the indieviews

indie interviews

[theindieviews-blog]

Gavin Harrison

Gavin Harrison is under the quick fire indieview spotlight this month. If you are involved in the indie game scene then this is a name you surely already know, especially seen as Mr Harrison composed the music for 2 of the big indie titles released this Summer on Steam - 'Tango Fiesta' and 'Halfway'. So sit back, relax and let's get to know Mr Harrison even more.

How did you get started writing music for Games and can you tell us your first game you worked on?

My first steps into music were via the demo scene on the ZX Spectrum, I had started out life programming from a very young age but it eventually became clear that music was the path I should follow. I used SoundTracker extensively, and at one point even build my own MIDI lead to connect my keyboard to my Spectrum…I'm sure I must have my earliest compositions stored on tape somewhere! I'm pretty much mostly self taught, I had a few lessons on the church organ and studied music up to A-Level but that was it.

The first game was called 'Birdie in Trouble' from Kilk! Games, and I actually did some SFX for that! It came about from the developer asking on the Touch Arcade forums if there was anyone who could help out with providing sound effects. I believe the first game I provided an actual music track for was 'Fastball 2', from the same developer. From there I gradually picked up a bit more work, before approaching Orange Pixel with the offer that I would write the soundtrack for their next game (which was called INC) on a ZX Spectrum, so they were some very authentic chiptunes! The rest is history as they say…you can never really pinpoint the exact moment where going full time music / sound effects became a reality but it just seemed to happen that way. I've been very fortunate but you have to take every opportunity sent your way!

What is your process for writing a soundtrack to a game?

This really does vary from game to game, but I'll try and go into more detail about the general process I like to follow. I usually start by meeting with the developer and chatting (with the nature of the work this sometimes is only possible via Skype / email) about their plans for the game, the sort of mood they want to convey and the part they would like the audio to play. A great game soundtrack can vary from playful chiptunes or energetic guitars, to the more atmospheric ambient style. I find obviously it's important to listen the developers ideas on what they would like for the game, but not to be afraid to suggest your own…after all they will have brought you on board for your expertise! In fact most of the time I'd say the eventually audio is usually a combination of developer input and composer ideas. One other key thing I like to find out, what music has the developer been listening to (if any!) during development to date…that is usually a good indicator of mood for the future! Also at this point I'll go through any concept art and if there is a playable version of the game, spend some time playing it!

What instrument is your prized possession?

Ooo there could be a few here, it's probably a tie between my Juno 106 synth and the Fender Mk1 Rhodes electric piano!

Is there a game genre you would like to work on that you haven't already?

I've been thinking about this, and I'm not sure if there is, I can honestly say I enjoy working in all genre types and I am fortunate enough to often have the chance to! Musically…I'd quite like to do some sort of futuristic synth soundtrack based around the styles of Vangelis and Jarre mixed with a little Daft Punk, so if anyone wants to come up with a game for that… ;)

Have you ever taken part in a Game Jam, can you tell us a little about your experience?

I sure have, I've taken part in a few and can honestly say I love them. In fact one game I'm working on now (Tango Fiesta) was born from the Rezzed game jam! I find the time pressure really pushes you to make quick decisions and actually I find the whole situation less pressurising, being able to produce anything at all in such a short space of time is an achievement in itself.

Where do you get inspiration from?

Well I suppose this would come from other artists…Lately I've been pretty bad at keeping up with music, but I do try and listen to as much new stuff as possible. I'm a huge fan of Telefon Tel Aviv, in fact if it wasn't for their music I doubt I would be writing still today. I'd just about given up writing music altogether a few years back, and then I heard a song of theirs called 'Sound in a Dark Room' and it absolutely blew me away! I try and play games as often as I can and obviously pay a lot of attention to the audio in each one, it's always interesting to hear what other composers are doing and how they have interpreted a certain game genre with their music. I do also as you might expect pay extra attention to the music when watching films, always interesting to listen to the techniques employed by musicians to add to the atmosphere / mood.

What music excites you?

Ha, lots! Seriously, I wouldn't know where to start really, I love hearing new music, there is so much to discover out there... so maybe new music is what excites me?

When you are writing and creating music do you have a fav snack or drink on hand to keep you going?

