Salt Lake City-based Smart Bomb Interactive is a videogame and IP development studio specializing in kid-friendly games for a variety of platforms. We recently sat down with one its founders, Clark Stacey, to talk about Smart Bomb's latest game release, doing business in Utah and what we can expect from them in the future.

What is Smart Bomb Interactive and what do you do?

Smart Bomb Interactive is an independent developer of original and licensed video games for all of our favorite platforms, including the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, mobile devices, and the web.
The company was founded in 2003 with funding from Canopy Ventures, and we pride ourselves on the tools and tech for game development that we’ve created while building some really fun game titles.

How long have you been with the company and what are your responsibilities?

I co-founded the company in 2003 with Kris Johnson, our Studio Director, and Jeff Amis, our VP of Product Development.  When we were smaller, I served as the studio’s Creative Director in addition to my role as the VP of Business Development.  Now we have powerhouse creative directors for each project, so I focus on business development and our licensing partnerships.

You were the first to cast the Peanuts characters (Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang) in 3D and you hold the exclusive license to bring these characters to the current generation of game systems, including the Xbox 360, Wii, and Playstation 3, how did you secure that deal and what does it mean for Smart Bomb Interactive?

In 2006, we were contracted by Namco-Bandai to create Snoopy vs. the Red Baron for the last generation of game consoles.  We developed a great relationship with the Schulz family representatives during that project, and after completing it we felt that these characters had a lot more potential as interactive media stars than our publisher was giving them credit for.  Our investors agreed, and they backed us in a plan to secure the game rights ourselves for the current console generation. 

Once you see Snoopy and Woodstock running around together on screen in a rich 3D environment, it feels like they’ve ALWAYS been CGI animation stars—they’re just naturals.  Charles Schulz created decades of great comedic interplay between them to draw upon.  All of the ingredients are there to bring these characters to interactive media so they can delight us for another 50 years.  For Smart Bomb, it’s the opportunity to create valuable new game franchises while paying tribute to characters we love. 

What technologies do you use to bring these characters to 3D?

We used our own proprietary game development engine, which we call Bombshell.  We use the same software packages that movie studios use to build and animate the characters, but Bombshell is where they come to life and become interactive. 

How long does it take to create these characters in 3D and build this game?

In this instance, a very long time!  We went back and forth with multiple iterations of each Peanuts character, sometimes for several months, until we had 3D versions that were approved by the guardians of the IP.  Overall, I’d guess that it took about 16 months before we had all 12 Peanuts characters approved.   These are iconic characters, and everything had to be perfect.  It was a real challenge, because Mr. Schulz drew with such a spare, economical style.  He was able to say volumes with just a few simple lines, but building them in 3D requires that they look right from any angle.  I’m very proud of the job our art team did. 

What trends are you seeing in the gaming and digital media industry?

Perhaps the most dramatic trends are Apple’s meteoric entry into the handheld gaming space, and the shift to digital distribution for games for all platforms.  Downloadable and subscription-based games have opened up markets that previously weren’t worth serving because of piracy.  Today in the U.S., 40% of all gamers are women and 25% are over the age of 50; so the market is exploding in new directions and attracting new creative energy. 

Does the state of Utah provide incentives to gaming businesses like they do to the film industry?

Not currently, but it’s something we’d like to see that would be beneficial and appropriate for the state.  The film commissions of many US states and Canadian provinces are now courting game companies as aggressively as they court movie productions.  In Quebec alone, the games industry went from employing 500 people to over 6,000 in just a few years.  I’d love to see that happen here.  There are several internationally known game development companies already in Utah, and the jobs we create are here year-round, as opposed to the three or four months it takes to film a movie. 

Any other upcoming projects we should be aware of?

At Smart Bomb we specialize in creating games for kids.  Later this year we’ll be unveiling something pretty significant.  We’ve partnered with National Geographic to create a spectacular online virtual world for kids that lets them become their favorite animals and see the world through their eyes.  It’s called Animal Jam, and this July we’ll be conducting an open Beta test of the game, before it goes live at the end of the summer.  You can check the game out and sign up to be a beta tester at www.animaljam.com.