This is a Game Dev Podcast, today with my guest Benjamin Zuckerer from Cip Soft, the creators of Tibia, an MMO that has been under continuous operation and development for over 30 years. This is an entertaining and educational look behind the curtain of how to make and run online games that last for decades.Links to my Guest➤ Wishlist Persist Online on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2082980/Persist_Online/➤ Play Tibia Online: https://www.tibia.com/mmorpg/free-multiplayer-online-role-playing-game.php➤ Jobs at Cip Soft, Germany: https://www.cipsoft.com/de/karriere/stellenangebote 0:00 - Intro1:02 - The Origins of Tibia (1995)3:04 - Pioneering the 'GMUD' Genre4:25 - Tibia's Place in Early MMO History5:37 - Surviving the Dot-Com Bubble8:43 - Inventing the Freemium Model10:44 - The Story Behind the Name 'CipSoft'12:32 - Development Before Modern Tools13:48 - Company Growth & Evolving Roles15:21 - The First Mobile MMORPG & Launch Strategy17:29 - Joining the Games Industry19:13 - The Role of a Product Manager22:58 - The 'Duping' Problem in MMOs28:25 - Team Culture & Security Threats32:50 - Single Player vs. Online Game Development37:28 - Why There Is No Tibia 242:26 - The Struggle for a Second Hit47:08 - The Birth of 'Persist Online'51:12 - From Manager to Maker and Back53:43 - Building the 'Persist Online' Team57:09 - Prototyping & Co-Developing With the Community1:01:45 - How to Listen to Your Players1:07:21 - The Early Access Development Model1:11:00 - The Economics of Free-to-Play1:17:49 - Ethical Monetization1:23:38 - CipSoft & Persist Online Today1:27:53 - 20% Time: Fostering Innovation1:31:04 - Testing 'Persist Online' (Pre-Alpha)1:35:45 - The Challenges of Launching on Steam1:45:28 - 'Persist Online's' Steam Release Strategy1:53:57 - Advice for Indie Online Game Developers2:02:13 - The Exponential Cost of Making Online Games2:11:14 - Why Make Online Games? The Service Model2:17:17 - Engaging Players with a Limited Scope2:22:13 - Outro & Final AdviceMy game "Thronefall":➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#OverviewMy game "Will You Snail":➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrKFor the game developers among you:➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