Downloadable: Young company creates music game for iPhone

The fusion of rock and roll and addictive video games is the inspiration behind ThumStruck, the new game created for the iPhone by Resolute Games Corp. of Memphis.

Since its release Oct. 16, "we're already in the top 100 in free games, and one of the top four music games on the iPhone," said Chris Przybyszewski, CEO of Resolute Games. "We're right at 30,000 downloads in just about two weeks -- 2,000 downloads a day."

ThumStruck, a rhythm-based game that features music from Ardent Records band Skillet, is the first game for Resolute.

The full version, to be released this month, will feature other Ardent musicians and original music by the American Guitar Institute. That version will be for sale in the iPhone "App Store" for $4.99 and will offer more graphics, levels and music.

Resolute Games was formed following a conversation one evening in a smoky bar, where Przybyszewski, 32, joined Noah Babiarz, 26, for chips and dip and talked about their passion for video games.

"Both of us went through a list of all of the titles of the video games we've played," Przybyszewski said. "We stopped at 150. It was crazy."

From there, Resolute Games was created as a video game development company, founded this year on Jan. 31. The company is focused on mobile phone gaming, with future goals of expanding to other platforms.

"We want to make great games," said Babiarz, creative lead, "but we also want to be a great company."

Przybyszewski added: "Video games are a growing market. The gaming market is recession proof."

Currently, the company's team members are part-timers. Each member either works full-time in another job or is a full-time college student.

Przybyszewski's eight-member team meets twice a week in the "launch pad room" of business incubator Emerge Memphis.

"There's a lot of passion and faith," Przybyszewski said. "They are sacrificing family time, evenings, vacations days."

Cory Hymel, 19, a student at the University of Memphis in computer science, said working with Resolute Games has been an "amazing" experience.

"For someone to have an opportunity to break into this field at such an early age has been thrilling," he said. "I'm constantly learning new things every day, and being able to watch a company grow from the ground up is a great feeling."

Przybyszewski said Resolute Games works on a shoestring budget, with starting costs less than $20,000.

"We have to be a great small business -- and that means getting a management and development team," Przybyszewski said.

"We also have to make sure we get the right funders together, make sure we have enough capital and guidance and work level to help us grow the way we need to."

Przybyszewski hopes to be able to hire employees full-time at Resolute Games and move into a permanent office space.

"We also want to expand into other markets as quickly as possible," he said.

The company is working on three games right now, and a fourth is still on paper.

The next game to be released is called "Segment," a simple puzzle-type game.

"I plan to keep working with Resolute Games until it becomes a truly amazing company that is a real boon to both Memphis and the gaming community," Babiarz said. "This will happen in the future. With the quality of games that we are dedicated to create, our growth is inevitable."

Resolute Games Corp.

Top Officer: Chris Przybyszewski, CEO

Employees: 8

Contact: (901) 490-5857

More information: resolute games.com