Q&A with Jackbox Games to celebrate the launch of Megapicker

Jackbox Games has finally released the Jackbox Megapicker. This is a free unified launcher for all the various games that will surely make your game nights a lot smoother. Open the Mega-collector and you can easily access all the Jackbox games you own.

You can filter games, add favorites, install games, and even purchase games/packs you don’t already own. I haven’t had a game night since Megapicker came out, but I’ve played it a bit and it’s a big improvement over not having it. The only problem is that it’s currently a Steam exclusive.

To help promote the Mega-collectorJackbox gave me the opportunity to ask their technical director, Brad Vahsome questions about how it came to be and what it means for the future. I think there are some fascinating insights.

I know I’ve been begging for something like the Megapicker for years, and I imagine others have too, so first I’d like to thank everyone. What made something like the Megapicker possible? Was it technology? Interest? Something else?

THE Mega-collector It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, but logistics have always been a pain point. We strive to make sure all of our products are available on as many platforms as possible, but some platforms can make a concept like Mega-collector a non-beginner.

Once we accepted this (sad) reality, it allowed us to really reframe our thinking about what we are trying to put out there. Our hope is that now that we have a tangible product on Steam, it can help us work with our partners on other platforms to bring Megapicker to them!

When Megapicker launches, it will only be available on Steam. Are there any plans/is it feasible to bring Megapicker to other platforms?

Plans is a bit of a strong term: there is definitely the desire and the goal, but, as mentioned above, there is a logistical challenge in doing so. Other platforms (especially consoles) have more rigid paradigms that can make something like Mega-collector confusing at best and a terrible user experience at worst.

Steam offers a level of flexibility that allows us to draw on your existing library and purchases so that Mega-collector It’s a transparent utility on top of what you already own. With other platforms the ability to add levels this way may not be possible and may require complications like repurchasing your games or doubling your storage, things like that.

As I said, we absolutely want to have a unified offering across all platforms, so that’s something we’ll continue to investigate and work with our partners to assess the feasibility of.

For gamers, Megapicker will be a godsend, but I’m curious: how will the implementation of Megapicker impact the future of Jackbox games?

It will definitely change the results of our community feedback surveys!

THE Mega-collector will always be a utility first and foremost for our fans and players who want to use it. We have no intention of changing anything we are doing in place of the Mega-collectorOur releases will always be able to stand on their own two feet.

That said, we have many plans for the Mega-collector to increase Jackbox Games. One of the things we realized early on is that Mega-collector It allows us a certain degree of flexibility that our release cycle doesn’t offer.

We can update Megapicker at any time, which gives us some freedom to experiment. What does that mean? We don’t know, but we have a lot of ideas we want to explore, ranging from the possibility of keeping post-game galleries for more than a year, to the possibility of reusing the same room code throughout the entire game night, to the possibility of introducing players to some early prototypes or mechanics. No promises on anything, just a glimpse into our minds!

What’s your favorite Jackbox game?

I’m absolutely terrible at drawing, I couldn’t draw a stick man to save my life, so obviously I have a predilection for everything and everyone. Drawn downIt’s my time to shine!