The End... Until we meet again!

PTD Servers Shutting Down

The end is here.. PTD servers will be shutting down in the next few days and with that PTD (1/2/3) logging in/saving will no longer work.

The reality is that with Flash being disabled on most computers the small player base that was left was cut dramatically and so it cost more to keep the servers running than the game generates via ads/sales.

Another reality is that my own reality and the indie game environment has evolved throughout these years.

When I started PTD, I was a college dropout living in my parent's house. I had a girlfriend and I worked in a warehouse and while things were going okay, I longed to do more with my life to make something that many people would really like and that I could be proud of.

Along the way I meet Dan and we wanted to make games together.. that didn't really work out and we got burnt out after our first release (a game called eTheater). After that I still wanted to make games so I made a small mobile game and then I did PTD. I released it on the Android store (which was a lot smaller and less restrictions) and the game was a overnight hit.

I got kicked out of the Android store but PTD found life in the Web, as Flash game portals were a big thing at the time. I managed to quit my job and spend full time working on PTD and other games.

Along the way I tried to make many original games but never quite found success in that and so I kept coming back to PTD, making PTD2.

While all this was happening, the revenue of flash games was dropping dramatically and each year the game would make about half of what it did the year before. This forced me to get back into the corporate world and get an office job as a Software Developer. (Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE programming so having an office job is something I did enjoy and still do.)

So as the revenue in my games was going down, my success in my Developer career was going up and up.

I got married, some years later I had my son Caleb, I've gotten older and with that the need to create something that people would like and I could be proud of has been fulfilled.

I now need to focus on my family and my career which leave little to no time for making games.

On the subject of indie games I believe the quality of indie has risen a lot! What players expect for games to provide as far as graphics, music, story, features and gameplay is very challenging to create without a robust budget and team. While I can program as good as any of them out there (imo), I do fall short in all these other areas. I digress.

I'm glad we went on this journey together so... until we meet again! And as always.. let me know what you think!

P.S. I worked on one last game that I will release here shortly, a short time travel puzzle game that I hope you all can enjoy as my last present!