Issue One

Transcription

Issue One

Issue One
December 2013
The Independent Games Development Magazine
The Microsoft
Accelerator Project
Tips and tricks
from a games artist
The Retro
Computer Museum
The Significance
of Indie Games
EDITORIAL
Introduction
We are ind13
Hello and welcome to the first issue of IND13
including; veteran developers, Kickstarter /
(Indie), the magazine for people interested in
Indiegogo campaigns we believe in, getting the
independent games development.
right sound effects for indie games, and retro
gaming. The content of the magazine is created
Whether you’re a developer looking for good
by the core team along with contributors from the
reading, interested in games development, or a fan
industry. So if you ever want to write an article in
of indie games, then this is the magazine for you.
IND13, then get in touch via the details below.
Made up of six core members, our aim is to create
As a group we strive to be creative and always
a magazine that we would want to read. We are an
enjoy what we are doing. We hope this comes
independent publication and can cover any area of
across in our magazine.
development that we please.
Enjoy,
We want to cover anything and everything,
ind13
IND13 – The Business
IND13 is a video games
magazine dedicated
to independent games
development.
The IND13 team is made up
of voluntary contributors
from different areas
of independent games
development. We’ve created
a magazine which discusses
topics we think are important
to, and cater to the fans
of, independent games
development.
Our aim is to create
interesting news, reviews
and articles, all focusing
on independent games
development. The nucleus of
our team is based in the UK
but we hope to have a team
stretching the globe. We aim
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to have independent gaming
news from the UK, US, Europe
and Asia, but also from all
other gaming territories.
The team behind IND13
are all volunteers, and
we are giving up our time
because we are passionate
about independent games
development. The content of
the magazine will be made
up of articles created by
the IND13 team but also by
voluntary contributors from
the games industry.
Advertising is available in
the magazine, at this time
all proceeds will go into the
development and stability of
IND13’s production. Paying
for advertising will also mean
we can cover paying clients’
titles with editorial as well as
with traditional advertising
placements in the magazine.
We also give pro bono ad
placements to the companies
the team work for, in
exchange for our time spent
contributing to the magazine
and to keep our employers
happy.
We hope you enjoyed the
magazine and please do get
in touch with questions and
comments.
The Team:
Richard Hoffmann,
Editor-in-Chief
Rokas Butkus, Design and
Features
Alan Vader, Retro Corner,
Features
Sophie Rossetti, Copy Editor
Website:
www.ind13.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/ind13
Twitter:
@official_Ind13
Contact details to
contribute articles
and Editorial enquires:
editorial@ind13.com
Harry Cole, Publisher
Lee Smith, Creative Director
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Advertising enquires:
advertising@ind13.com
FEATURES
Q&A with the IND13 Team:
Pages 6 - 9
Microsoft Backs
Whispering Gibbon:
Pages 16 - 17
What did the IND13 team think of 2013,
and what do they expect from 2014
Lucky 13:
Pages 10 - 11
Where the IND13 team look at the stories
that piqued their interest this month
Icey Monty:
Pages 12 - 14
An interview with Nick Walker, Director
of Icey Monty, a small and independent
game studio
Always the Same Blue
Sky... A Visual Novel
Pages 24 - 27
Microsoft Backs
Whispering Gibbon:
Pages 16 - 17
Whispering Gibbon discusses the
potential of the Microsoft Ventures’
London Accelerator to give new games
studios a welcome boost
Our Utopian Dream:
Pages 18 - 20
Sarah Woodrow from Utopian World of
Sandwiches discusses life as an indie
studio
Profile of a Games Artist
Pages 36 - 39
Microsoft Accelerator Program
Pages 22 - 23
Our very own Richard Hoffman lets
us know about Indie Game life at the
Microsoft Accelerator Program
Can video games
aid emotional wellbeing?
Page 30
Jacqueline Campbell, JCF Founder/Head
of Mentoring, and Education, explains
how gaming can actually help young
people with Stress, depression and
anxiety
ARTISTS CORNER
Trial and Error!