I'm pretty routine about snacking and drinking, if only to make sure I don't overdo the coffee / food! Usually a couple of coffees during the morning and maybe a biscuit or a little bit of chocolate. Other that I drink a lot of water during the day. I actually find keeping sort of near normal working hours (so usually starting at 9am and finishing around 6-7pm) suits me best. Once in awhile I'll stay up late but my studio is away from my house, so I have quite a good work / life separation.

Who would you like to collaborate with, be it for TV, games or film?

Right now I'd say Trent Reznor or Joshua Eustis.

What's in the pipeline for you, if you can discuss it here of course?

Having finished on some large long term projects over the summer, I'm now currently preparing the Halfway soundtrack for release. Tango Fiesta is currently in early access so is an on going project, with some big audio updates to come still! There are a couple of other things that I'm hoping all go ahead but I can't say much more yet…some TV related too!

- - -

Visit Gavin Harrison's official site to find out more about his great portfolio of work.

[theindieviews-blog]

After an entire week off from the internet I happened across a Deep Under the Sky #screenshotsaturday and my eyes jumped out of my head and hurled themselves at my laptop screen repeatedly banging against the screen trying to get into the screenshot. After I popped my eyes back in I immediately did some digging (clicked on a link) to discover that the game is launching this week on iOS. I’m gonna need a slice of that for sure!

You should be following the game makers on Twitter if you’re not already;

@RichMakeGame | @ColinNorthway

[theindieviews-blog]

I stumbled on some very cool #screenshotsaturday grabs the other day and thought, "hey that looks familiar!". Then I realised I backed this game, Star Crawlers on Kickstarter - I should pay more attention. Admittedly my KS involvement was only as a ‘tipster’ but I can sleep soundly at night knowing Juggernaut games can use my funds to buy some screen wipes!

Anyway, don’t hang around reading my brain drivel, grill up these awesome visual on a high heat and eat them with your eyeballs. 

Stay up-to date with Star Crawlers on the usual channels - Official Site: www.starcrawlers.com | Twiter: @Juggernaut_News

[theindieviews-blog]

Craig Sharpe [Retro Dreamer]

Craig Sharpe took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for this latest quick fire indieview. To date, Retro Dreamer have released an impressive roster of games for mobile platforms, one of which is Slam Bots which I will go on record saying, is as addictive and fun as Tetris was when I first played it.

So how did you guys meet and decide upon the name Retro Dreamer?

Gavin and I both worked on an old, web portal based Blackberry game for Antair games in 2007 on a contract basis. Around the same time, we both started working on a downloadable PC game before switching focus to the emerging iPhone App store as it launched mid 2008. We launched our first iOS game, Sneezies in December 2008 under the Antair Games brand, but eventually ended up taking ownership of the IP along with setting up our company the following year to focus solely on mobile games. Gavin and I have always been long time gamers and still love playing classic games, plus, we both had pretty high aspirations of where these new markets could take us, so I guess the name Retro Dreamer felt like a natural fit for us :)

Is there a game that you played from your childhood which led you on this game making path?

I was around 12 years old when I first played Super Metroid on the SNES, and I can still remember just how blown away I was by the richness of the world design, variety of creatures and the overall atmosphere it created. I knew then that I wanted to create my own unique worlds and characters to inhabit them.

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?

We actually added a great new addition to the Retro Dreamer team at the beginning of the year. Ryan Evans, who also has a deep rooted history in early iPhone gaming as he worked on classic iOS games such as Topple 2 and Maze Finger. We had wanted to work with Ryan for a long time and feel super happy to have him aboard as we branch out into other gaming markets such as PC and console going forward.

How do you generate ideas which you think will work as a game. Can you describe a little of the process?

For me personally, my ideas usually stem from interesting character ideas I have. Once there's the seed of a character idea that interests me, I usually starting thinking about the setting that the character inhabits and then potential gameplay mechanics usually follow and grow organically from there. I'm a massive fan of 2D action games, especially from the 16-bit era, with games by the likes of Treasure, Konami and Capcom having the biggest influence towards the way I look at game design.

What games are you playing right now - if you have time away from your seemingly busy schedule of course?

Right now I'm juggling some older backlog games with a couple of newer Wii U games. I'm having a great time playing through Shovel Knight and Mario Kart 8 lately. I'm not usually a fan of open world games, but I've been having a ton of fun with the carnage and unpredictability of Far Cry 3 for the 360. Accidentally throwing a molotov cocktail at a Komodo dragon being a particular highlight :) I'm also pretty far through Asura's Wrath which is one part ridiculously insane Dragonball Z inspired TV show, one part 3D beat em up. It's pretty tough to describe but I really do recommend checking it out :P

Do you guys have a favourite food or drink you like to have on hand while making games?

