“We had this idea that if we were transparent with our in-app purchases then people would appreciate that,” he says. Mr Sum says the monetisation of Crossy Road was quite experimental in its use of in- game purchases and optional advertising, with the team initially unsure it would actually make money. The game had to be free for that to happen.Īnd yet even a free game needed to offer them some financial return.

Our aim for the game was to make it appeal to as many people as possible. He says his team, which goes by the company name Hipster Whale, were also inspired by classic 80s arcade games. It had that arcade feel, it was simple, and so many people were playing it,” Mr Sum says. “Matt had been heavily inspired by Flappy Bird, which was a big phenomenon. They have also just been commissioned by Bandai Namco to make the latest version of iconic arcade game, Pac-Man.Īnd yet Crossy Road took Mr Sum, his business partner Matt Hall and artist Ben Weatherall a grand total of only 12 weeks to make. It has topped both the App Store charts, ahead of established gaming brands such as Candy Crush Saga.ĭuring June, Andy and his team took home a coveted Apple Design Award from the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, an award that recognises the best software for iOS from independent developers around the world. The game is now a phenomenal worldwide success and has been downloaded over 100 million times.

The colourful 8-bit creatures must dodge cars, trucks, trains and leap across treacherous rivers, all while avoiding the nasty hawk that swoops when you hesitate for too long. A mobile game that has topped app charts around the world and earned its developers a salary in the millions has been co-created by University of Melbourne Master of Engineering (Software) student Andy Sum.Ĭrossy Road is an addictive retro-arcade-styled game for iOS and Android phones in which the player controls a chicken and a seemingly endless range of animals, in order to get them across a busy road.

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