Pages 32 - 35
Our residential games artist, Rokas
Butkus, gives some tips on how to get
started as a professional games artist,
using Photoshop and a Wacom tablet
Profile of a Games Artist
Pages 36 - 39
A profile of Junior Da Silva, an up and
coming games artist
RETRO CORNER
Alan Vader
Pages 40 - 42
Continuing the second part of his
Matthew Smith retrospective
7 Reasons why I’ll Die Alone
Pages 44 - 45
Alan Vader takes a look at some of the
finest Capcom insipred pieces the gaming
world offered, and that he purchased
Brand New, it’s Retro...
Pages 46 - 48
Pages 24 - 27
Andy Spencer, Chairman of the Retro
Computer Museum, talks about how it all
started
Designer and story teller, Grant Wilde,
tells us the inspiration behind his visual
novel
NEXT GEN GAMER
Twitch, to Stream,
or not to Stream...
Pages 28 - 29
A look at the phenomenon that is Twtich.
tv and online game streaming
The Evil Ages of Games
Pages 50 - 51
Ophelia wonders why all the best games
have to be 18 rated
The Significance of Indie Games:
Pages 52 - 53
Alfie Brian Taylor, a young gamer,
explains why indie games are an
important part of his life
Alan Vader and the
Retro Corner
Pages 40 - 42
Pages 50 - 51
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EDITORIAL
Q&A with the ind13 team
EDITORIAL
Q&A with the ind13 team
What Did IND13 Think
of 2013 and What do
They Expect in 2014
As 2013 comes to an end and 2014 approaches, we asked the editorial team their
thoughts on the past year and what to expect in the future. Take a read below to
find out the thoughts of people behind IND13.
Probably the same as above. I know that people need to earn
money from games, but this is not the way to do it. Having ‘lite’
versions is much better than conning people.
Will you be buying a PS4 or Xbox 1?
I think the XBox 1, as we have the XBox 360. But I will be asking
Alan Vader for his advice on that one.
What would you like to see more of in 2014?
What games are missing from the market?
A new version of Bubble Bobble, using an Oculus Rift and a
trampoline...
Is there a particular technology you are looking forward to
seeing more of?
Again, the Sony Smart Wig… so many possibilities (I cannot name
one, but there must be…)
Harry Cole
LEE SMITH
HARRY COLE
RICHARD HOFFMAN
SOPHIE ROSETTI
ROKAS BUTKUS
ALAN VADER
What was your favourite game of 2013 and why?
It has to be GTA 5. I have been looking forward to the latest
addition to the series and I liked it a lot. Trevor has got to be one
of the greatest videogame characters of all time. The writers
behind GTA are incredibly talented. If I had any complaints, I
would say the story was a little easy to complete for me. Also
the online multiplayer is a little chaotic and the gang mechanic
needs to tinkered with.
What game are you going to keep playing into 2014?
I think I will revisit GTA 5 to complete some of the side missions
but they are getting a little repetitive and time consuming. I’ve
just downloaded the Football Manager Handheld 2014 for my
iPad and I expect that’ll keep me busy for a while.
Lee Smith
New Star Soccer. I love football, and this simple but highly
addictive game has kept me occupied for most of the year.
Is there a mobile title you played in 2013 that you loved?
Football Manager got the most play for me, it’s an expansive
game and ideal for long plane journeys. I’ve now started playing
Jelly Splash, Papa Pear and PvZ 2, all of which have huge
potential to be games I love.
Probably the above really.
I am probably unique in that I generally only play games on my
phone or a tablet. The only XBox game that I really played this
year was the last Tomb Raider, that we mistaken bought for our
nine year old daughter not realising the revamped violent nature
of it. So anyway, again, it will be New Star Soccer... yeah I know, I
am pretty boring...
What did you learn about games in 2013?
That the variety of games being developed is quite astonishing.
Once you look outside the major games studios, you can see all
sorts of original ideas being worked on in peoples bedrooms and
small studios.
What would you like to work on in 2014?
The Sony Smart Wig. You have just got to check out that patent,
the possibilities are hillariously endless...
of entertainment and is continuing to dominate.
