They Live : Assault on Cable 54

Sampling and scheduling update
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Aug 03, 2021 at 12:14:57 AM

Hello everyone, we hope you are well.

We have a LOT to show you this month! Apologies for the delay in getting this update out, as we said last week we just wanted to wait until some material reached us before we did this so that we could show you where we are up to.

Before we get into the material, we’d like to just update you all on where we are in the process.

Scheduling

The good news is that we are now at a point where we are happy with the quality of all the material! This has been a lengthy process, one that has involved several factories and lots of material moving around, but we wanted to make sure we got it right and matched our original vision. We are so happy to be able to announce that we are there now! We don't have a specific release date just yet, but we would like to be transparent and talk you through our scheduling.  This should give you an idea of the timescales we are working to, and the process of getting the game into your hands. We have 4 steps to go through:

The game is on the way to the studio now, and the factory is ready to produce us a final production sample the second that the approval comes through. We will keep you updated with where we are during each future update.

Please note: It’s during the ‘production’ phase that we will lock addresses. If you need to update yours, either log into your backerkit account, or alternatively use this link to request your survey back: https://they-live-assault-on-cable-54.backerkit.com/

We will remind you all again before we lock addresses.

Next, we’d like to show you some of the material! Andy has put together this video to showcase everything, and talk you through some of the improvements.

Below is a summary of some of the main improvements to the material since the last update:

Resistance Cards

We spoke in a previous update about the new way that we are producing resistance cards. This involves affixing the polarised square to the top right of each card that contains the hidden image. We’ve now had a full deck of the cards, and are pleased to report that it has worked exactly as we’d hoped. The print is bright and clear, and the hidden image remains invisible without the glasses.

We know some people were concerned about how difficult the polarised squares would make it to shuffle and handle the cards, but we are pleased to confirm that they’ve had very little impact. The cards can be handled the same as any other, even without sleeves (as previously stated though, we will be providing sleeves for the resistance cards if you wish to use them).

Box

The box now has a clearer print, accurate color and saturation, better dimensions, thumb cuts for easy opening, and an improved texture. The result is a much higher quality looking and feeling box.

Character Cards and Overlay Boards

The final character cards are clear, and the overlay boards work with them in the exact way we intended right from the start. This has been a challenge in terms of production, and we are so happy that we’ve managed to get it spot on.

Tokens

The previous tokens were printed square. These have now changed to round, which better suits the artwork, and are fun to use in play.

Enemy Tiles

The enemy tiles have improved massively throughout this process. They are now a slightly bigger size, and made of a much thicker material than before. This makes them much easier to handle during gameplay.

Standees

The standees are now being printed on the same punch-out card as the tokens and enemy tiles. This means they look great, and are easier to handle around the board.

As we have said many times before, quality is at the forefront of everything we do. Our goal for this has been to deliver an experience that allows you to step into the world of They Live, and getting the quality right is a big part of achieving that. It’s been a long journey to get to this point, but we are so excited to have gotten over our biggest hurdle, and we can now focus on getting the game into your hands. We will keep you all updated with where we are in the process as we progress. We would like to thank you all for your patience in getting to this stage, and we are confident the game will be worth the wait!

Thank you for your ongoing support and remember:

CONFORM, CONSUME, BACK, SHARE, OBEY

The July update is coming very soon
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Jul 30, 2021 at 11:29:01 AM

Hello everyone, we hope you are well.

The good news is - we have some promising new samples in transit to us! The bad news is that the package is still with the courier and not due to be delivered until after the weekend. We’ve waited until the last minute for this update in the hope that it would arrive with us in time, but sadly it hasn’t.

We have been assured that they will be with us in the next few days, so expect a further update early next week (by Tuesday) when we will show you how things have progressed and explain where we are up to.

Until then, thank you for your ongoing support, and remember

CONFORM, CONSUME, BACK, SHARE, OBEY

June update and samples
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Jun 30, 2021 at 05:37:25 AM

Hello everyone, we hope you are well.

We have a few things to show you this month, focusing on how some of the material is progressing. Sadly, we do now have to confirm that the game will be delayed. We are currently working to get a definitive production delivery date from the new factory. As soon as we know more, we will update you with a new release window.

We have been very busy working with the various factories on improving all the materials involved in the game, and some of the extras that have been purchased. We’d like to show you some of those changes and improvements today.

Resistance cards:

As we discussed in the last update, the resistance cards have been our biggest challenge in terms of production. The polarization process darkens the cards to the point where they are not readable in some light settings. We have created an alternative solution, which allows us to print the cards at the same high quality as the rest of the material, but without compromising the hidden image part of the game.

This video shows how the resistance cards have developed between samples. The first one in the video is the sample we shared previously, where the card is fully polarized. The next one is our first attempt at the new solution. This has been produced by creating small polarized squares that contain the hidden image, and these are then applied to the top of each card. Unfortunately, at certain angles and in specific light conditions, the hidden image becomes clear, so this was a no-go.