Being English, there's usually a pretty steady stream of tea and biscuits close to my desk.

What piece of advice would you give yourself starting up in the industry all those years ago if of course time travel was available?

Not everything you make will do well commercially or critically. Learn to keep your chin up and just keep making more games. Not every game will be, or has to be perfect, as long as your learning something that you can apply to your future projects.

What's been your proudest achievement so far?

Of all of the games we've made, I'm most proud of Velocispider. We worked on it for only 5 weeks and everyday brought something interesting and fun, which definitely made it's way into the game itself, and was picked up by both the press and the players. It was pretty far from being a commercial hit, but it's easily our best game in terms of how well it resonated with the players, which is a great feeling.

In your upcoming title Monsters & Monocles you have moved away from mobile and focused on PC. What was the decision behind this and can we expect a port to mobile at some stage?

The mobile space has become very tough for small teams like ourselves since the huge companies have really jumped in with both feet. Branching out into new markets is the best way to hopefully create a little more long term stability by not having all of company's fate resting solely on mobile. Hiring an extra developer is allowing Gavin to maintain and hopefully grow the mobile side of our business while I work on Monsters & Monocles with Ryan in the hope that we can gradually create a new community of players on these new platforms going forward.

Keep up to speed with the development of Monsters & Monocles via their official Tumblr page monstersandmonocles.tumblr.com

Here's a list of Twitter handles you shoud be following;

@monstermonocles (game updates)

@Tearascal (Craig Sharpe)

@gavinbowman

@rje (Ryan Evans)

@retrodreamer

[theindieviews-blog]

Look at all that gorgeous art up above. Don't you just want to toss it in a bag and gobble it up quickly like you're eating juicy sugared sweets!

In case you're wondering, these visuals are from a soon-to-be released iOS game called RULES! by @sightwise (Twitter). Consider it bought.

Read the Press Kit for more details: http://www.rulesgame.net/press/

[theindieviews-blog]

I came across the first image in the comp above on #screenshotsaturday and was immediately intrigued by the unique art style. After digging a little deeper I found out that the game in question is Mushroom 11, currently in development by Untame.

I think I must be the last to know about this game considering the numerous awards/nominations the team have won.

This is one to watch out for.

[theindieviews-blog]

I'm certain you will have the same reaction as I did when you look at the art for Lost Orbit = "Holy f**k that is f**king cool!"

A #screenshotsaturday entry which I'm so glad I discovered this weekend. Flash fry this art, serve it up quickly and gobble it down. Tasty.

So who do we thank for this mouthwatering treat? A Canadian game studio called PixelNAUTS. They describe Lost Orbit as "a game filled with risk, loneliness, wonder, and death."

I think I'm going to have to start playing PC games a lot more.

Recently 'Greenlit by Steam' you can see more on their game page.

[theindieviews-blog]

I stumbled across Tales of the Adventure Company very recently, via #screenshotsaturday of course, and I fell in love with both the title and promise of a charming looking tile based RPG. I dug beneath the surface and found the game available to play online and because of this I plan to make a purchase very soon. Described by the developer as a "Unique blend of RPG, puzzle, and roguelike elements" - I think this is a game your phone will be happy to have on screen.

Available to buy on iOS, Android and Windows Phone, links via the official Slothwerks Tumblr.

[theindieviews-blog]

Horizon Danger due out on PC before the year is out.

I attended Radius Festival last week and Horizon Danger stood out in an epic way - dripping with style and intrigue. I was pleased to say Stephan Caffa, of the one-man indie game studio Scaffa posted a grab to #screenshotsaturday yesterday so I'm here with the #ivsnapshot highlighting this cool looking game. I was lucky enough to play a couple of levels of the game and I can tell you it is damn fine, so check out the official site and get Horizon Danger green lit on Steam.

[theindieviews-blog]

Andrew Smith [Spilt Milk Studios]

The Bafta winning game designer, Andrew Smith, takes time out of his busy schedule to answer a few of my questions. What an indie LEGEND! Enjoy.

So for those that don’t know, who is Spilt Milk Studios?

We're what people trendly call a Micro Studio, I think? I'm technically the only employee, but I work with a regular bunch of contractors. We're currently hard at work on Tango Fiesta which launched on Steam Early Access on the 4th June, and will be all wrapped up by September for full launch. It's an exciting time!