IND13 magazine. I would also like to assist independent studios
with PR, Marketing and Business advice.
What are you looking forward to playing in 2014?
Nothing on my radar at the moment. These days I usually
play products as I hear about them on the web or in trade
publications.
What trends in games do you expect to see in 2014?
Mobile gaming will continue to grow and more major players
will begin to desipher how to reach this now established market.
More web based titles that reach into the social life of online
gamers.
What trends do you see coming in 2014 in indie games
development?
As above. Mobile and online are the key areas for Indies. I think
creating for console is just not a financially viable option
anymore, unless you create small indie titles that can be played
across platforms.
Not for a little while, I think I will wait for the price to drop. Can’t
wait to play both!
Personally I believe revamps of classic titles that I loved as a kid.
The capabilities of the modern tablets have surely opened the
doors to see Cannon Fodder and titles of that generation, get
polished up and put onto mobile.
seeing more of?
The Oculus Rift, developments with Microsoft Kinect and
anything that uses holograms.
Sophie Rossetti
Seeing the new ideas for games etc, which some of the people
that I have spoken to are developing. These really are exciting
times as people are moving away from the big graphics
(although of course they are still nice), and moving back towards
developing the game play and interesting art styles. What trends in games do you expect to see in 2014?
Unfortunately I can just see more ‘in game purchasing’ which I
am not a fan of. It just seems a way to increasingly rip gamers
off...
development?
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Would it be silly to say The Wolf Among Us? I’m a sucker for a
noir-esque fairy tale any day, especially from the kings of the
Adventure genre!
That there’s so much more to come from the mobile market;
whether rehashing retro titles for new audiences or creating
completely new concepts. That gaming is the strongest medium
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Lol, see above, plenty of episodes to go! Also I guess I should
finish Bioshock Infinite...
Plants vs Zombies 2 is still a winning tube time waster for me!
Battleships. And my Titanfall killer game. It will be legend… wait
for it!
That it’s kinda fun to prattle on about them ceaselessly...
Titanfall and Watchdogs
...which is what I plan to do more of next year! I’m planning on
doing some youtube stuff too.
That things are not slowing down any time soon, new
technology, new gen of consoles, new mobiles and tablets. Lots
to look forward to!
Platform owners are people too.
Ultra Street Fighter 4, at last some Elena fun, and I’m champing
at the bit to find out who the new character will be. Oh, and all
those costumes will at last be mine, ‘free’ things come to those
who are cheap and patient!
Zelda Majora’s Mask... I can smell a remake, I want in on it.
A new concept I just dreamed up on the flight home from Aus,
and the games we’re working on at Curve of course!
The finalised versions of the games we’re making. The ones that
will be awesome and have made us billionaires. We can dream
can’t we.
Everything on my Steam wishlist ;)
Lots more social, online play and spectating for consoles, as the
next generation offers a bunch of cool features for this.
I think social and sharing will be a popular trend. Facebook walls
will be covered in epic moments from games. That PS4 share
button, although R.I.P start button you will be missed.
Free to play and Virtual Reality games.
development?
Hopefully programmers will gain more confidence in their
artistic talent so we can move away from the pixel art trend.
development?
Pandas.
development?
Access to PS4 and Xbox One development for Indies.
When the money rolls in, ps4 all the way!
PS4 first I think.
Both, if the money god has mercy.
I miss RPGs that relied as much on dialogue choices and story
branches as they did on character sheets, bring back wellrounded RPGs!
What Sophie said.
Quirky games like Man Alive that shake the games industry. Also
genre and technology combinations would be great.
seeing more of?
Anything and everything VR. I’m saving up for my holodeck now,
it’s only a matter of time.
Rokas Butkus
I would probably have to say GTAV, because of all the little
things. Not often do you find a game that you don’t actually have
to play; and can still be entertained.
Pokemon Y, because I want to be the very best like no one ever
was, to catch them all is my real test to train them is my cause.
Plague Inc. Some people just want to watch the world burn. Like
me apparently.
seeing more of?
I loved the Oculus Rift, can’t wait to see where things will go.
