Big Fish Games Blog

We’re happy to welcome Donald E. Marshall of Legacy Interactive as today’s guest blogger. Donald is acting as the Senior Producer for Murder, She Wrote, an upcoming release on Big Fish Games.

When we saw the very first build we knew it was going to be an incredibly immersive and engaging Hidden Object game. Everyone has at least one memory of Jessica Fletcher and her sleuthing skills, and the game brings those memories right back. Legacy has done a great job of re-creating the sleepy town of Cabot Cove and all the characters in it.

Murder, She Wrote follows Jessica through five different murder mysteries around the world, on a journey the player will not soon forget. If you were a fan of the beloved TV show, you will most definitely enjoy this tribute to a classic. A big thanks to Donald for taking the time to share his experience with us. Take it away, Donald!

From TV to PC

My name is Donald E. Marshall and I am a Senior Producer at Legacy Interactive. I was lucky enough to be chosen as the producer for Murder, She Wrote, one of our upcoming games based on the classic TV series by the same name. Having grown up in a small, New England town, I know what it’s like to be part of a close knit community where people know and care for each other; to feel so safe you never need to lock your doors at night. Working on a game where the characters are constantly finding murder victim in gardens, behind white picket fences, and at the local ice cream social was an interesting perspective.

While most gamers raise their eyebrows when I mention Murder, She Wrote, it’s not hard to see how this property can be very successfully adapted into a casual game. The name is still highly recognizable among just about anyone over the age of thirty and is one of the most successful television murder mystery series of all time. Its stories are compact, memorable, well written, and thrilling without being horrifying. The heroine (world-renowned mystery novelist, Jessica Fletcher, played by Angela Lansbury) exudes wisdom and a clever style that helps her think through even the toughest dilemma.

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It isn't often we discuss game releases here in the blog, however, Pac-Man is no ordinary game release.

Originally released in Japan on May 10, 1980, Pac-Man was the brain child of Namco's Toru Iwatani. He, along with a meager team of six would create what would become one of the most influential video games in history. The early success of Pac-Man was enough to interest arcade-game manufacturer Midway who purchased the rights to release the game in the United States later that year. Pac-Man would go on to generate over a billion dollars in revenue in the first year alone.

What set Pac-Man apart from other video games, however, was its ability to reach across gender lines. At the time, video game arcades were popping up in nearly every downtown district. On the shoulders of Asteroids, Space Invaders, Galaxian, and Defender, arcades were thriving due to the a steady stream of male gamers eager to do battle in outer space.

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This time of year always results in a flood of frightful entertainment. For gaming it’s no different. Alawar Entertainment’s Vampire Saga: Pandora’s Box was recently released on Big Fish Games. The game has been very positively received by our audience peaking at #1 on our charts and remaining in the top 10 since its release.

In this post, we’re happy to welcome Yershov, producer of Vampire Saga: Pandora’s Box as our first guest blogger. Take it away, Yershov!

Come to the Dark Side

People like to have their nerves rattled, and the entertainment industry has always been happy to oblige. Hollywood releases a new horror film nearly every week and they never fail to pack theaters with eager viewers. In hopes of repeating this type of success in the gaming industry, casual game developers have begun to incorporate a surprising new theme into their projects that we call, "The Dark Side".
Vampires, zombies, ghouls, and other creatures filled with evil intentions and motivated by the darkest of desires.

While there were early concerns casual gamers would reject such dark plots, that turned out to be unfounded. This new casual game play theme has been a hit with mystical plots holding their own against more traditional story lines.

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