Jim Aloye tests his game by the Pagoda

The Quest to Build a Better Game

By Kristen Evans

Jim Aloye 鈥01 plans to use advances in geolocation tech to change the face of role-playing video games 鈥 and how businesses in cities like Reading advertise.

 

When gamers pound the pavement to nab burly Bulbasaurs and fiery Charmanders in 鈥淧ok茅mon Go,鈥 they sometimes wander into traffic to catch their creatures. That鈥檚 because Nintendo鈥檚 revolutionary location-based video game requires players to search for Pok茅mon in the real world using their phones, something popular console games were never designed to do.

The runaway commercial success of 鈥淧ok茅mon Go鈥 inspired Jim Aloye, a longtime gamer and software developer, to put his own spin on the technology. By next year, Reading-area residents can begin their own adventures in Aloye鈥檚 鈥淓ternal Conquest: The Great War,鈥 a new app that mixes the appeal of old-school quest titles like 鈥淶elda鈥 with the geolocation tech that powers 鈥淧ok茅mon Go.鈥

鈥淲hen I was a kid, I always liked Japanese-style role-playing games because my hand-eye coordination wasn鈥檛 all that great,鈥 Aloye deadpans. But Aloye always felt these games lacked a certain something 鈥 either the ending was a letdown or the game wasn鈥檛 challenging enough. His solution was 鈥淓ternal Conquest.鈥

鈥淭here came a point where I thought, 鈥業 write software 鈥 why not solve that problem?鈥欌 says Aloye, who majored in computer information systems and worked in 香港六合彩开奖网鈥檚 Information Technology (IT) department.

鈥淚 was fortunate enough to work with (assistant professor) Polly Mathys as IT infrastructure was growing at 香港六合彩开奖网,鈥 explains Aloye. 鈥淚 would have never gotten that level of education anywhere else.鈥 His unique experience at 香港六合彩开奖网 gave him the confidence to strike out on his own after graduation and eventually to develop a project like 鈥淓ternal Conquest.鈥

So far, Aloye鈥檚 app idea has generated plenty of buzz. Location-based content makes the game more challenging for avid players 鈥 but it benefits local businesses, too. 鈥淪ay you鈥檙e inside the Santander Arena,鈥 Aloye offers. 鈥淚f Santander signs up for a geo-partnership, then exclusive in-game content will become available if you鈥檙e physically playing in that location.鈥

By sponsoring content, local 鈥済eopartners鈥 can become part of the game and generate interest in their own goods and services. Two geopartners, Inner Healing Chiropractic in Bally, Pa., and Suburban Tavern & Cigar Lounge in Mount Penn have already signed on, bolstering Aloye鈥檚 fundraising efforts.

In total, Aloye hopes to crowdfund $100,000 to finish developing the game and attract venture capital that will launch the app to commercial success. So far, he has raised more than $10,000 and is preparing to release a prequel game to market in the coming months, all while working a separate full-time job. 

And his dedication to 鈥淓ternal Conquest鈥 shows. 鈥淚 mean my wife can tell you,鈥 Aloye says with a laugh. 鈥淚 come home from work, and I鈥檒l swallow some food, and 鈥 immediately 鈥 I鈥檓 on it.鈥

 

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