Tyler Thomas wants you to experience some of the great car games of the past. We’re talking the Street Rod series and Motor City Online, games that all met with varying degrees of success at their prime. Tyler’s dream is to bring his creation, Hot Rod Hustle, to the masses. To have thousands of building, modifying, and racing their very own hot rods. To have everyone experience the rush of winning in a pinks race, and the humiliation of losing all that you hold dear. The only way that’s going to happen, though, is if he can raise the money he and his team need to complete the game the Hot Rod Hustle Kickstarter campaign.
Tyler was kind enough to take some time out of his schedule to answer our questions about Hot Rod Hustle, Kickstarter, and his dreams for the future.
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Cliqist : Who are you, and what is it you’re working on?
Tyler Thomas : Hi Greg, my name is Tyler and I am the Lead Project Developer on Hot Rod Hustle
Cliqist : Was Motor City Online really so great that it deserves all this love?
Tyler Thomas : In all honestly our game is much more about Street Rod then it is MCO. There are certain aspects of MCO we like in terms of “community” and online driven gameplay, but this is really a tribute game to Street Rod all the way.
Cliqist : Is it possible that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew with an MMO? Why not just make it a straight up homage to the Street Rod series?
Tyler Thomas : Definitely don’t’ think we have bitten off more than we can chew given that the game will be turn-based (asynchronous) multiplayer unless we meet the 100K mark in which case we will have the resources to hire a programming ninja to help us out implementing live (synchronous) multiplayer PLUS the concept of playing Street Rod against people all over the world in a truly cross-platform way is why we wanted to make this game.
Cliqist : What’s the pricing model for Hot Rod Hustle? Where’s the money come in for you guys?
Tyler Thomas : We are going to go for the freemium model. Non-performance upgrades to cars are probably the most glaring example, but between race timers, upgrades to your “Garage”, or a possible fee for playing online there will be plenty of in game goodies for sale. Outside sponsorships from car companies and car upgrade companies could be another revenue stream for us.
Cliqist : Can you tell us a little more about the mini games? What kinds are there, and what are they there for?
Tyler Thomas : So, what happens when you lose all your money and your car? What about the people not making a lot of money in their races? This mini-game system is a way to let you gain money to buy back into the system. Also they are really fun.
The main mini game is the Diner Job that is similar to Root Beer Tapper. The other is a boxing game similar to Mike Tyson’s Punch Out in gameplay. These will be for in-game money that can buy you a new car or upgrades to your car.
Cliqist : How will gameplay vary across platforms?
Tyler Thomas : We have quite a bit of experience in mobile Unity 3D development and we have designed the game to be aside from touch vs. input a consistent experience from PC -> Mobile. I want you to kick some ass on your PC head to the store kick some more ass while waiting in line like you never missed a beat.
Cliqist : Where do you see Hot Rod Hustle five years from now?
Tyler Thomas : I want you to have a car. I want everyone in the world have a car. I want a trophy case of all the cars I’ve stolen and kept over the last four years. I want to see a mobile-to-mobile, pink slip race, where everyone logs on to watch the top two cars in the world face off. I want to see a million dollar race. I want HRH to be a household name.
Cliqist : Is there anything you’d like to say to anyone that’s on the fence about backing Hot Rod Hustle?
Tyler Thomas : If you could tell them that this game has unlimited potential, and it really could be the next big thing. Go get a t-shirt, give our stretch goals a second look.
Cliqist : If I told you that I wish there was a Mini Cooper in the game would you beat me up and kick sand in my face?
Tyler Thomas : You would definitely get a whiff off of my exhaust pipe back there in that Cooper. Remember, we are talking about winning these races.
Cliqist : Can you wrap things up with a Hot Rod Hustle inspired haiku for us?
Tyler Thomas :
Hot Rod Hustle is
Unlimited potential
If realized now
[divider]You can learn more about Hot Rod Hustle on the games’ official Kickstarter page where funding is continuing until February 13th.
