Volley (W18) - YC Tech Talks: Gaming 2020 (November 9th, 2020) | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Volley Games is a leading company in the voice-controlled gaming industry, with popular games like Song Quiz and new projects in interactive storytelling and RPG-style games.

Key Insights

• 🎮 Volley Games is a company that specializes in creating games for voice control devices like Alexa and Google Home, with their most popular game being Song Quiz, a music trivia game. They are also known for their interactive storytelling and RPG-style voice-controlled games.
• 🚀 As a leader in the voice-controlled gaming space, Volley Games has experienced rapid growth over the past three years, coinciding with the expansion of Alexa and Google Home platforms.
• 🔍 Volley Games is focused on designing for the unique voice experience, without the use of traditional touch or click interfaces.
• 💡 The company's games are not limited to voice-controlled devices without screens but are also playable on devices with screens, including voice-controlled televisions, thereby broadening their reach.
• 💰 With a successful Series A funding round completed about five months ago, Volley Games has been expanding its team, currently consisting of 25 people based in San Francisco.
• 🔧 In addition to their existing projects, Volley Games has exciting tech projects in the pipeline, such as building their own gaming engine for voice-controlled software, which they believe is the most ambitious in the industry.
• 🎮 Volley Games has multiple gaming projects in development, some of which have not yet been released or publicly discussed.
• 🌐 The company is actively hiring across various roles, including engineers, data scientists, and designers, offering the unique opportunity to work on a brand new platform and interface.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How has Volley Games become a leader in the voice-controlled gaming industry?

Volley Games has achieved success by being one of the first companies to explore the unique voice-controlled interface, creating popular games like Song Quiz and expanding into new genres like interactive storytelling and RPG-style games.

Q: What sets Volley Games apart from other gaming companies?

Volley Games stands out by focusing solely on voice-controlled gaming experiences, providing a brand new platform and interface for players, and pioneering innovative technologies like their own Unreal Engine for voice.

Q: What type of games does Volley Games develop?

Volley Games has a diverse range of games, including the popular music trivia game Song Quiz, interactive storytelling games, and an upcoming ambitious RPG-style voice-controlled game. They continue to develop new projects in the gaming industry.

Q: How is Volley Games expanding its reach beyond voice-controlled devices?

While primarily focused on voice-controlled devices like Alexa and Google Home, Volley Games also ensures their games are playable on devices with screens, including voice-controlled televisions, expanding their accessibility and audience.

Q: What kind of talent is Volley Games looking to hire?

Volley Games is actively hiring engineers, data scientists, and designers to join their team. They are seeking individuals with a passion for working on a brand new platform and interface, and offering opportunities for professional growth in the rapidly expanding voice-controlled gaming industry.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Volley Games is a successful company specializing in voice-controlled games for devices like Alexa and Google Home.

• They have the most popular game on both platforms, called Song Quiz, and are expanding into interactive storytelling and RPG-style games.

• The company is growing rapidly, recently raising funding and seeking to hire engineers, data scientists, and designers.