[Mobile Games] Jetpack Joyride 2: Pocket Why after 10 years of Jetpack Joyride, now is the right time for a sequel

[Warlock-]

 

Serie: 2

 

"Creating this sequel was almost a moral obligation ..."

 

It is often said that nothing is truly finished and it's a saying the games industry has taken to heart in recent times. Long gone are the days of developing and publishing a game without the need to tweak, adjust and patch it after launch, with new titles requiring constant operation and updates to keep them at the forefront of consumer thought. Here at PocketGamer.biz, we want to take the opportunity to highlight games that have bucked the trend and found an audience that has kept them thriving long after launch. That leads us to our semi-regular Live and Kicking series, where this week we spoke to Halfbrick Studios product manager Jason Maundrell, ahead of Jetpack Joyride's 10th anniversary as well as what the long-anticipated sequel looks to have in-store. PocketGamer.biz: With Jetpack Joyride on the cusp of turning 10-year olds, how do you reflect on its performance as a series - from launch to the title it is now? Jason Maundrell: Jetpack Joyride has been a highly successful game for Halfbrick and continues to be a top-performing title even after 10 years on the market. How big is the team currently handling live ops? The team is currently made up of eight people.

 

We believe customer support to be highly valuable to Halfbrick, we've got a full-time person on customer support for Jetpack Joyride. We’ve also been working very closely to help improve our support for our fans. What steps have you taken to ensure that Jetpack Joyride maintains a sizeable and active player base all this time after its launch? We want to make sure we continue to provide new and exciting content for our fans, so we've been expanding the Jetpack Universe with other studios such as; SNK Metal Slug, Sony Pictures Ghost Busters, Back to the Future, Star Trek, and more to come! To what do you attribute Jetpack Joyride's consistently impressive grossing performance, and how do you sustain it? We believe it's due to always having events and exciting new content for our fans to engage with.

 

Can you tell us how you have approached the game under the current pandemic? Any changes you have put in place? Due to the pandemic, Halfbrick Studios had to change as we were no longer able to work in an office space. The studio has now gone full remotely, which has enabled us to employ the best people from around the world. The Jetpack team is now made up of people from all over, including Spain, Russia, Sweden and Australia.