Spiderweb Software Interview

The guys over at indiePub have cranked out a brief but interesting interview with Spiderweb's Jeff Vogel, during which the discussion bounces between the company's history to their most recent role-playing game, Avadon: The Black Fortress. A little something to get you started:
Vogel never really felt like he was part of the "Capital-G Capital-I, Game Industry," explaining that he's "just a guy in my basement making toys and hoping people have fun with them, though the increasing opportunities for small developers to make works of love, release them and make a living makes me very happy."

That allows Vogel and the rest of the Spiderweb studio to focus on their strengths ("dungeons and towns and stories") and releasing an indie game of their liking each year. "It's the only way I can make a living making the sort of work I want to make. It's my beloved niche and I'm very comfortable here."

Even so, their development process might seem a bit more structured than your typical indie studio.

"There is two months of planning, two months rewriting whatever part of the engine is most in need of it, six months of world design and testing, and two months to wrap up, release the game, take a deep breath, and get ready for the next one," explains Vogel. "It's an eccentric process but it's kept us in business for sixteen years, so I don't fight it."