You post numerous videos on talks, interviews and dev diaries about you and your games. How important do you think it is for an independent studio to use social media and video content to talk to fans both old and potentially new?

I have a theory about all this, and it might be bollocks but I like it and it makes sense to me :D Basically, any coverage of any media, should include as many other media types as possible, and the most effective ones are those that either allow the person engaged with it to experience their fave thing in an enhanced way, or in a way as close to the actual thing as possible. With movies, it's obviously trailers and behind the scenes footage and teasers and featurettes. Essentially tiny movies about the movie. Early Access covers the interactive 'game media' side of this stuff, filling the role that demos used to, but we can easily and cheaply create video footage and the like of our game and our development adventures which are only one step removed from being the actual game.

Do you have a favourite food or drink you like to have on hand while making games?

Tea. Tea, tea, tea. It's got to be builder's tea too. Milke no sugar. I don't think I'd be a very happy person without it.

Was there a moment from your childhood when you were slapped around the face by how good a game was and you thought, "I want to be the person slapping people with how good my games are". In other words what drove you to become a game designer?

Pac Man was my first exposure to video games, although I didn't play it. It left an indelible neon mark on my psyche, and is definitely what planted that seed of intrigue. Then came Lemmings which entertained me for an hour or so on a boring trip to a relative's (but which I never owned), and then came Super Mario World. This was the game that ignited my senses and made me who I am today. I even have a print of Shigeru Miyamoto on my office (bedroom) wall for crying out loud.

Am I right in thinking that you are working on two games simultaneously: Tango Fiesta and Lazarus,. How does that work and how do you juggle your time between them?

Sadly, Lazarus got put on hold as soon as Tango Fiesta got signed to Mastertronic. Lazarus was our main commercial concern while we were pitching Tango Fiesta around too, and it was just the case that one narrowly beat out the other in terms of real-world importance (ie: paying the bills). We'd still love to finish and launch Lazarus... just we don't know when.

When we were working on both, Lazarus was the main day-to-day project as myself and Andrew Roper were the mian guys on it. Tango required Ewan Brock and Gavin Harrison too, so we tended to arrange jams to work on that whenever was best for us. It worked nicely and I'd love to be able to jam some more, but right now Tango Fiesta is owning our lives so there's just no room left.

What games by other indies are currently exciting you?

Mega Coin Squad by Big Pixel was an absolute blast at Rezzed, total multiplayer mayhem. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of it at launch, and the guys behind it are incredibly talented so I have high hopes! It's like Towerfall crossed with the Coin Rooms from Mario. Genius stuff.

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?

I'd love to work with people outside of the games industry, because I think an outsider's perspective can often bring ideas you'd never have considered before. Damon Albarn, for example, is an absolutely sensational musician and I'd adore the opportunity to work with someone with such a wide ranging ambition and imagination. Inside games, I'd love to work with Nintendo in some form. I'd give anything for a round of real, honest Nintendo-style feedback on my games.

To date what has been your most rewarding/proudest achievement in the world of game designing?

Tango Fiesta, without a doubt. It's the culmination of 4 peoples' work on a short timescale and to a really high quality level. Admittedly I've been project managing as much as I have been designing, but I'm so hugely proud of what the guys have done and where we're going with it, I just can't wait for people to play it! It's completely in its own league compared to everything I've ever done with my life. I hardly ever get to stop and think a out it - it'd probably scare me into an curled up ball if I did - but it really is something special.

Do you often come up with an idea for a game and then think it through and say to yourself, "Nah, that won't be fun!"?

All the time. It's one of the biggest skills you can learn as a designer - the cost of implementing stuff only to find out it's not fun is very high and should be avoided, so using paper, your imagination, or other games to try and figure out mechanics first is a hugely valuable ability. It's second only to growing a thick skin.

Is there any advice you would give yourself if you could send a message back to the past before you took those first steps on the game making path?

I'd have told 27 year old me to avoid mobile games, think like the modder I was before I got the games job, and get started on a Unity project for Steam right off the bat as soon as I set up Spilt Milk Studios. I spent too long chasing projects on XBLIG, iOS and Android... should've just made a great game on PC. Back then it was a lot easier to get exposure via Steam, and I'd have been ready to ride the huge Sony push for indies off the back of it. As it is, I'm very happy and can't wait for the same to happen with Tango Fiesta, but it's taken a great publisher in Mastertronic to help it happen.

