Orc Chop Games' Journey from California to the Philippines: A Story of Innovation and Perseverance

The debut title from Orc Chop Games, Goblin Stone, boasts a unique narrative where innocent goblins turn the tables on adventurers, inverting a common fantasy trope. Behind the game lies the story of a married couple who founded a new studio after achieving success with their mobile zombie game, Zombie Farm, and subsequently relocated from the US to the Philippines. Co-founders Vince and Susan McDonnell used the revenue from Zombie Farm to fund their new venture, driven by Vince's desire to create console games. The development of Goblin Stone began in California, but the studio later relocated to the Philippines, where they found advantages such as lower labor costs. "Having a team of 12 people in San Francisco would have been much more expensive," Vince explains. "In the Philippines, we can have more people and talent within our budget, allowing us to develop and release the product sooner." The studio's decision to work on its own IP rather than outsourcing also helped attract talent. However, the studio faced challenges in hiring, particularly VFX artists. As a self-funded studio, Orc Chop Games aims to maintain its independence by self-publishing Goblin Stone. The goal is to focus on expansion and potentially port the game to consoles using the initial earnings from the Steam release. The main objective with Goblin Stone was to invert expectations and erase stereotypes associated with goblins, depicting them as a group striving to protect their homeland and recover from near extinction. The game's art style and character design were carefully considered to achieve this goal. The story is told through a storybook lens, which also made development easier due to the limited resources. The attention to detail and the desire to create a unique gaming experience led to a prolonged development period, posing challenges for the team in deciding what elements to keep and what to cut. Despite these challenges, the team is looking forward to players' reactions to the world they've created and is hopeful for the game's success, aiming to continue the franchise and create a universe based on Goblin Stone.