Never before I have I wanted to make money in a game more than I want to with Vulture Capitalist. Vulture Capitalist is an RPG/Strategy hybrid with strong influences in the masterful design philosophies of Pokemon. Instead of training Pocket Monsters, you train tech startups from the ground up in the super-competitive Silicon Valley in classic 8-bit style in the hopes of creating the ultimate empire.
Players engage in "battles" of sorts, similar to that of the turn-based affairs in Pokemon, only instead of elemental move sets, you use a variety of underhanded methods to undo your competitors. These "attacks" can range from embezzling to a lawsuit or even a good old-fashioned cyber attack. You are a tech company after all.
Creative Director, Kai Hovland had this to say about how the game's idea came about:
“The idea kind of stemmed from the question, ‘What if Fortune 500 companies that are already out there competing could really battle each other?’ We thought it would be awesome if we tapped into the RPG format behind Pokémon, but used white collar crimes for these companies to get ahead in the game.”
Vulture Capitalist will release on mobile devices, but if the game raises enough money through Kickstarter, the stretch goals include both a Steam and Xbox One version. But why mobile devices? Sam Vitello, the Lead Developer on Vulture Capitalist, says that the platform is a "widely abused and underutilized platform for gaming."
He added:
"Touchscreen phones have made gaming more accessible. Unfortunately the marketplace is flooded with uncreative, copycat games that are focused exclusively on addicting users and leeching onto their wallets.
My main goal for Vulture Capitalist is to make a piece of art that pays homage to the games I played over and over again growing up. I want to make a game that can be played anytime, anywhere that captures people's’ imaginations and leaves a lasting memory."
Vulture Capitalist is currently about halfway through its Kickstarter campaign and was recently featured on Kickstarter's Game Page. Some of the game's backers include Kickstarter's CEO and two real Venture Capitalists.
If you are interested in supporting Vulture Capitalist (and you should, it's an awesome idea), head on over to the game's Kickstarter page for more information.
