As a Product Manager at Outfit7 (Ekipa2 d.o.o. subsidiary), I need to have an in-depth understanding of every aspect of the company and of the various departments involved in a game’s development. My role is to coordinate and align with all these departments, ensuring the game reaches its global launch successfully.
This entails managing a diverse range of opinions and ideas to determine what's best for the game. Not just gathering feedback and opinions, but also analyzing data and user research to make informed choices. Synthesizing all this information into clear, actionable plans is what I find most challenging, yet rewarding, about being a product manager. And in all my nine years at Outfit7, the most challenging and exciting project by far has been My Talking Hank: Islands.
Exploring uncharted territory for virtual pet games
It's tough for new games to get noticed these days. There are just so many options out there, and player tastes seem to change all the time. But hey, there's still space for fresh ideas and fun experiences! It just takes some extra planning and effort to stand out. You have to figure out how to use what you already have and make the most of it, while also creating something truly engaging for players to keep them coming back for more.
And that’s what we're doing with My Talking Hank: Islands.
We’re building on Outfit7’s legacy, but also taking a leap forward and evolving the virtual pet genre.
While the core concept of caring for a character within a home environment remains, we've introduced a completely new element: players can now take direct control of Hank, moving him freely around a wide-open island environment.
We got to this point in a pretty organic way. The idea of allowing the character to explore and interact with the world is something we've been considering for a while. In the previous Outfit7 games you have this “make-believe” concept where you travel around and you get cool rewards. And it seemed like a missed opportunity. For instance, in My Talking Tom 2 you collect rewards from other worlds like the Candy Kingdom and Cyber City. You don’t really go to those worlds, but we always felt that it would be really cool if you could. And we dipped into this a little with some live-ops events in My Talking Tom 2.
And then this idea was expanded a little further in My Talking Angela 2, where you can fly to some of the world’s most fashionable cities. We went a little bit deeper there — you actually see her visit the place and go shopping, and so on. But again we thought it would be even better if she actually went to Paris and went around the city visiting places and doing stuff, and then came back with gift bags. That would be the ultimate experience!
In fact, we were always saying, “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could actually do that?” And with My Talking Hank: Islands, the dam finally broke. It was decided that the island needed to be something that you completely immerse yourself in; a place where you have complete agency and experience everything first-hand.
But that’s a huge undertaking. The enormous effort required needed to be taken into account from the very beginning of the project, and so the game needed to be built with this in mind. And it was, and we’re really happy with it.
Wildlife encounters like you’ve never seen before
The island really is a significant innovation. The free-roaming gameplay allows players to explore the island at their own pace, discovering hidden secrets and engaging in various activities. Adding collectibles, hidden secrets, and a dynamic day-night cycle further enhances the sense of immersion, making the island a vibrant and engaging environment. There are surprises hidden all over the place, so exploration isn’t just something you can do, it’s something that’s actively rewarded at every step. The island itself adds a unique and exciting dimension to the game, for sure. But the island would be nothing without its inhabitants: the animals.
When it comes to wildlife, we’ve opted for quality instead of quantity in My Talking Hank: Islands — like, deep quality. These animals aren’t just static collectibles for your photo album, they’re fully fleshed-out characters that you can interact with, befriend, and bond with. So, on the first island, you’ll be able to get to know five awesome animal buddies: the elephant, the turtle, the dolphin, the monkey, and the lion.
These five animals are the main stars of the island — besides Hank, who is the biggest star of all, of course. You can feed all of them, and each of them offers a different activity. You wash the elephant, you pick up trash with the turtle, you play water polo with the dolphin, you collect bananas with the monkey, and the lion… the lion has a hair salon. Because he’s a pretty pampered lion.
In addition to these core activities, there are various objects scattered near the animal dwellings that you can interact with. So, for instance, the elephant has a mud pit, and he takes mud baths there, the dolphin has a ball that he plays with all the time, and you can play with him, and the lion has a special track where you can race with him, and stuff like that. So, we went really deep into you having a lot of interesting moments and a lot of interesting interactions with each animal.
And we really wanted to create the feeling that these animals are living their lives even when Hank isn’t there. So each time you visit, you’ll find them in a different place, in the middle of doing something different. This really helps to bring them to life as characters that you’re sharing the island with. Our aim is to spark your imagination so that you start creating different stories based on the situations you end up in with the animals.
There are also various other critters scattered around the island. They’re not the main stars, they’re the supporting cast. Some of these critters are shy and will run away from you, but others are interested in you and will follow you around for a while.
More islands and more adventure on the horizon
By the way, the reason the game’s name is "Islands" (with an "s") is that we have a ton of ideas for later. Imagine exploring ice, savannah, forest, and other themed islands. There's even been talk of a Dino Island featuring dinosaurs. And I think that we will make more islands for Hank, because I believe that we really nailed it this time.
And on top of new islands, there's a plethora of other features waiting in the wings. We had to trim down the initial scope due to production constraints, but there's still a wealth of exciting content planned. For starters, we have plans to expand the backpack (currently just a cosmetic addition to your wardrobe) into a fully-fledged feature in its own right. Additionally, there are plans to enhance interactions with environmental elements, like choppable trees for example, which currently serve a minimal function. These are just a few examples. But rest assured, there's plenty more in store, all of which will receive the attention and care it deserves from our team. There's a lot of promise on the horizon; we just need to get the ball rolling with the launch.
So, for now, players can focus on having fun on the first Island with Hank, his animal friends, and all the little critters scurrying around, from curious crabs, to shy frogs, to sneaky lizards. You never know who or what Hank is going to discover next, and that's all part of the adventure!
About My Talking Hank: Islands:
My Talking Hank: Islands is an exciting island adventure game filled with exploration, fun, and surprises. Players can care for Hank in his Tree House, explore the island's interactive map, and meet adorable animal companions. My Talking Hank: Islands offers endless entertainment for players of all ages.
My Talking Hank: Islands
