To lift oneself Unsuspended

A game launch is a journey into the unknown, a leap of faith, into the universal current.
Into the jaws of opinion.
Into your personal discomfort.

The Programming.

Months or years of work.
Failures and trials, moments of success strung together.
The goal … for the strings of success to become dominant, until they are most, if not all, of what you experience.

I have watched Mystery Ball, a game just launching, on its journey through myriad coding stages. From the first time I saw it at an event called Venture Fridays, nascent, not quite understandable. It sparked my curiosity. Though I could not tell if it would be fun or have effective gameplay.

I  saw it get polished. Saw it gain frenemies and doodads, which, in any other conversation, might be a way to make generic reference to things and stuff in a game, but in the case of Mystery  Ball, are actual items.

I saw the first levels.
Appearing simple, bringing into doubt the complexity of the play.
And then my first experience trying the game, where I realised the subtlety of the creator's deviousness. Flung under a ramp, I plummeted to respawn, where I had thought to fake out Mr Pail, with my Most Excellent strategy.
Ahhhh …. not so simple.

The game is about facing fears.
Such an appropriate subject, for a person's first game.

But … even more appropriate, for their first launch.

During testing, the critics can be addressed.
Not only spoken to, but also responded to.

Gameplay can be adjusted, bugs fixed.
One's reputation, can be bolstered, repaired.

Launch, on the other hand, puts you in front of the unknown.
Or, the seething mass of others, with their own opinions, varied hunger levels, and indeed, fears.

Can you let go.
Can you fall?
Into the mouths of toothy reviewers, gnarled and smelling of Bandersnatch musk.
Into the hands of buyers, each of whose machine self, is not exactly like yours.
Into public scrutiny, or the abyss of silence.

If playing a game is a test of skill, wit, speed.
Publishing a game is a test of the psyche.
Of  Fears.

How appropriate, of Mystery Ball.