The final card in the video was produced in the same way as the second one, but with an improved polarization method, meaning the image remains invisible. This card is made up of 2 different materials, which gives the best of both worlds - we have the clarity and brightness of a standard print, with the hidden image of a polarized card. The end result is much a better card, both in terms of quality and for gameplay. In addition to this, we will also be providing sleeves in the box for each of the resistance cards. This means all your weapons, items, and allies can be sleeved. These sleeves will help keep the cards safe, protect the artwork, and will compensate for the additional layer of the polarized square.

Overlay boards:

We’ve made improvements to the way that the etching works on the overlay boards which helps keep the images hidden. The first improvement is that the hidden image can now only be seen when the overlay board is on top of a character card. The second improvement is that the hidden image contains layers that show both the Invader and the Human face merged together, but only one will show up clear through the glasses. What this means is that if another player sees any of the etching without the glasses, it will be impossible to determine if it’s an Invader or a Human, which helps keep players anonymous.

These improvements are demonstrated in these videos

T-shirts:

Although the print itself looked great on the samples, we were not happy with the overall quality. For example, it was too easy to pick the design away from the fabric. Because of this, we have invested in a higher quality of T-shirt. This means that the design will be part of the fabric, instead of being transferred on top. These not only look better, but will also last significantly longer. The gif below demonstrates the difference.

Dice mat:

Though we were happy with the quality of the dice mat, we knew we could make it better. The original design had a cardboard insert into the bottom of the base to keep it sturdy. We’ve now added the same sort of insert into all of the sides, creating a more robust dice mat that is much better to use.

VHS box:

And now for something we’ve not shown you yet - this is the final version of the bonus Kickstarter VHS box. This will arrive flat-packed in your game box, and is very simple to build (even with one arm, as Andy discovered when putting this sample together with one arm in a cast!)

We know the news of a delay is disappointing, but we hope that you can see that we remain focused on quality. The whole team is so excited to get this into your hands, and we can’t wait to see people enjoying the game.

Thank you for your ongoing support and remember:

CONFORM, CONSUME, BACK, SHARE, OBEY

Production Update
almost 3 years ago – Thu, May 20, 2021 at 11:27:05 PM

Hello everyone, we hope you are all well.

This is a little earlier than our regular end of month update but, as many of you have previously requested, we want to keep you informed of any possible delays - even if they are not certain. As you will be aware, this game features some complex printing techniques in order to enable the hidden Invader game mechanic to work in as close a way as possible to the movie itself.

We have had to use different factories for different parts of the production and we obtained working prototypes of everything at the outset. While every other component of the production has come back and either met or exceeded our expectations, the polarized printing on the resistance cards has sadly not.

Unfortunately, the production samples we have received for these do not match the quality that we had in the prototype and we are not happy with how dark they appear. This picture shows the production samples of the polarized cards we’ve received.

They do still work perfectly (as demonstrated with the glasses in the GIF below) however the dark print does have an impact on it’s readability in varying lighting conditions.

While this darkening is a normal feature of polarized printing, it was something that we had overcome at prototype stage, and we had expected the final production quality to match that. We could proceed with the cards as they are which would allow us to get the game out faster, however as we have said before, quality is at the forefront of everything we do, and it’s important to us that we put out a product that not only meets, but hopefully exceeds, all of our and your expectations.

We are working with the factory to rectify the issue, and our hope is that the next production samples will match those of the prototypes. If they do, then our previous estimated release window of July should still be realistic.

However, if there is more work required to achieve this result, then it may cause a delay. In our original plan for the production of the game, we had intended to be in the factory during this time to oversee production and fix any issues as they arise. But this isn’t something we have been able to do in the current climate. We can achieve the same results working with the factories remotely, but it does make things move slower than we would wish.

We made a promise to you all that we would deliver a high-quality experience that will put you directly into the world of They Live. The hidden images are key to this, and we are working hard to make that happen. We are confident that we will achieve this, it’s just taking longer than we hoped. We really appreciate all of your support and patience through this, and can only sincerely apologise that we have had these issues.

What does this mean for backers?

We know that we have failed to deliver this project in the time we set out in the beginning. We want to assure you that any funds raised through Kickstarter have been “ring-fenced” and none of it has been used in production. We completely understand if some of you prefer not to wait and would rather get a refund.

As such, if anyone wishes to cancel their order then please message us directly through Kickstarter or Backerkit, and we will process this for you without delay. Please do not request refunds through the comments below as we will need to link you to your original pledge in Kickstarter in order to process a refund.

We understand if some of you want to do this, and we want to thank you for all your support to date if this is the case. That said, we do want to assure you that we will deliver the game we promised to you, and are confident that you will be impressed with the final product.