Tango Fiesta is available on Steam Early Access and you can follow the official site for news and dev diaries - www.tangofiesta.co.uk

Tango Fiesta Explodes Onto Steam Early Access

[theindieviews-blog]

Alto's Adventure (Coming Soon to iOS)

I'm sure you will agree that the screen shots look intriguing and mighty fine. In fact, I want to sprinkle it over my ice-cream and wolf it down!

Where do I sign up? On the official page of course - www.altosadventure.com

[theindieviews-blog]

Byron Atkinson-Jones

Byron is no stranger on the indie game scene, some might say a veteran developer because of his past experience working for big studios. I can say for certain that he is a great asset to the indie community, selflessly giving his time and knowledge to help others. I think you will find this indieview a great read. I know I did.

So I'll kick-off with the all important question first! Your followers on Twitter should know you're partial to the odd treat and a huge fan of Nandos. Do you have a particular food or drink that you like to enjoy while coding?

I mostly just drink water while coding. My problem is I tend to get too absorbed in coding to remember to eat or drink, which is bad, so I don’t tend to snack while doing it.

What was the thinking behind putting the source code up on Steam for Blast Em!?

I actually never intended the game to go on Steam at all, I was just going to put it through my website and leave it there. It was a small project I worked on while waiting for some middleware to be ready for the WiiU version of So Hungry. As it was a small project and I get so many people asking for my advice on game making my first aim for the game was to release the source code to it. A publisher approached me and asked if they could look into putting the game on Steam for me.

What game making achievement are you most proud of?

The first version of the crowd system for Football Manager. Up until I joined Sega Sports Interactive their 3D engine always showed empty stadiums and they needed crowds for the next release which was something like a month away. So in my first couple of weeks I had a very basic crowd system up and running which made it into Football manager 2010. The technique I came up with was the basis of everything I do in creative shader production from then on.

You seem to work on multiple projects at the same time. Are you constantly having ideas for games?

Yeah, far too many. I’m currently working on 4 games and there are at least another 4 ideas that I want to put into action. What I really love doing is making very small game ideas in the least amount of time possible. I’m not sure I have an ‘epic’ game in me. I’ve worked for studios like Lionhead, on games that took more than 4 years to make and after the first 8 months you tend to get bored of them. So I’m not looking to make some profound mark on the games industry that everyone will look at and venerate, I just want to make games.

When you have an idea for a game do you always make a prototype?

Yes, I always prototype everything I do and the prototype usually evolves into the final product if it’s fun enough. My prototypes always use simple coder art which is just enough to get the concepts in there as a proof it can work. If it does, I’ll work on more refined looking art so I can show it to a proper artist to get a feel of what I’m after. It’s all about rapid production - not wasting time.

What criteria or checklist do you apply to one of your prototypes to then decide to develop in further?

That’s a tough one. It’s usually if I think it’s fun and I can expand on it. So, for example on the latest game I’m doing which is a platformer called ‘A touch of magic’ I built the visual look first, which is something I never really do and then built the game bit by bit to fit into the theme. I was not only having fun playing it at each stage but having a lot of fun creating it and even more fun coming up with diabolical level ideas. I then showed a single level of it at London Indies and the people there seemed to like it. So, to sum that up - probably a mixture of fun and gut feeling, which isn’t ambiguous at all is it? ;)

If my facts are correct you are involved in the IGCCF which seems to have come about from putting on something for those unable to make GDC in SF Is that a fair description and will you continue to be involved, and if so, do you have any plans to develop and build on the existing program?

The IGC (Indie games collective) was an idea I had in the back of my mind for over a year before we actually did the first event at the UKIE offices in London. I attend a lot of conferences and a lot of the talks at them basically boiled down to “we did this, aren’t we great?” which is fine the first couple of times you hear it but eventually you begin to realise that the only really benefit of going to these conferences is networking - I can’t actually remember the last time I was able to take away some tangible piece of information I was able to apply to my game making. This is just my experience though - other’s mileage may vary.

So I wanted to put together something tangible that developers could come to and take away to use in their business. So the criteria for speaking at the first conference was pretty harsh but we pulled it off and the event was over-subscribed. We had poor UKIE panicking that the room was over capacity and we were probably breaking some health and safety regulations. I also teamed up with the amazing Andy Payne for the first event and through that Natalie Griffiths came on board.

