The GBG Big-Bang!
Galactic Battleground is a retro arcade-inspired, 2 vs 2, space combat
arcade game made from the ground up in Minneapolis, MN. Developed by
the technology company,
Slackerz Inc.,
Galactic Battleground (GBG) was first conceptualized and created by
Kelly Pangburn (Lead Developer, CEO, and Co-Founder) and Dylan Davis
(Art Director and Co-Founder) in 2016. It made it's debut appearance
to the public in 2016 at
2D Con where it
initially was being demoed as a future game on Steam.
In 2017, as new members joined the Slackerz Inc. team and Galactic
Battleground continued development, the game was repositioned. GBG
was to be featured in an arcade cabinet and Slackerz Inc. was
determined to lead the resurgance of the arcade industry. With a
newly organized team, GBG underwent aggressive development, which
introduced 4 player battle, additional power-ups, more map
layouts, UI improvements, as well as the design and production of
GBG's first cabinet.
A layout of the first GBG arcade playing field. The
first GBG cabinet prototype was built from the ground up in friend
of Slackerz Inc., Brodie Whittle's garage.
The marquee of GBG's first prototype cabinet at their Republic - 7
Corners launch party.
After completing their first prototype of the GBG arcade cabinet
and undergoing a long QA of the expanded features of the game,
Slackerz Inc., debuted their prototype at
Up-Down
MPLS. As the first wave of arcadegoers and enthusiasts got their
hands on the game, Slackerz Inc. listened to feedback and
continued to make enhancements to GBG.
Making a local splash in the short time it was there with
highlights from
Twin Cities Geeks,
GBG also garnered attention from
Can Can Wonderland, a unique business in St. Paul and one of the newest attractions
in the greater Twin Cities. Before long, Can Can Wonderland would
be the the first permant home of Galactic Battleground arcade,
striking a deal to spotlight GBG in their arcade.
Shortly following GBG’s move to Can Can Wonderland, the game also
appeared on the radar of
Paradise Arcade, a leading arcade parts and distributer, and quickly began talks
of cabinet production with Slackerz Inc. The two parties entered a
partnership and immediatly began to build a prototype cabinet that
greatly improved on the original GBG cabinet. Likewise, Slackerz
Inc. upgraded the internals of the cabinets and continued to
develop the game. They soon received their first collaborative
prototype cabinet in the months thereafter.
GBG's first permanent home at Can Can Wonderland in
St. Paul, MN.
Guts and bones of the second GBG prototype, built by
Paradise Arcade and Slackerz Inc. Slackerz and Paradise
collaborated to significantly improve the GBG cabinet.
The second GBG prototype being played at Up-Down MPLS during the 2018
Super Bowl weekend.
Making a brief return to Up-Down for the 2017 Super Bowl to test
their second prototype cabinet, this time produced by Paradise
Arcade, GBG began preparations for production of their first
official cabinets. Slackerz Inc. started to showcase GBG at
industry conventions - such as the
Midwest Gaming Classic
and
Blizzard World
- and heightened their exposure in anticipation of their completed
cabinets.
Slackerz Inc. showcasing 2 cabinets at the 2018
Midwest Gaming Classic. Here, Eugene Jarvis, arcade veteran and
creator of Defender and Robotron, earn their GBG wings with MGC
attendees and Slackerz Inc. owner, Kelly Pangburn.
The arcade housing of the first production GBG
cabinets built by Paradise Arcade.
With several other public appearances planned for the Summer of
2018 - including
Combo Breaker,
Evo Championship Series,
Retro Gaming Expo, and more - Galactic Battleground will continue to land in
arcades across the nation! As more pilots earn their GBG wings,
the Slackerz Inc. team has dedicated themselves to creating an
in-depth, space-battling experience for them to indulge in. From
Power-Up Breakdown videos to weekly tournament leagues, Galactic
Battleground is fostering a galaxy of friendly competitiveness and
creative space adventures.
Slackerz Inc. and production team in a Power-Up Breakdown filming
session.