One last point to note is that although it was our intention to release a retail version of this game following delivery of the Kickstarter edition, the delay may mean that our license will not allow us to do this. If this is the case, then the only way in which you will be able to get this game is through your Kickstarter pledge.

This was an ambitious undertaking that we have all been working hard on for the last couple of years, and we think once you get the game in your hands you’ll realise just how much passion has been put into this project. We are so excited for you all to see and play the finished game, we just have a couple of hurdles to get over before we tear through that finish line. We came to Kickstarter to chew bubblegum and kick ass, it’s just taking us a little longer to chew that gum than we expected. But we promise, the kick-ass game is on the way!

Thank you for your ongoing support and remember:

CONFORM, CONSUME, BACK, SHARE, OBEY

Artists interview and housekeeping
about 3 years ago – Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 03:31:02 AM

Hello everyone, we hope you are well.

In this update we have an interview with Hugo Dourado and Makistony “Max” Carvalho, the artists on the game. But first, a few updates:

Sampling:

In the last update we spoke about sampling of various parts of the game. This is still an ongoing process, and things are moving along. We will have more to update you on shortly. But for now, we’d like to show you some of the extras that some of you have bought: the dice mat and dice bag.

Credits:

For those who purchased the “We can’t be the only ones who can see” edition of the game, one of the extras it came with was to get your name in the credits. Over the last few months we’ve been chasing backers that have had bounced payments, haven't completed the form, or have failed to enter their details for the credits. As of today, the list of names is now locked down. The names have been entered according to how you filled in the questionnaire. For those that bought that edition but didn’t complete the questionnaire: your name has been entered as it appears on your Kickstarter account. Anyone that bought that edition and then cancelled their pledge will not have their name in the credits.

If there are any issues with this, please contact us.

Artists Interview:

Right from the very start, art style has been paramount to the creation of They Live: Assault on Cable 54. Not only did we want to capture the feel of the movie, but also create a style that works well in a board game and is consistent across a mass of different game content. This was no easy task, and has taken a lot of time, effort, and dedication from our talented art team: Hugo Dourado and Makistony “Max” Carvalho. The two of them worked together on every part of the game. They’ve taken some time today to talk about what it was like to work on the game.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

Hugo: I have previously worked on video games, movies and advertisements, but this was my first time working on a board game. I used to be an art teacher in Brazil (where I live), and Max was one of my best students. I brought him into this project because he has great talent and an excellent work ethic. I’m also a sucker for painted poster art, with artists like Drew Struzan, Alex Ross, Benício… to name a few (at this point pretty much just naming references for you guys to check out) Norman Rockwell, Joe Jusko, Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Earl Norem, Glenn Fabry, Simon Bisley…

Max: This was my first board game project too. I used to work in animation and video, and those skills came in use when working on the video for this Kickstarter campaign. I lived in Brazil too until recently, I've just moved to Ireland to study English.

Hugo: With people in England, Brazil, China and the US - Max didn’t feel like the team was spread out enough and that’s why he moved to Ireland: To open an IconiQ Irish branch.  (laughs). The two of us are used to working together, and our styles and methods of working compliment each other.

How much did you know about They Live before starting this project?

Max: I saw the film when I was young, I remember being shocked by the iconic scene when Nada first puts the glasses on. I remembered the general feel and themes of the movie, and of course the fight scenes. Watching it again now as an adult is a very different experience. There are layers in there that are not clear without some life experience, and I enjoyed discovering those when watching it again.

Hugo: It’s one of those movies that, even if you haven’t watched it, is embedded in pop culture - even if you might not know it, you probably know OF it.  Especially the Invaders and the sunglasses. I think everybody has seen images of numerous celebrities with their real faces (more laughs). As it’s an older film, I also hadn’t seen it since I was young. But like Max said, it felt very different to watch again. I remembered it as an action movie, but actually it’s quite political, especially at the moment, and thematically it felt very relevant today.

How does the Brazillian version of the film differ from the US one?

Max: As in every non English country, the versions of the films are adapted to the local culture so we can relate to the references and get a similar feeling as the original one. In that way you can say that the Brazilian version is slightly different from the original, but kept the same feeling. Another good feature from the Brazilian version is that the voice actors put on their own personalities. Brazilian voice actors are recognised by their excellent work, and that shows on the They Live adaptation. Some parts of the movie turn out to be funnier than in the original release.