The second event was more open, I wanted to give people who ordinarily you never hear from a chance to speak to a crowd and we timed it so that if you were missing out on GDC there was a more local alternative to come to.

Basically, I’m very passionate about finding ways to help other developers to make their games and one way to do that beyond everything else I do is to try and get more developers to spread their knowledge to help each other. I really think that by doing that we all make a more productive and healthy game development scene.

As for what’s next? Well, most of the time each of these events start off we a germ of an idea I have and then I usually tweet about it so I’m sure another idea will pop up soon.

What game, old or new has grabbed you, given you a shake and made you think, "Wow! This is frakkin' awesome!”?

Monument Valley is just an amazing example of elegance in design, coding, presentation, audio and production. I am amazed by that game. That’s now my benchmark of the level of quality we all should aim for.

Is there anyone in the industry who you would like to work with?

I’m terrible to work with. I’m always working, every spare minute I have goes into game development as I love making games so much. I actually get depressed if I’m not being creative. I’m pretty sure I would drive anybody working with me nuts. so while I would love to work with a few people: Georg Backer, Imre Jele, Louise James, Shahid Ahmad, Dan Marshall, Jake Birkett and David Mitchell - I’m pretty sure each of them would end up strangling me.

What piece of advice would you give yourself if you could go back to when you first started making games for a living?

“You see that lego you’re playing with? Start turning that into a computer game because somebody one day does and now they never have to worry about money again”

Follow Byron to keep abreast on his game developments, industry opinions and occasional trips to Nandos - https://twitter.com/xiotex

Official site: www.xiotex-studios.com

[theindieviews-blog]

Heavy Rockets is a modern cave shooter game. 

First time I saw a screenshot of Heavy Rockets I was immediately drawn in by the interesting colour palette and minimalist style. This game needs to be bottled and served over ice!

I'm looking forward to downloading this on iOS when it's released this year. Follow Heavy Rockets on Twitter to find out when you can get it but don't get too close or you might get blasted!

[theindieviews-blog]

Thomas Noppers

A big hello to Thomas Noppers a very friendly and talented dutch born game designer and artist.

So for those who don’t know you, who are you and what makes you get up in the morning (or evening) driving you to design and create art for games?

I’m Thomas Noppers, A game designer and artist working on games like Penarium, Mutant Gangland and Lethal League.

What I love about making games is working with a small group of people to create a piece of art. Games are actually impossible to make and yet we pull it off. Together. By trying things out. By aiming to let your skillsets knit as well as possible. But also by having intense discussions about perspectives. Sometimes I feel like I have to firmly stand my ground and other times I’m just dead wrong. I love how everyone has their own vision and the truth (the ultimate game) lies somewhere in between.

What part do you play in Self Made Miracle?

We are good friends. They asked me to do all the art for Penarium because they knew I can do pixels. I loved the game’s premise so I jumped in but I’m not an employee.

Was there a game that blew your mind becoming the catalyst to get you into a career making games?

As a kid almost every game blew me away but there never was this magic moment. But every once in a while I play a game and there’s a small bit that evokes a feeling that I want to make a hole game that dives waaay deeper into that one bit I liked. In Thief you sometimes found a hidden basement in a hidden basement. That totally gets my mystery bone tingling! I want more of that! I want to make that! 

Is there anyone from the Indie game scene that excites you?

I’m fascinated by exploration, choreography, and architecture. One day I really want to look further into that. Right now Ed Key (co-creator of Proteus) is already looking into that. Whenever I see some of the stuff he shares I think “yes! yes! go forth!” as if he’s a parallel version of me.

What work are you most pleased with?

I like Willy’s simple design. He’s just a bunch of pixels but he’s recognisable. I’d almost say he looks like a walking game logo. That’s in the line of Mario and Sonic. I’m proud of that.

Do you have a favourite food or drink you like to consume while making games?

Cola. But I’m switching to tea. I’m at the age that I have to watch my health now. If that wouldn’t be the case I’d eat pizza 24/7. Turtle power.

Do you have any advice to share for people wanting a career in the games industry, specifically artists and designers looking to make it?

I’m just fortunate to have found folks who can do things I can’t. Like programming. Penarium is made by former classmates. We first did a game called Paper Vs Paper so they knew I was okay to work with.That’s why they asked me back for Penarium. I’d call myself a pretty generic artist but still the game is shaping up nicely. For advice I’d say that understanding how to work within a team is more important than being a true master of your trade. You can pick up teamwork skills at game jams. Which is coincidentally also where you can meet new future game co-creators! So yeah. Jam.