Richard Hoffman
Man Alive, because it is so 100% indie-organic and so different
from the mainstream-mostly-brainless-innovationless-sequeldriven bread of games.
Clash of Clans
Clash of Clans
seeing more of?
Virtual Reality and the next iterations of it.
development?
Again, things seem a little staid right now, but I’m open to new
experiences, once again, shock me to the core indie devs!
A PS4, but not for a good long while yet, PS3 still has legs for
now, although it may end sooner than we imagine due to the
record breaking sales PS4 got.
Alan Vader
Dragons Crown by Vanillaware, I love 2D games and I love
Vanillawares style, they ignored the haters, ignored common
sense, ignored modern gaming sensibilities and put in years of
hard graft. All for an experience that you won’t get again for
some time.
It is all going downhill with mostly now free to play games. Kiss
your good old premium games goodbye.
I’d have to say that I’ve mostly cleared my palette for this year,
although I do have a gift of a copy of Caves shoot em up Ketsui
that just arrived from the other side of the planet, I promised the
sender I wouldn’t open it until Santa’s Birthday, this is going to
be a looong wait!
On Virtual Reality games with Mechs, Tanks, Planes and
Nope! But to be fair I didn’t play any either!
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I think most game makers will be struggling with the new
hardware for now. It’s hard to picture what it will be since
there’s no great jump in hardware power this gen. More of the
same I guess. But please free to surprise me!
Shoot em ups, good ones and lots of them! Resogun is a good
start by the looks of things. More honesty from game makers and
reviewers, and a complete death of patches, games should work
straight away, it’s do-able, so get to it!
seeing more of?
I heard that 3D has died a death as far as terrestrial TV is
concerned, it’s up to games to pick up the slack now, more 3D!
We can’t let it die off as it did in the 80s, 70s, 60s, 50s etc etc...
hmmm, wait a minute! Well maybe the cycle won’t repeat if the
console makers latch onto it. «
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The free game has continued to dominate on mobile
platforms - I myself am playing three or four titles that I’ve
not paid a penny for! I think it will be interesting to see how
people working in mobile gaming make a profit. And we’ll
also see marketeers getting involved in the very mechanics of
games to make sure they turn a profit in new and interesting
ways that change how we play. HC
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Dreamcast turns 15! - The little
console that could turned 15 this
month, and it still has games being
released for it today! Not many
consoles can claim such an exciting
life into it’s mid-teens, so have a read
of my little featurette (http://ind13.
com/happy-birthday-dreamcast/) AV
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Double Dragon on Android Classic horizontal-scrolling beat up
the baddies action jumps onto the
Android platform, and makes me a
very happy gamer LS
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No doubt that VR will be
an essential part of 2014
- The question remains which
device will give you a nausea
free experience - especially
after a bottle of red wine. RH
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Lucky 13
Where we take a look at the
stories that piqued our interest
this month.
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The darkest of all weekdays - Black
Friday invaded our lives this month, with the
American import leaving a horrid mess in it’s
wake. By now you should know the feeling,
a week tentatively checking websites every
few minutes, then you wake up a week later
with an empty wallet hangover and an angry
looking postie at your door weighed under
with little brown boxes. Did I really need a 3D
camera? (The answer is ‘probably not’!) AV
When is a game not a game? When it is Proteus, a game which
has already won many awards and is
about exploration and immersion in
a dream-like island world where the
soundtrack to your play is created by
your surroundings LS
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Where is Nintendo?
- The big console
manufactures are
embracing the indie
games dev community,
but where is Nintendo
in all this? RH
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Time not to use that
share button - Sweet
Tooth learns a little
professional courtesy
while playing Killzone on
the PS4 and educated us
about the vicious share
button and planking RH
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Charlie Brooker’s
Videogames Changed
the World - took me
back in time to my gamer
history. Cheers for that...
RH
Minecraft: The Story
of Mojang - A featurelength documentary
that follows the young
company over the course
of its first year as their
profile expanded across
the world stage and into
the homes of millions of
gamers LS
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Next Gen? When? - Now we’re
officially living in the future,
it’s time to pick your sides in
the next great console war. I’m
recommending you become
a conscientous objector, why
should you avoid the trenches?
