Tag: Bret Hummel »

Bumpin' and Krashin'!

On This Episode:

Carter discusses the precision skiing game Krashlander with Jeff Weber, how the title was inspired by older games he played that he wanted to iterate on, and how he's reacted to the game's surprise success.

Bret Hummel of Bumpin' Uglies discusses his studio's eponymous game, how they plan to tweak it in the coming weeks, and where the game went after its Kickstarter petered out.

Episode Cast:

Host: Carter Dotson

Guest: Jeff Weber, Farseer Games

Guest: Bret Hummel, Bumpin' Uglies

Music:

• "Beatnes7 (Theme to The Portable Podcast)" by The Eternal - Download on iTunes here:

  



• "Nanocarp" by The Eternal

How to Listen:

Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes:

• Click Here to Subscribe via RSS.


• Listen Here: [powerpress]

Apps From This Episode:

We thought we'd learn more about the quirkily named developer, Ham in the Fridge, just in time for their latest release, adorably weird, Bumpin' Uglies.

Who is Ham in the Fridge?
Based out of an office in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis, Ham in the Fridge is a small team of talented designers, illustrators, animators and developers, with Bret Hummel at the helm as President and Creative Director. The firm was founded in 1998 by Bret, and he was also the originator of the idea behind Bumpin' Uglies.

Where did the name come from?
It's certainly an odd one! So we asked Bret just why it's called that. "The name Ham in the Fridge came from something my brother Brady said once — actually over and over again — at the beginning of a family holiday weekend, which became an inside joke for over a year." As he explained, "people don't forget the name, and always remember it is some sort of meat in some sort of cooling device!". And, of course, as he told me "… as they say in the deep south, times are good when there's Ham in the Fridge."

What is Ham in the Fridge most famous for?
Besides offering such quirky names for things, quite a few things. Bumpin' Uglies is one such title (with its name origins stemming from a mixture of Bret seeing a commercial for an app involving bumping phones together to initiate a transaction, as well his "slightly sophomoric sense of humor". The developer has also worked on the slightly disturbing yet no less intriguing, 5 Minutes to Kill (Yourself): Reloaded, as well as a number of Flash based titles.

What's next on the horizon?
Bret kept his cards close to his chest when we enquired about this but he did go so far as to explain that they are in "development on a number of iOS titles for clients including Cartoon Network, WB, and KidsWB, due to release later this year. ", as well as working on an Android version of Bumpin' Uglies.

What else is there to know about the developer?
Oh, yes. Besides explaining to us the meaning behind the name, Bret was happy to answer an all important question from us.

148apps: What's your favorite thing about iOS development?
Bret: I really like the casual gaming aspect of iOS, and how the touch interface is very tactile and direct. Concepting and developing interactions for gamers with touch that are quick to grasp, but perhaps hard to master is the delicate balance we're always playing with to make our games great.

Where can I find out more about Ham in the Fridge?
We'll be sure to keep an eye on any new developments from Ham in the Fridge. You can also learn more through their stylish website, Twitter account and Facebook page.

Bumpin' Uglies is out now and free to download.