
How Untitled Goose Game became a real video game - hhs
https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/10/10/20897212/what-is-untitled-goose-game-explained-nintendo-switch-pc-mac
======
wlesieutre
My favorite piece of Goose Game fanart so far is this one:
[https://i.redd.it/wbts33d7u6u31.jpg](https://i.redd.it/wbts33d7u6u31.jpg)

A bad goose variation on
[https://i.imgur.com/WPuSziL.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/WPuSziL.jpg)

It's a simple and hilarious game. Haven't finished it yet, but strongly
recommend to anyone who's on the fence.

~~~
paulmd
if this isn't the work of a viral marketing company, they certainly have the
possibility of a new line of work ahead of them after this. I can't remember
seeing a viral marketing campaign as effective as this in a long time.

edit: this comment is apparently oddly controversial for a startup-oriented
forum. Perhaps someone could explain why? They have really struck marketing
gold in a way most small companies would envy.

~~~
SketchySeaBeast
It nearly got me to purchase something on the Epic Store.

Nearly.

~~~
glogla
I don't understand why people have problem with Epic Store. Isn't this just
the competition everyone should want? Steam takes 30 % of your money. Epic
takes 12 %. They are competing on cost. Why would that be a problem?

Why is that part of capitalism where Steam has near-monopoly on Games okay,
but not the part where they have to compete with someone? Why would someone
have loyalty to one huge corporation over another?

I don't get it.

~~~
on_and_off
Valve and by extension Steam have built a very positive reputation.

IMO they have squandered a lot of it lately but they remain very popular and
people are just extremely used to the steam launcher.

I for one am VERY happy that somebody is forcing Steam to stop being
complacent and is competing on margins (30% is a LOT of money).

~~~
SmellyGeekBoy
They're not competing on margins, they're "competing" by making game
developers sign up for exclusivity deals.

~~~
on_and_off
How do you call the lower store fees ?

------
danso
I didn't read to the bottom, but just in case this wasn't mentioned: UGG was
funded by a government grant, Film Victoria, specifically for game companies
to "produce a prototype or full game, and marketing and related expenses"

[https://www.film.vic.gov.au/showcase/untitled-goose-
game](https://www.film.vic.gov.au/showcase/untitled-goose-game)

edit: I mention this as interesting trivia, not as in, "Watch out, Untitled
Goose Game is a front for the (Australian) feds"

~~~
wluu
Film Victoria is a state based organisation. The Australian Federal funding
for this type of thing was closed in 2014 [0]. I believe they are one of the
few states to provide funding to indie game devs.

[0] [https://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/05/government-funding-for-
gam...](https://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/05/government-funding-for-games-pulled-
the-australian-games-industry-reacts/)

~~~
ivirshup
Funding from the Vic government has made lots of cool indies possible. I'm
pretty used to seeing their logo pop up at the beginning of a game now. It's
really good to see such a successful arts funding program, and the thriving
community that it's helped make in Melbourne.

------
InvisibleCities
>“Untitled Goose Game is a safe, socially acceptable way to relieve stress,”
the Washington Post declared shortly after the game’s release. “It’s the new
punching a wall. It’s the new crying at your desk.”

Likening crying at your desk to a delightful video game is exactly the kind of
analogy that I would expect from one of Jeff Bezos' employees.

~~~
tills13
> is exactly the kind of analogy that I would expect from one of Jeff Bezos'
> employees

There are so many valid criticisms of Bezos, the companies he owns, etc. This
is so unnecessary. The quoted line says nothing about Bezos.

~~~
socceroos
I think they're trying to loosely relate the implied socially unacceptable
ways of relieving stress with this persons employment at a Bezos company,
companies which have been in the news because of bad working conditions for
employees.

Just one example: [https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/11/27/undercover-
reporter...](https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/11/27/undercover-reporter-
reveals-brutal-working-conditions-at-amazon)

Given that, it is not too much of a stretch to associate Jeff's example and
style of leadership with this person's statement - in a mostly tongue-in-cheek
manner, mind you.

~~~
dmix
This is shoehorning of politics where it doesn't fit. I know that's popular on
Reddit but it rarely leads to interesting conversations, just low quality
generalizations/flamewars all based on a weak analogy.

This article is about a video games, the story doesn't mention Amazon or even
her workplace specifically, the quote was a lighthearted joke (jokes use
exaggeration to be funny, ie. "punching a wall" at an office), etc.

~~~
socceroos
I agree in the sense that I wouldn't have made the association myself either -
I also think that the quote was almost definitely just humour. I'm just
explaining what I thought the connection they'd made was.

------
Phillips126
Looks like a whole new genre of games have recently been invented:

\- Goat Simulator:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvWGLcdI8o8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvWGLcdI8o8)

\- Untitled Goose Game:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LL2AtHo1gk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LL2AtHo1gk)

\- Pigeon Simulator:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb30jQ_Bpmg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb30jQ_Bpmg)

~~~
soulofmischief
Long ago someone already had the bright idea of making individual sims of tons
of different animals all based around the same shitty engine, each with their
own separate DLC and flood the android market with them. I was really
interested in animal sims for a while.

I think we're headed into good territory though. Check out this clearly
Harvest Moon inspired cat sim:
[http://cattailsgame.com/](http://cattailsgame.com/)

Personally, I would like to see an animal-centric classic Gamemaker style RPG
a la _Chef Boyardee 's Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden_ with an audacious
plot on the level of Cats & Dogs.