Take a look! (http://ind13.com/
reasons-why-next-gen-canwait/) AV
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Wishing the guys at
SpecialEffect a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New year - The
gaming charity has gone from
strength this year and if you check
out it’s website (www.specialeffect.
org.uk/) the team have released a
Christmas message to thank the
games industry. HC
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Being an official PS4
/ PS Vita developer &
registered ID@Xbox One
developer - we now have
to become lucky and find
tons of money to make the
next Next-Gen killer-game.
No pressure ;) RH
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INTERVIEW
Icey Monty
Nick Walker
Director, Icey Monty
Indie game studio
Q&A: Icey Monty
Could you introduce yourself, the team and your studio?
We are Icey Monty Ltd, a games development studio made up
of three guys working from three different parts of the UK; John
Esslemont, Nick Walker and Domm Young,.
How did your studio come together, where did you gather the
members of the team from?
Originally, it was John who started the team, back in October of
2012, when he was looking for an additional developer to help
collaborate on his student operated project, called Dr Switzer. He
scouted me from the Train2Game student forums after I helped
another student with a C# problem, and after an introduction on
Skype we went on to work together for a few weeks. John then
offered to delegate one of his small freelance gigs to me. It was the
first commercial work I’d ever done and I owe everything that has
happened since to John.
In January of this year, we had a go at creating our own mobile
application. With the help of Harry Cole (Publisher at ind13),
who was supporting us with PR due to our status as Train2Game
students, we were able to talk about possibly publishing our game
to Microsoft’s Windows 8 Store, until we came to the unfortunate
conclusion that we didn’t have the resources to get the product
where Microsoft wanted it to be.
From there, we returned to freelance work, and on April 11th, we
registered Icey Monty Ltd.
What is the history of the team, where did you all start from in
your games making careers?
Nick: John started working in 2012 on the game for
PaintBallGame.com, as a sort of lucky break. He applied for the
position on the off chance, which turned out to be his entrance
into the freelance industry. John considers it one of his steepest
learning curves, as he was now responsible for a large variety of
The Icey Monty crew
Domm Yung, Nick Walker
and John Esslemeont
disciplines that he’d barely touched on before, for a project far
larger than he’d previously dealt with.
After grounding himself in that job, he went on to work on a
variety of projects for mobiles, some of which reached over a
million consumers, which was an extraordinary achievement for
someone so new to the industry.
I was just as lucky. I discovered Actionscript at school, which
is where I was first introduced to the concept of games
programming. Not long after that, having realized that I was not
interested in the more traditional routes of education, I began
researching games development careers, which is where I found
Train2Game.
At the end of my AS year, I quit school and signed up for the
course. Just as the next school year began, I started on the Games
Development material, which lead to my involvement in the
Train2Game community and my eventual collaboration with
John.
In June, after realizing that we couldn’t keep up with the work that
we were being offered, we entertained the idea of hiring another
developer. Having founded the team in the Train2Game student
community, and with the knowledge of the quality of programmer
that the courses produce, we decided to search internally for a new
developer. Domm Young stood out to us, and after a trial period,
we hired him.
How does the dynamic of the team work,
what is your creative process?
We are extremely unconventional, in that neither John nor I really
have a specific set of roles in the company. It may just be that we
are starting out, but naturally we are both interested in gaining
experience in all areas, and so everything we do is shared. Our
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main role, as developers, is where we branch out the most, but we
collaborate where appropriate and help each other when deadlines
are tight. We did, however, hire Domm exclusively to develop
games, which has worked for us all.
I wouldn’t call it much of a creative process, but the game design
discussion is usually conducted on a one to one basis with our
clients.
Of course, many job specifications we get allow us no freedom in
that area, which is understandable, but we do like to be involved
in design and offer our services where we can.
What is the ethos of the team, what sort of games do you strive
to create?
We say on our website that we started this company to ‘realize our
dream of making meaningful, expressive games’, which I think
many developers can relate to.
