Tag: games

Episode 37 – Conversation with David Bocek, Sr.Game Designer at Gravity Well, prev Apex Legends and Destiny 2

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with David Bocek, Senior Game Designer at Gravity Well and previously worked on Apex Legends and Destiny 2

Start – 3:00 – Introductions

3:00 – 20:30 – David talks more about what he did as a weapon designer at Respawn while working on Apex Legends

20:30 – 31:00 – We talk about how David got into the industry and any advice he can share based on his experiences so far

31:00 – 37:15 – We talk about why David’s favorite childhood games included Silent Hill 2, the Zelda series, Mario series, as well as horror-genre games. Which eventually lead to online shooters being what set him on the path to wanting to work on shooters.

37:15 – 39:30 – We talk about what it is about gaming that David enjoys

39:30 – 47:00 – We talk about the concept of flow state and what games David can feel that in

47:00 – 59:00 – We talk about what David does outside of gaming… Which often includes more video games. We also discuss what kind of comfort games David enjoys to relax

59:00 – End – Wrap up

Check David out on Twitter https://twitter.com/AmusedApricot

Check out the studio David works at Gravity Well on Twitter https://twitter.com/gravitywell

David occasionally streams on Twitch, check him out there at https://www.twitch.tv/Amused_Apricot

As David suggested, everyone should check out the Moss devs, Polyarc, on Twitter https://twitter.com/polyarcgames

Episode 24 – Conversation with Jason Smith, Cultic developer

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Jason Smith, solo developer of the currently in-development retro-shooter Cultic. Being published by 3DRealms with a demo currently available on Steam.

Start – 7:00 – Introductions, and talking about Cultic and being published with 3D Realms

7:00 – 11:30 – We talk about Jason’s childhood and playing violent video games as a child that, like most from the core Melennial group, definitely should not have been playing.

11:30 – 26:45 – We talk about how Jason got into development and making video games and advice he can share based on his experiences.

26:45 – 32:45 – We talk about Jason’s two current favorite games

32:45 – 38:30 – We talk about Jason’s favorite games when they were younger/their favorite games of all time

38:30 – 41:00 – We talk about what Jason’s comfort games are and what makes them a comfort game

41:00 – 46:45 – We talk Minecraft

46:45 – 1:09:30 – We talk popular games that just didn’t click with Jason

1:09:30 – 1:27:15 – We talk about hard games as a casual player and his game, Cultic.

1:27:15 – 1:46:00 – We discuss Jason’s favorite trends in gaming, with a little bit of VR talk as well

1:46:00 – Wind down and closing

Follow Jason on Twitter to learn more about him and his game Cultic at https://twitter.com/JasozzGames

Checkout and wishlist the game on Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/1684930/CULTIC/

Checkout the Cultic publisher, 3D Realms, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/3DRealms

Be sure to follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RedTunicPodcast for the latest updates about the podcast, guests, and other game related things

Episode 22 – Conversation with Benjamin Rivers, co-owner of BancyCo

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Benjamin Rivers, a developer with his wife under the studio BancyCo, makers of games such as Home, Alone With You, and Worse Than Death based out of Toronto, Canada

Start – 5:00 – Introductions and the Toronto game dev scene

5:00 – 19:00 – We talk about how Benjamin got into game development as well as their experiences getting their first game onto Steam and any advice he could offer to those looking to get into it based on his experiences

19:00 – 28:30 – We talk about Benjamin’s comics (Or more specifically manga) and his love for them and how they have influenced him.

28:30 – 35:15 – We talk more about manga and what series Benjamin might recommend to people

35:15 – 42:30 – We talk about Benjamin’s favorite game when he was younger

42:30 – 50:00 – We discuss what Benjamin enjoys with games

50:00 – 57:15 – We talk about Benjamin’s favorite comfort games

57:15 – 1:03:15 – We talk about Act Raiser’s new remake being announced

1:03:15 – End – Wrap Up

To learn more about what Benjamin Rivers and BancyCo is up to, check out their Linktree at https://linktr.ee/BenjaminRivers

Be sure to follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RedTunicPodcast for the latest updates about the podcast, guests, and other game related things

Episode 21 – Conversation with level designer Marc-Andre Hetu Reflector

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Marc-Andre Hetu, a level designer that has worked on many games, that has worked on Marvel Avengers as well as the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy and is now currently for Reflector Studios out of Montreal

Start – 3:45 – Introductions

3:45 – 12:30 – I ask Marc-Andre to explain level design to me, and those that might not really fully understand it as well as his views on it, why he enjoys it, and what he aims to do with it.