~~~
nemo1618
Oof, don't remind me -- it's been close to a decade since I backed "The
Magical Realms of Tír na nÓg: Escape from Necron 7 – Revenge of Cuchulainn:
The Official Game of the Movie – Chapter 2 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa" on
Kickstarter.

~~~
soulofmischief
Hey! As of June this year the developers have said they're still working on
it, just most of the team has left so it's just the core two devs now working
part time. I'm considering reaching out to lend a hand just so I'm not playing
this game in my forties.

------
fredley
This seems to imply the finished product is somehow not a joke. I think the
finished product is one of the best jokes I've experienced in years.

~~~
dang
Ok, we've changed the title above to a different chunk of the article's
subtitle.

------
frenchie4111
I am impressed and surprised to watch Panic Software's transition from
exceptional mac software developers, to exceptional Game Producers. I'd love
to hear from them about their choice to start publishing games, and their
strategy for success in that market.

~~~
wilg
I love Panic. Playdate looks awesome, I am happy for their success, and I wish
them the best.

That said, I think both the games they've produced (Firewatch and Untitled
Goose Game) are duds. They're flashy, well marketed, and totally underbaked. I
expected to love both of those games, being a fan of "walking simulators" and
story focused games (which Firewatch fumbled), and Hitman and stealth games
(which UGG fumbled).

~~~
crysin
For me personally, Firewatch was the first "walking simulator" I was actually
able to finish. I thought it was phenomenal.

~~~
wilg
I'm happy you liked it!

------
jedimastert
For another entertaining "This went much farther than expected" but for two
people who already had full time jobs and no desire to leave them, make a
start up, or start a new business in any way, see Tom Scott and Matt Gray's
Emojli: an emoji-only messenger app
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsyhGHUEt-k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsyhGHUEt-k)

------
aresant
Light hearted mischief come alive with the animal kingdom's lead scamp as the
central character.

The game itself is great fun for a casual game and it's fun to watch people
play and laugh.

The inherent share-ability / meme-ability of goose antics is viral marketing
at it's best.

Well deserved success, I hope they do a goose-2 with co-op mischief!

------
PhasmaFelis
I love how this is almost exactly the same story as Goat Simulator. Modestly
successful indie studio, looking for something to do after wrapping up their
last project, starts work on a goofy little game about a chaotic, malicious
farm animal, more for fun than anything else. Somehow it goes massively viral
and becomes their greatest success.

------
Tade0
DeSinc did a brilliant piece on the various glitches in the game that let you
go over fences etc.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwWvQXexDkE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwWvQXexDkE)

------
k__
In a sleepless night, I made a bookmarklet that lets you honk and drag around
images on a website of your choosing.

[https://kay-is.github.io/undefined-gooselet/](https://kay-
is.github.io/undefined-gooselet/)

~~~
teddyh
Related: Katamari bookmarklet: [http://kathack.com/](http://kathack.com/)

(No, not mine.)

------
swsieber
I feel like this is somewhat close to the Goat Simulator.

In that case, this will likely join my list of fun, but pretty odd games:

* The Stanley Parable

* The Goat Simulator

* I am Bread

* Starwhals

* Octodad

~~~
simongr3dal
I can't really speak to any of the other games but The Stanley Parable is an
amazing game. Replays are very rewarding; trying to experience and find
everything which lies inside that very peculiar office building.

~~~
growse
"This is the story of a goose named Stanley".

------
calferreira
I was unable to find it funny :|

~~~
sneakernets
Personally, It's a game I love to hate. growing up near a large lake, I got to
see these flying rage machines up close, and to play as one opened up a part
of my brain I had closed up for years.

I want more games like this.

~~~
ben0x539
(i'm curious why this reply is apparently downvoted?)

~~~
smcl
Occasionally the HN hate machine rains down upon you if your comment doesn't
fit someone's narrow idea of what a comment should be. I upvoted, but really
it's best to not take votes too seriously or personally as people on here are
fickle

------
nimajneb
This game is great. It's really fun being an a-hole goose, lol.

------
Yizahi
"What a fowl day" song:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjhfDQbJ3Lk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjhfDQbJ3Lk)

------
paublyrne
Something about the lack of margins between sections on that article makes it
very hard for me to read.

~~~
naringas
Firefox Reader Mode is now one of my favorite features (Chrome probably has
somethign similar?)

~~~
simonh
It does, but it's disabled by default, enabled by a hidden setting and you
have to use the menu to trigger it.

[https://www.howtogeek.com/423643/how-to-use-google-
chromes-h...](https://www.howtogeek.com/423643/how-to-use-google-chromes-
hidden-reader-mode/)

Cant make avoiding adverts too easy, after all.

------
rantwasp
just going to leave this here: [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/peace-was-
never-an-option](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/peace-was-never-an-option)