Of course on a fundamental level we are committed to quality in
all aspects, which I think goes without saying. We want to make
fun games, which is simple enough in theory, but the challenges
involved challenge us.
We take a popular philosophy for our games which is; if we can
lose track of time playing it, it’s done.
are: ‘Hoards of Doom’, a top-down, fantasy shooter, should be
available to play for free on nedagrogames.com soon. CubeWord, a
cube crossword puzzler, is in alpha with the launch coming soon.
More generally, after receiving some great advice from a client of
ours, we’ve been experimenting with the idea of selling our own
games non-exclusively to a market of web-owners, as there is a
large demand for these kinds of casual games.
Additionally, the platform has many benefits, the most prominent
of which is the fact that it will allow us to gain a huge amount of
experience in the full development cycle, as these games usually
take a matter of weeks to develop.
Understandably, this has given us a huge amount of creative
freedom, and it has encouraged us to take on more of a design
role. While it is still early, we’ve outlined a potential strategy for
marketing and are confident about the direction it is taking us.
As an Independent studio, what advice would you give to
aspiring games makers?
John had a successful freelance career before Icey Monty was even
discussed, and I think that is incredibly important. It’s very easy to
get overwhelmed by possibility but you need to know how you are
going to run. Of course, it’s important to enjoy the work you do
as much as you can as well, because the first year is not going to be
easy and there are always challenges.
What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
Between us, we are working on four client projects, three of which
are being developed for web-player. The two we can talk about
On the other hand, it’s very easy to work too much when you
haven’t got any fixed deadlines, and it’s extremely important to
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John demoing an Icey
Monty game created for
Strongbow
take breaks, from a health point of view as well as just socially.
What are the benefits of being an indie and what are the
draw backs?
We are extremely
unconventional, in that neither
John nor I really have a
specific set of roles in the
company...
It’s undoubtedly better than conventional work, and we all love
the flexibility, but it is uniquely difficult. Time management is
incredibly difficult, and you have to learn to live with the idea that
your finances have to be flexible, but overall, we can’t see ourselves
ever changing this work model.
What have you learnt from your experiences creating games?
I have an appreciation for all the roles involved in developing a
game now that I don’t think I could even understand before I
started this job, not to mention an appreciation for the work and
scope of development that goes into creating a game.
When I was a kid I once posted a game idea on a developer
community forum for a programmer to write the entire game,
from scratch, with no help from me, at a 20/80% cut on profits. I
was asking for the 80% because it was my idea, and now I cringe
every time I think about it.
Can you tell us about any sharp learning curves that you have
had creating games?
What do you see as the future of the studio?
Where to start? I cannot even begin to make a list. From the
business side of things to the actual game development process,
we are forced to learn so much just to do our jobs that there really
isn’t anything that I can distinguish.
I personally believe that it is the best way to learn, and I’m
thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to. We all do some
researching at least once a day.
I think I speak for John and Domm when I say that I want to
never have to look for another job. We love creating games, and I’d
be happy if that is what we continued to do. Cheers. «
Find out more about Icey Monty at
www.iceymonty.com and www.facebook.com/IceyMonty
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FEATURE
Microsoft and Wispering Gibbon
Whispering Gibbon
A Newcastle start-up team, which is part of
Microsoft Ventures’ Accelerator programme.
Microsoft backs
Whispering Gibbon
Whispering Gibbon discusses the potential of the Microsoft
Ventures’ London Accelerator to give new games studios a
welcome boost
For independent studios devoted to the notion of ‘indie spirit’,
success can prove a tricky business. Partnering with platform
holders and publishers, making your studio into a business and
generating cash are all things cynics might suggest undermine the
defining qualities of what it is to be indie.
Start-up Whispering Gibbon, however, is proof incarnate that
a studio can be an independent entity and a true business. For
the team of ‘three-and-a-half staff’ have signed up to a number
of Microsoft initiatives conceived to support small teams, all the
while ticking plenty of boxes that highlight the outfit as a bona
fide indie.
