White Whale Games might not be a name that you know yet, but that’s all set to change pretty soon. This new development studio based in Austin, Texas is gearing up to release their first title, God of Blades, early this summer. And as you’ve probably gathered from the news, previews, and developer diaries hosted right here on Gamezebo, the GZ team couldn’t be more excited.
White Whale Games might not be a name that you know yet, but that’s all set to change pretty soon. This new development studio based in Austin, Texas is gearing up to release their first title, God of Blades, early this summer. And as you’ve probably gathered from the news, previews, and developer diaries hosted right here on Gamezebo, the GZ team couldn’t be more excited.
Studio Director Jo Lammert has been kind enough to let us catch a glimpse of where this upcoming fantasy phenom is being made. So without further ado, please enjoy the following photo tour of the offices of White Whale Games!
“This is the office for White Whale Games. We’re working on our first game, God of Blades, and so far, the game has been funded by ourselves and the Kickstarter we had at the end of last year. As we often joke, we’re currently at work building a universe for less than the price of a mid-range sedan. Currently, our team of four is working out of a guest room converted into an office. As you can tell, the space is a bit cozy, but it certainly fits our needs right now!”
“Creative director Jason, programmer Adrian, and lead designer George, work against this wall. We’re a crafty crew- we call the desk that Jason and Adrian share a ‘door desk’, since the tabletop is an actual door put on some legs. Our production team works in very close quarters, but it is very conducive for communication and collaboration.”
“Here’s a selection of things on the door desk. A lot of the inspiration for the environments in God of Blades came from some of the books seen here. Also note the dinosaur, the wizard box, and the mug Jason is always drinking out of that we refer to as his ‘old prospector mug’. Also, in the upper left hand corner you’ll notice a Playmobil figure- I gave the whole team fantasy themed Playmobil sets early in production (because I decided every production office needs some ridiculous stuff). Jason recently grabbed some paint and converted his into Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, one of the most tremendous influences in God of Blades.”
“Jason’s homemade Elric figure.”
“George also has a selection of cool things on his desk. So much of God of Blades is influenced by pulp fantasy and old novel covers (so much so that we created our own paperback covers), so throughout the office you will find old paperbacks scattered about.”
“Here’s one of the bookshelves in the White Whale office, with books old and new.”
“A couple of art books scattered across around the office.”
“Opposite the rest of the team is my desk- I was tempted to tidy it up before shooting a picture, but for the sake of realism, I didn’t. My desk is always a little nuts! My role is heavy on marketing, networking, and promoting White Whale Games and God of Blades, so I’m always brainstorming and scribbling down ideas of ways to get the word out there on a miniscule budget, which is why my area is generally covered with Post-Its. The banner above my desk was made for our SXSW party, and it looked so sharp we decided to keep one in the office.”
“The crocodile warrior that sits on my desk. He’s kinda my spirit animal.”
“Yes, our office also has a bed in it, in case anyone is working late into the night, or needs a mid-day nap. To the left you’ll see our production calendar (and again, the post-its are my doing!), to the right you’ll see our treasured markerboard, always referred to when the production team is at work. Near the center, yes, that is a giant hammer. Doesn’t every office have one?”