12:30 – 16:30 – Marc-Andre talks about how he got into level design and working on games and advice he might be able to share based on his experiences

16:30 – 23:30 – We discuss Marc’s favorite video game from when he was younger, and we spend some time discussing that game.

23:30 – 29:00 – I ask Marc if there is a more recent game he’s played that has absolutely wow’d him for it’s level design and what game that might be

29:00 – 31:15 – We talk about what makes gaming enjoyable to Marc

31:15 – 42:30 – We talk about Marc’s favorite role playing game

37:45 – 37:45 – I ask Marc if there are any level design things he sees that he isn’t a fan of and we discuss what those are and why he feels they aren’t the greatest

42:30 – 47:45 – I ask Marc if there is any level design things he sees that he really enjoys and thinks works well

47:45 – 52:45 – I ask Marc what his comfort game is and what he can always play and feel good playing

52:45 – 56:45 – I turn the floor over to Marc and he shares some recommendations on how to find/pick some games and suggests people look into indie games

56:45 – End – Wrap up

You can see more of what Marc-Andre has worked on by viewing him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-andre-hetu-366a0915/

Learn more about Reflector by checking them out at https://www.reflectorentertainment.com/

Be sure to follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RedTunicPodcast for the latest updates about the podcast, guests, and other game related things

Episode 20 – Conversation with indie game developer @GammaFoxTBG

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with indie game developer and constant Game Jam jammer GammeFoxTBG

Start – 4:00 – Introductions

4:00 – 13:00 – Gamma talks about the game jam scene and how he got into it as well as the games he has worked on and the approach to them

13:00 – 26:30 – We talk about Gamma’s favourite game as a child and what it was about that game they enjoyed, transitioning into discussing playing games with friends and how they are enjoyed, and other games they enjoy while also having a love hate relationship with them.

26:30 – 36:00 – We talk about what makes games enjoyable to Gamma and shift into discussing the joy that can come from solving an open ended problem in games like Factorio

36:00 – 42:15 – We discuss what kind of games Gamma is enjoying currently and what he likes about Rogue-Likes

42:15 – 57:30 – We talk about the Game Jam scene and why they enjoys participating in them and why they feel they are important to look into

57:30 – End – Wrap up with some words of encouragement from Gamma

To learn more about Gamma, check out his twitter @GammaFoxTBG

To check out some of Gamma’s games, check out his itch page gammafoxtbg.itch.io

Or alternatively you can check out their webpage for more information about them gammafoxtbg.com

Check out the below itch io links to learn more about Gamma’s collaborators

struuuudel.itch.io

arkanpixel.itch.io

fer-i.itch.io

alejandrophz.itch.io

Be sure to follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RedTunicPodcast for the latest updates about the podcast, guests, and other game related things

Episode 19 – Conversation with Yacht Club artist, Sandy Gordon @Bandygrass

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Yacht Club artist, Sandy Gordon.

Start – 5:00 – Introductions

5:00 – 16:30 – Sandy talks about how they got into pixel art and his journey from the arts, to design, to living briefly in Japan, before finding and getting into pixel art.

16:30 – 21:15- I ask Sandy if he has any advice he can give those looking to get into pixel art and animation

21:15 – 26:00 – We talk about Sandy’s favorite game from when he was younger and what makes that game so special for him.

26:00 – 32:15 – We talk about what makes gaming enjoyable to Sandy and how he enjoys gaming now

32:15 – 40:00 – We talk about what games Sandy has been enjoying now as well as what makes him enjoy games from From Software.

40:00 – 44:30 – Wrapping up

44:30 – End – Closing

To learn more about Sandy, follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Bandygrass where you can also find a link to his animation tutorials

Be sure to follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RedTunicPodcast for the latest updates about the podcast, guests, and other game related things

Episode 5 – Conversation with Rich Vreeland @DisasterPeace

Posted on | by Link S

So it seems I hit some more technical issues, however this time they are on my end! I have a small echo that seems to come and go – I believe these are related to the recording method and hopefully I am able to correct them for the future episodes! Live and learn haha

In this episode I speak with Rich Vreeland, and as his website bio says, “ties the name Disasterpeace to the things he sends into the sonic ether. Disasterpeace has over 50 albums to its credit, in addition to having designed, scored and programmed sound and music related things in a number of mediums including games, film, television and theatre. Rich is particularly interested in creative novelty and lives in Los Angeles.“

We discuss many things, such as how he got his start, advice on how others can get into this field from his own experiences, and how pushing forward regardless of how out of your element you are can lead to good things.