Having turned their back on work for giants of triple-A
development, the core team are currently based in Newcastle, and
as part of Microsoft Ventures’ London Accelerator programme
are spending 12 weeks commuting between their home city and
London, some 250 miles away, staying on friends’ floors and sofas
each week. They are making a distinct game in the form of the
horticulture-themed Tiny Trees, and are collectively a world away
from the corporate world of sequel-spawning mega studios.
But, says founder and director Joe Stevens, having signed up
to Microsoft Ventures’ London Accelerator initiative, they are
learning how to become a robust business without sacrificing
creative freedom, thanks to a programme conceived by Microsoft
to mentor early-stage start-ups and condense the time a given
team’s game takes to reach the market.
“Microsoft Ventures’ London Accelerator sees us working from
London for 12 weeks, and for us it’s been about building a
company,” offers Stevens.
“There are so many indie devs
out there that are talented at
what they do, and that can
make a good game, but sadly
these days that doesn’t mean
you’re going to go on making a
living out of it.
We just wanted to get
back to being creative,
and get excited about
stuff that’s a bit
different...
“There’s so much to learn about
business; about the speed you
grow, where you focus and
so on. So the Accelerator, for
us, has let us turn from an indie that loves
making games into one that is an indie
company; a place that’s indie and a viable
business. And it’s working for us, and it’s bringing
us together as a team that are also a business.”
From Abertay Onwards
Like many indies suddenly making their presence felt in the UK
development space, Whispering Gibbon’s story has some Abertay
funding in its early chapters.
The money from the institution, which is famously supportive
of the games industry, afforded Stevens and his team to build a
bolstered version of an existing prototype that suitably impressed
Microsoft, and soon Stevens and his colleagues were applying for
the Accelerator.
“It’s focused us so much,” says Whispering Gibbon systems
programmer Kyle Whitelaw of the journey the team has taken. “It’s
so easy as an indie to have so many ideas and not focus on what you
need to do as a company. The Accelerator’s also really helped us with
developing an identity, and making decisions as a business.”
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Kyle Whitelaw
Joe Stevens
And for Whispering Gibbon, the support from Microsoft does
not stop with the Accelerator. The team have long been signed up
to BizSpark, granting them free access to a wealth of development
middleware and additional use of Microsoft’s Azure cloud back-end.
Meanwhile, at the time of writing, Whispering Gibbon is well into
the process of securing funding from Microsoft and trade body
Creative England’s Greenshoots collaborative initiative, which
offers up to ten independent developer start-ups funding of as
much as £25,000, along with a wealth of technology, services and
other assistance.
Living the Dream
Ultimately, in showing it is possible to harness not just one, but
a number of Microsoft programmes targeting start-up studios,
and by proving you can remain indie and work with technologies
biggest companies, Stevens and his colleagues have been able to
move towards something of a dream.
“We just wanted to get back to being creative, and get excited
about stuff that’s a bit different,” reveals the studio director.
“To me triple-A has become increasingly stale over time. That’s
understandable, as over time some big studios have had to take less
risks, because it is costing more and more to make games.
To me, though, that was the ideal time to jump ship, and take
what I’d learned from triple-A back to my childhood passion of
making really unusual games, and plenty of stupid stuff too.”
Stevens may joke that his ideas are ‘stupid’, but Tiny Trees is
already looking promising.
And there are no regrets for Whispering Gibbon, who are learning
what it is to be a true indie company, without having to commit
to giving away a share of their company or working solely on
Microsoft platforms. «
To find out more about Whispering Gibbon visit
www.whisperinggibbon.com
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FEATURE
Utopian World of Sandwiches
Sarah Woodrow
Utopian World of Sandwiches.
Our Utopian
Dream
Woody said something to me this morning, when I wondered if we’d make
enough money to make this business work how we want it to. It is a Utopian
dream after all. He said “We’ve always made our other dreams come true,
what makes you think we can’t make this one come true?”
I know he’s my husband and I am supposed to say this, but how awesome is that?
He just comes out with this stuff all the time... although it does normally involve
a quote from Jurassic Park or Wayne’s World... and sometimes Terminator 2.
When we talk about how it feels like it’s our time to start acting like ‘adults’ and
in the words of Frank Turner ‘inherit the earth’, he will inevitably quote Goonies
at me... “Because it’s their time. Their time! Up there! Down here, it’s our time.
