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Doodle Jump creator talks about becoming a brand company
Key insights
6 takeaways- 01Lima Sky has transitioned from a game development studio into a brand-focused production company centered entirely on the Doodle Jump intellectual property.
- 02Igor Pusenjak emphasizes that the company's success was a combination of hard work and being in the right place at the right time during the early years of the App Store.
- 03Despite having ideas for new projects, leadership maintains a strict focus on the Doodle Jump brand to ensure long-term sustainability rather than pursuing frequent, disparate side projects.
- 04The company’s strategy involves extending the 'Doodler' character beyond gaming by developing its personality, backstory, and visual identity for various seasonal and situational contexts.
- 05The company uses the Doodler character to engage with real-world events, such as creating specific character art to provide emotional commentary during Hurricane Sandy.
- 06Managing a global brand requires a shift in focus from pure game design to administrative tasks, including contract management, licensing, and business operations.
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Transcript
I think it's always interesting talking to some of the guys over early into the App Store and kind of not be didn't deserve it but you kind of lucked into success a little bit when you can still kind of charge the apps and build big damage numbers and foods we were just discussing that's what four years ago and now you kind of you've got like a global reading company I mean as a great guide you find you like the business side is it a bit of a drag to kind of think about updates now how do you approach them a bit of a both I mean we should we started we started making games and apps so that was the business and it turned into building a brand doodle jump the intention was never let's create a hit let's create one brand and focus on that but let's build a few quite a few actually fun simple quick play apps and keep on doing that well we found success with doodle jump yes part of it was luck but a lot of it
was being in the right place at the right time which you can call luck and and also hard work which goes without saying but people need to be reminded of that because a lot of a lot of them think it's just you put an out up out there and it works so so we so we're finding ourselves now in this brand business which is a whole different kind of warms and it's funny but you know we're somewhat perceived as a as a game company so a lot of people are asking answer what's your next game and we're really not a game studio so much anymore we're really a production studio that's focusing on doodle jump the game and extending that outside of the game world and creating a long-lasting brand out of it and it's super fun because it's so almost like you're creating you're creating this being in some way you're
creating something that that really has a personality that has multiple extensions of its zone that needs a back story that needs a voice that needs all the different outfits these days you know it's it's turned from from one simple character to do to character with multiple personalities with multiple ways of expressing different feelings in different seasons and different situations you know we had a as you as you know we had this bad storm in the United States sandy that particularly hit New York badly and our main licensing person is in New York and he asked our artists to create a little doodle with a with the rain coat on and you know it was it was a very emotional commentary on what's going on and you can do that with this simple is this
supposed to snap on something what but it just goes it's like it's one of your yeah yeah that's good but it looks like you're Mike from the distance so that's good um so yeah I found what I'm finding myself now doing more of the managerial and signing papers and reading contracts and and bank checks and you know some of some of it gets to the point where okay time to focus back on on game creation and game design and fun but some of it is also it's just part of just part of growing okay so i think it's interesting when you have a brand and you say you can kind of you start with this little 52 linds and he loves me potentially
just become like a cipher like a bit like a Charlie Brown nothing working to get just lost for a long time and sitting los libros Snoopy know you can see how those brands did build each other basically I mean you you are very grave and I remember when we value nobody tried to Chevy some other app or something you're trying to do me do you still feel you have the opportunities to have like little side projects and little things that that you want to do that are necessarily games or already are are you completely from kb really jumping into another idea every day I have to stop myself from doing something else because my mind is running in 200 different direction and I have to remind myself keep focused on doodle jump keep focus and diligent but yeah I'm not you know I'm not saying I want a reward do side project from time to time just because it's fun just because we want to take a break just because you know we want to mix it up a little bit but that's not really sort of what we would be focusing on and you can look I can kind of think I wish I'd had
it if I knew this character was going to become so potentially so good useful or so to commit universal I might changed why not being green or my design and everybody was that that's just the genesis of the idea that's the genesis of the idea I think that's one of one of the things you were saying you know this kind of hole luck you know in a way that I think you know we got it right the first time and then started building on top of it buckle thanks you
Summary
The evolution of Lima Sky from a mobile game development studio into a dedicated brand management company represents a strategic shift in the digital entertainment landscape. While the initial success of the arcade title Doodle Jump was bolstered by early entry into the App Store and fortuitous timing, the company has transitioned away from a high-volume app production model. The primary objective is now the long-term cultivation of the Doodler as a recognizable, multi-faceted intellectual property that transcends the gaming medium.
This brand-centric approach requires a fundamental change in creative operations, moving from simple game design to the development of a character with a distinct personality, backstory, and voice. By treating the Doodler as a living entity capable of expressing emotions and adapting to real-world events, the studio creates deeper audience engagement. This process involves managing complex licensing agreements, artistic expansions, and seasonal content, which necessitates a shift in leadership focus toward managerial and administrative responsibilities.
Despite the demands of maintaining a global brand, the creative team balances the necessity of focus with the desire for occasional experimentation. While the temptation to pursue new, unrelated projects remains high, the company prioritizes the structural integrity of its core asset. By drawing parallels to established, long-lasting cultural icons like Snoopy, the studio aims to ensure the Doodler remains a versatile, enduring character. This transition highlights the broader industry trend where successful mobile game developers leverage initial viral hits to build sustainable, cross-platform franchises rather than relying solely on the continuous release of new software titles.