What should we look out for in the future coming from you or Self Made Miracle?

Self Made Miracle has something truly spectacular in their game vault but I can’t talk about that yet. It’s very different from Penarium in almost any way and I’m not on that project yet. I myself have some personal games I really want to get to making. Mutant Gangland will probably stay with me for a long while. After that I’ll be looking in the exploration corner.

Thanks to Thomas for taking part, you can follow his colourful adventures on Twitter

[theindieviews-blog]

This week the #screenshotsaturday in the iv [crosshairs] is a game called Halfway. The visuals look so gorgeous I want to spread them on toast and eat them!

So keep an eye out for Halfway by Robotality, a ‘futuristic turn-based strategy game’. Follow @sibachmann and @stbachmann for updates.

[theindieviews-blog]

Nicoll Hunt [I Fight Bears]

For those of you living in a cave 2013 was a big year for one particular lumberjack - Tim Burr. The game was Fist of Awesome by Nicoll Hunt and was released in October 2013 and featured on the UK App Store - no mean feat for the one-man-indie-army.  I caught up with Nicoll to delve beneath the beard and learn a little more about this intriguing 'bear fighting' game maker.

Do you remember the moment when you first thought, 'Yep, I want to be involved in games!'?

When I was around 10 years old, my friend Lee he claimed his brother's friend made computer games. To this day I have no idea if that was true, but it was at that moment I realised that computer games were made by real people and not by monolithic corporations in giant towers.

What was the first game you worked on/released that people played?

The first game I made was "Fat Ally Cleans The Streets". It was a street sweeping simulator and was as awful as it sounds. You played an overweight street sweeper who had to catch a discarded can of cola which jittered around the screen like it was having a seizure.

I followed Fat Ally up with Fat Ally 2 Special Edition, which was terrible in whole new ways. I actually released it on the Internet of the time, where it was found by Amiga Future Magazine who described it as "The worst Amiga game that daylight has touched".

Do you have a favourite food or drink you like to consume while making games?

TEA. Gallons and gallons of tea!

Is there anyone in the industry that you would like to work with?

If I could get over my ridiculous insecurities I'd love to work with Sos Sosowski. He made McPixel, the comedy and art style of which I stole mercilessly for FOA.

5. What's in the pipeline for I Fight Bears?

The PC & Mac version of FIST OF AWESOME is nearing completion, and I should have some super-exciting news about that soon. I'm also having lots of fun prototyping ideas for the next game. So far I have a name and a genre, neither of which I'm willing to share quite yet. It'll be great though. Really, really great.

A lot of gamers will know you from your successful Kickstarter campaign. How was the experience and do you have any advice for other indies looking to gain funding?

It was a living hell, don't do it.

Oh wait, you said Kickstarter? Yeah, that was ace. It took up lots of time but it transformed me from someone that no-one had heard of to someone at least a dozen people had heard of. I managed to raise almost £12,000 to complete development of FOA, and made a ton of new friends in the process. My advice to other developers would be to only use Kickstarter for projects that you are massively passionate about, and then make damn sure you show that passion in your pitch video.

And finally, do you really fight bears?

Since I moved to London to start I Fight Bears there have been precisely zero bear attacks in the Greater London area. Coincidence? I'll let you decide.

  Fist of Awesome is OUT NOW on iOS, Android, OUYA & GameStick. Head over to the official FoA site for links.

FIST OF AWESOME - Launch Trailer

[theindieviews-blog]

Hello [Intro]

It is extremely easy to setup a Tumblr or Wordpress blog and I really enjoy doing it. All you need is an idea of what content you would like to write, create or even collect to share with your friends and strangers alike. This is what makes the 'connected' World so exciting and engaging. 

The indieviews [iv] is my latest idea to pursue and hopefully it will last longer than ScorePost (a place for game scores to be posted - massive fail) and to last as long as the APPZILLA blog (about 3 years). In fact, The indieviews is an extension of APPZILLA or child of APPZILLA if you will. I very much enjoyed reviewing iOS games and it was extremely fun befriending Indie developers and discovering and learning how they worked and about the mobile games industry in general, specifically the App Store.

Therefore iv will focus on 'indie' game makers and I will attempt to post fortnightly interviews and bite-sized articles from my favourite people making games today.

Enjoy.

James Bolton AKA DEADJAM