one doesn't want to work to get a new vip and i think i won't get my very-special-beta. I didn't have cool stickers neither pirates icons for free... i think i'm kind of loser in this, don't you?
Oh, an i don't have FB account... register register register... it bother me :(

JBVisions on Nov 02, 2007

Not had a problem with Facebook. I set my privacy controls, don't fill in all the boxes (phone numbers etc) and I've had no problems. MySpace is the one you need to be careful with.

Steax on Nov 02, 2007

I might, eventually, come along and join the fun over there. But I haven't got much to pull me there. So... We'll see.

redpoint on Nov 02, 2007

Signed up... I wish it was easier to identify our friends from IB, I got a few because of the photos or the names, but most of them I have no clue who they are here.

robbyrice on Nov 02, 2007

@ redpoint - on the alamofire group page Josh has posted a discussion on the discussion board that's called "IconBuffet'ers Introduce Yourselves". There, people make comments and tell who they are here in IconBuffet land. I've posted a comment on that discussion board telling people who I am. In this blog Josh has posted a link to the Alamofire group or you can just search for it on FaceBook.

laulena on Nov 02, 2007

YAY! I'm glad I just turned 13 so I could get a FB account :)

heinzelman on Nov 04, 2007

i'm in, let the games begin

Jem on Nov 05, 2007

Well, that's pretty lame. I don't want to have to sign up to yet another site, and I certainly don't want idiots I went to school with chasing me through some 3rd party social-networking BS. I've avoided Facepoop and Myshite for a reason.

That said, I've enjoyed IconBuffet to this point without the game. I am sure my enjoyment won't change, because you can't miss what you've never had.

Jen on Nov 05, 2007

Very well said Jem. -thumbs up-

tylermenezes on Nov 06, 2007

The main problem with Facebook applications is that if they're actually good and popular, Facebook will shut them down and make a bad copy. It seems people only have a chance when they're bad but popular.

greengurl on Nov 07, 2007

@Jem, right on! (and thanks for giving me the first chuckle of my day!)
@steax & @betty ... I'm with you all. I won't even bother signing up another account, and the only reason I return to IB (and believe me, I don't have a load of time to do this), is because of all the things that make it unique. ciao, babes. -gg

soprano on Nov 07, 2007

@tylermenezes: Really? Give an example.

supertux on Nov 07, 2007

@tylermenezes
Sounds just like TV shows

dyar on Nov 08, 2007

If you liked IconBuffet, you'll love Alamofire.

Any significance to the fact that IconBuffet is past tense?

soprano on Nov 08, 2007

@dyar: josh said:

the thought of canning IB hurts my feelings. : (

Not gonna happen.

gswd on Nov 08, 2007

And yet there appears to be limited activity on either front. I lose 8 tokens tonight. But hey! I get 32 bright shiny tokens tomorrow.

rossanyl on Nov 09, 2007

9 days since the last update...
We want to know more... please?

otherbrian Vip-micro on Nov 09, 2007

Thanks for all the interest and excitement. The FB group already has 200+ members! The kitchen has been very busy and we'll be providing more details soon.

justG on Nov 10, 2007

Hehehe... "other"brian. Hehehehehe....

ehooton on Nov 10, 2007

HaHa otherbrian!

dyar on Nov 12, 2007

So, is anyone doing the Beta testing yet? You're probably sworn to secrecy but you can whisper to me. Apparently someone is since some new formulas have been posted.

gswd on Nov 12, 2007

I believe they said that it was going to be employees first, then will eventually include VIPs before going really public.

dyar on Nov 12, 2007

Post by otherbrian on the Pack Rat site:

We're going to move this topic to the PackRat page itself, where you'll find all the discussion about the new game. Just click any of the PackRat links once you install the application.

If you haven't received an invite yet, more are coming soon!

Psy2k on Nov 12, 2007

Has anyone recieved an invite yet?

gswd on Nov 12, 2007

Nope. But then again I haven't logged into Facebook in a few days.

laulena on Nov 13, 2007

No invite for me :(

..... yet.

jameshilton on Nov 13, 2007

I can't find the PackRat application on FaceBook?

elnitido52 on Nov 13, 2007

Application has not been launch yet...What you can find is this...

soprano on Nov 13, 2007

I haven't gotten anything.

xentek on Nov 14, 2007

I want in.

Gry on Nov 27, 2007

Actually I'm not all that comfortable with facebook after reading this;

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/rights/68716/

I'm still registered, but I'm going to get the firefox fix and if they find a way around that I'm just going to have to quit.

Am excited about the game though!