I found this story on a local news site and thought it
was pretty interesting. what do you guys think? sorry if i posted this in the
wrong place, if i did please delete it.

11 year old whizz kid releases his own computer game.

Schoolboy takes on the internet gaming industry

Game launched in July already a hit with 10,000 users

An entrepreneurial schoolboy has successfully launched
his first game in the highly competitive internet gaming market, with 10,000
users in its first month.

‘Buccaneers and Lobsters’ was developed over the last
eight months by 11 year old Peter from Crumlin, Co. Antrim. The game, which is
set on the high seas during the Napoleonic Wars, asks players to use their
skill and judgment to build and develop a fleet of warships in order to
dominate the seas, in competition with other online players and teams.

The game is fun but it also has educational value,
developing players’ knowledge of Napoleonic history and naval activity.  ‘ I saw a gap’ says Peter, ‘when I couldn’t
find an interactive, multi-player game that featured pirates after watching
Pirates of The Caribbean & series such as Hornblower on the TV.  This is a real area of interest for both boys
& girls!’

Peter is primarily focused on gaining users from his
target market of 8-12 year old boys, and knows his market well given that he’s
just about to start secondary school himself. 
However, he has been pleasantly surprised to find the game has a wider
appeal.

Peter explained; “We’ve asked older players what they
think of the game and the feedback is good. We also have a growing following on
Facebook from women, which is something I didn’t expect.”

Peter thoroughly researched his market and a key focus
on the marketing strategy was to make the game educational, and Peter’s team
have used related material linked to Wikipedia, You Tube and Facebook.

He said; “We spent a lot of time on working on the
details of  ‘Buccaneers and Lobsters’, to
make sure it’s as accurate as possible and to encourage teachers and parents to
see the value of the game.”

While other companies focus on impressive 3D graphics,
Peter believes a focus on the fundamentals of the game is paramount to its
success.

“The game must be playable, if a player can’t get into
my game in five minutes then we’ve done something wrong,” he stated.

Peter is aiming high, and notes the success of US gaming
company Zynga as a source of inspiration. Founded three years ago, the company
is already valued at US $1 billion. While Zynga have an active payment option,
you can play ‘Buccaneers and Lobsters’ for free, as Peter is determined to get
the game right before developing his business model further.

Peter cites the highly successful Zynga game
‘Farmville’, where players pay to develop a virtual working farm, as a worthy
model. “Access to the game is simple and it is constantly being improved,” he
said.

Peter continued; “To get this right, we can’t say that
Buccanneers and Lobsters will ever be finished. I need to keep updating it and
adding to it if my players are going to keep coming back. Over the coming
months I hope to add Ghost Ships, Special Items and Weapons, the ability to
capture ports, and aim to host a series of historical naval battles that will
enable players to pit their best and strongest ships against the best online
opponents.”

The game has only just launched but it has already
received rave reviews from Facebook users, and recent TV and social media campaigns
promise to bring many thousands of new players to the game.

This young man is well placed to embrace new technology
to promote his game and looks set to change the face of the Northern Ireland
games industry, so watch this space.

Play the game at http://www.buccaneersandlobsters.com

See the story:

http://www.buccaneersandlobsters.com

http://www.ulstertatler.com/so…..asp?id=688

http://www.u.tv/Lifestyle/Antr…..2709794feb