From his start doing music on a role playing wrestling forum, to finding and getting involved in the TigSource forums. How he came to enjoying game music, what he liked, and spending way too much time for my mental sanity talking about Marble Madness. As well as the kind of newer/current game music he is enjoying.

We also touch on despite how easily accessible the gaming market is, it also creates a situation where it’s difficult to find a game to enjoy as you’re inundated with so many options (And how this isn’t unique to games, but most entertainment medians).

We also talk about his views on social media and how he chooses to interact with it and how it works best for him, and a certain game he can’t quite get into.

You can learn more about Rich by checking out his website below, and I strongly encourage everyone to do so –

DisasterPeace.com

Episode 4 – A conversation with Miguel Sternberg @SpookySquid

Posted on | by Link S

Unfortunately right out the gate I need to extend an apology to Miguel. We had some technical difficulties during the recording, and I was not confident enough in how I should let him know this until it was too late. In the future I will have a better idea of how to tackle this in the event it comes up, but that doesn’t fix my inexperience for this episode.

In this conversation I speak with Miguel Sternberg, developer at Spooky Squid Games, a microstudio known for creating Russian Subway Dogs a score attack game where you play as a subway dog trying to steal food from passengers on the metro, and They Bleed Pixels a brutally challenging platformer with an Eldritch twist.

We discuss what Spooky Squid Games is, what working at a microstudio is like and how it can feel different from working within larger organizations/teams on projects, and potential inspirations for future projects.

We also discuss how Miguel got into the industry, starting with friends making hobby projects on the Game Boy Color, and Capybara games, and then into the freelance world starting with cell phone games before landing in his own studio where he could work on his own projects.

You can find more information about SpookySquid games via the information below:

Spooky Squid Games webpage: spookysquid.com
Twitter: @spookysquid

Also check out Russian Subway Dogs, and They Bleed Pixels at the store links below!

Russian Subway Dogs on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/762610/
They Bleed Pixels on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/211260/
They Bleed Pixels on Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/they-bleed-pixels-switch/

Episode 3 – Conversation with Matt Dabrowski @madguy90

Posted on | by Link S

In this conversation, I speak with Matt Dabrowski, creator of Streets of Rogue, a top down rogue-like that provides a near endless amount combinations and a hilarious amount of freedom to play however you want.

We discuss where Matt got his start making games on the proto-Unreal engine, as well as starting his gaming journey with FPS titles like Wolfenstein and Doom… Interesting food for thought, but it’s never the mothers that bought their kids Doom, it was always the fathers. As well as the evolution of the arcade/boomer shooter genre, point and click and adventure game.

We also touch on why Matt wanted to make a rogue-like game that he describes as an immersive sim rogue like. Matt also makes a very good point that investigating the market when making a game, that knowing the current market and what is going to be well received and potentially successful. As well as what to potentially look forward to in his next game.

If you have never played Streets of Rogue before, it is highly recommended and can be enjoyed alone or with friends.

You can find more information for Streets of Rogue via the information below:

Website: Streets of Rogue

And can follow Matt at @madguy90 on Twitter

Episode 2 – Conversation with Tom Beardsmore @Coatsink

Posted on | by Link S

In this conversation I speak with Tom Beardsmore, co-founder of the development studio and publisher, Coatsink.

We discuss where and how Coatsink got its start, starting out as a mobile game developer, finding time to play games with a family and sometimes the sacrifices we have to make to do so. As well as other topics.

If you’ve never played any games developed or published by Coatsink, I highly recommend it. They have a variety of games you can read more about on their website, however two of their more recent games, Cake Bash and PHOGS, are both great games that are both fun and enjoyable and I can’t help but recommend them enough.

You can find more information about Coatsink via the information below:

Website: https://coatsink.com/

Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook @Coatsink

And you can also find more information about Tom by checking out his Twitter @WhyAlwaysMad