Hugo: A lot of the struggles of the film are as real and relatable here as they are in the movie, so it works just as well. But there are differences. The voice actor for Nada was the same voice actor they used for all of Stallone’s movies back then (the voice actor has unfortunately passed away) so he’s got that very familiar manly ‘badass’ style voice that we remember catchphrases with. And we got a fine new addition on this...
Max: Oh yeah, that’s a great one… (holding laughs)
Hugo: The famous bank scene is a little different here. The phrase “kick ass and chew bubblegum” when translated in Portuguese is too long to fit the movie, so instead they cut it. In our version Nada walks into the bank and shouts “I’ve come here to chew bubblegum, and I'm all outta bubblegum”  - “Eu vim aqui mascar chiclé de bola … mas o chiclete acabou” - (enunciates in a grave manly voice in portuguese as we all explode in laughter) then just opens fire. Nada does not advise beforehand he’s gonna be kicking ass.

Max: So it just seems like a fella who is angry that they're out of bubblegum.

Hugo: ..and he’s gonna be killing everyone for it.

What has been your favourite part of the game to work on?

Hugo: I had a blast on pretty much everything in the game. As I said before, I’m a sucker for that old-school painted art style, and I got to implement that in the game, particularly the characters. I got a lot of satisfaction creating their portraits and working in that real-life style with a vintage feel.

Max: In addition to Hugo's amazing art, I had the task of doing the design of the game preserving the same theme. That was a real challenge because at the end of the day it is not only an interface for the game but also an extension of the story. And I think that really felt like it brought the game to life, helping to tell the story organically and looking like it was always a part of it. There are maps, documents, TV setups, and a range of props that help the game experience and increase the believability.

What was the most challenging part to work on?

Both: The map/board!

Hugo: We did a lot of studying LA to create the map. We used google maps to drive around the city and find places that we could use to help the board feel natural and realistic. We wanted the map to make sense for someone who lives in LA, so it wouldn't look wrong or out of place. For example, when creating the police building we studied the history of the LAPD, so the result is a location that an officer in LA might be able to recognise the reference behind.

Max: As Hugo said, making the map feel like LA was a lot of work. We tried to match the actual locations in the movie around the city, which was a challenge. For example, the famous bank scene; the actual bank is in a completely different location than the street he uses when he runs out of it at the end of the scene. We wanted to tie it all together and create something that is loyal to what LA is like. It took a lot of effort, but we got there.

How did you stay faithful to the source material?

Hugo: It was important for us that everything we made looked like it was supposed to be there. We didn’t want it to look like a video game - you know how the items can be floating and glowing - we wanted every item/weapon/character to have an organic integration with the ambient, to feel like they are a part of They Live. For example, if we had to draw one paperclip, then we researched what would have been used in 1988 when the movie was released - yeah, but of course a paperclip isn’t the big issue here (laughs) -  This applied to everything: police uniforms, purses, jackets, cassette tapes, and much more. We did this right down to the types of fabric that were used in clothing during that time.

Max: The ultimate source of reference was the movie itself. At some point in the process, I used to watch it twice a day. The aesthetic of the movie is such an iconic work. People can spot that aesthetic even without knowing the movie. Because it's part of pop culture. So that was really important to me. There was some research on the other movies set in LA that were released around the same time as well. We did a lot of painstaking research around what LA was like back then, what people wore, what they used. All of it built into creating a faithful board for the game.

Why is art style so important for a board game like this?

Hugo: The art style helps to immerse the gamer into the world of the movie, into the era, into life in the late 1980s. Everything has to be faithful to make the player feel like they are stepping into the movie.

Max: We want this to feel like a spin off from the film, but still just as much a part of it. We didn’t want this to feel like a separate thing, instead it was just more of what the movie created. The art style was key in making that happen. This game is an extension of the world John Carpenter created, not an alternate version of it.

How has working on this game been different to projects you have worked on previously?

Hugo: Although this isn’t the biggest project I've worked on, it is the first of this scale. What I mean by that is usually on a bigger project, I´d create a concept which someone would then take away and build on a 3D model, for example. Or the complete opposite, I draw a piece that will be pretty much used just as I made on a small project. It’s usually more specific, function-wise, I mean with this, it’s kind of a mix - a big small project, if you will - I’m working by myself creating all different parts for the game, series of illustrations ranging from characters to locations to weapons and items, I lost count on how many pieces I did for the game to be honest (laughs nervously). We all work as a team, but create our bits individually. We (with Andrew and/or Luke) discuss a concept, I make an illustration then send it out to Max to implement on the card. Well, that feels like an oversimplification... (laughs) … multiply that for hundreds. We also had a pandemic hit during this project, which changed some of the ways we’d normally work.

Max: As I said before, my background is in animation and video, so this was my first time working as a designer. Design for animation is different in many ways, so this project was a good test of skills, and was a good opportunity to grow different parts of my profession. It’s a big project, and it went on a long time. Teamwork was essential, but none of us could see each other, even before the pandemic, so we had some challenges to overcome but luckily everyone worked really well together.

That’s all for this month’s update. We are looking forward to sharing more images of our samples soon.

Thank you for your ongoing support and remember:

CONFORM, CONSUME, BACK, SHARE, OBEY