Mowgli’s Songster Takes Social Gaming to a New Musical Level

Meg Rayford Feb 9, 2012 Tweet

Marshall Seese’s reasons for starting social gaming company Mowgli Games were clear.

“Simply put, it pissed me off that money like that could be made from a game where people spent all their time making something fake,” he said, in reference to Zynga’s wildly popular Farmville.  “So from there I decided that social gaming would be the best platform to enable people to make real songs in a fun way.”

Mowgli’s first game, Songster, is definitely for real.  Launching on Facebook, Songster will allow players to create their very own songs with friends, using layers of instrument and vocal loops.  With a flick of their fingers, users will be able to collaborate on the same songs with friends for a socially engaging gaming experience.  Users will also experience life in the music industry, as they unlock achievements such as hiring a manger and signing record deals.

Seese started Mowgli a little over a year ago, inspired by his life mantra, “Create.  Connect.”  Motivated to go beyond creating songs to connect with people on a personal level, Seese decided to make something that would enable anyone to create songs and connect with people through music.

Throughout the startup lifecycle, Seese says the hardest thing has been maintaining his vision.  “I have a broad vision of what Mowgli and Songster will become,” he told me.

“Sometimes it’s daunting to think about when we’re only a 9-employee company working on the beta version of our first game, and it’s scary to think about all the things that could fail.  But in the end, I have to trust that the vision I have is here for a reason, and so far, things have worked out in amazing ways I never thought possible.”

The best advice Seese can offer fellow entrepreneurs is to have a clear vision and a clear plan.  Though both will undoubtedly change over time, at any given moment, they are vital pieces to the startup puzzle.  As Seese succinctly puts it, “Don’t be afraid to recalculate, but never lose sight or faith.”