It’s our time down here.”
This is us taking control of our future.
We are all just trying to find our way out of the maze of modern life. We don’t
want to spend our lives commuting, sitting in front of a computer from 9-5, 5
days a week, going through the motions, until we die. We don’t want to spend
our lives worrying about money or if we’re going to look back at our lives and
think about how we only ever went to work, came home, watched TV, slept and
then did it all again the next day.
We know there is more to life than that. We want to have a purpose.
We want to spend our days thinking about the people we care about and how we
can make them happy. We want to care about a lot of people. We want to be a
part of something good that makes people’s lives better.
People need happiness, they need love and they need each other. We want to make
things that make people happy and bring them together and make them a part of
something awesome. This is what we do. If we believe that something other than a
game will fulfill those needs we’ll pursue that just as hard. If something feels wrong
to us, if it feels like it does harm in some way, we won’t do it.
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FEATURE
Utopian World of Sandwiches
One of these things is free to play games. We’ve thought about
it carefully and listened to a lot of opinions on it. We don’t want
to do it. We want people to pay for the content that they can
afford, no deception, no confusion, no manipulation. Just up front
honesty, “here’s a product that we hope you will love and value,
this is how much it costs”.
We aren’t obsessed with
profits and we don’t have a
five year business plan. We
are learning how to make this
work as we go...
We just want to make good games that you will want to buy. As
we add more content and spend more time on it, then we’ll ask
for more money. We think this is an honest way to do business
and we don’t believe charging what something costs does harm to
anyone because the choice is in our players hands.
So we aren’t obsessed with profits and we don’t have a five year
business plan. We are learning how to make this work as we go
and we change what we’re doing based on evidence. We have big
dreams, but we’re taking little steps. People often give us advice;
“1. Kickstarter 2. Apple store 3. Profit???” ;) we take it on board,
and then we do what we think is the right thing to do.
It may seem idealistic or naïve but we’ve always believed that if we
live what we believe, with no regrets, if we never compromise on
what we think is the right thing, that we may not get millions of
pounds but we would get enough money to keep going. We want
to build a name for ourselves that is clean, honest and true to what
we believe. Then hopefully people will want to support that name.
The big reason we have chosen to take the route of self-funding
is that we don’t want it to become all about business. We believe
in putting people first. That doesn’t mean that we don’t care
about money, it’s just that all our money decisions will be “people
decisions” rather than “business decisions”.
Our goal isn’t to make millions of pounds; our goal is to be
sustainable. This is us doing what we love, for the people we love so
that we can build a world we love living in. No compromises. No
regrets. Only the hope that what we’re doing will pay off and we’ll
be able to keep trying to make people happy for the rest of our lives.
This advertising space
could be yours...
Along with all of his movie quotes, Woody has taught me that
achievement is all about persistence. You can achieve anything
as long as you can weather the storm getting there. It’ll be scary,
you’ll make mistakes, you’ll doubt yourself, life will be hard and
it’ll be tempting to give up and do something easier, but it’s only
the people who persist through all of that whose dreams come true
and actually end up making a difference.
We want to be a sustainable business that does good, we want to
show that this is a viable way to run a business. One day we want
to be able to pay talented people to make awesome things to make
people happy. This is our dream. Even if that day never comes,
we’ll always have the hope that it will eventually. Who wants to
live in a world of compromise and no hope?
We want to do things the way we believe they should be done, not
the way that they have been done in the past. We are choosing not
to be like everybody else. We are choosing to be free. «
To find out more about Utopian World of Sandwiches visit
www.utopianworldofsandwiches.com
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FEATURE
Richard Hoffmann
Richard Hoffman
Richard Hoffmann is an Indie Game Developer & IT Consultant with over1 5 years of experience in the IT and games
industry. He worked for big corporations like IBM, Penguin, Ricoh, Continental AGas well as SME’s and Start-ups.
He is developing mobile apps and games since 2009. Last but not least he is fluent in most languages like C#, C, Java,
JavaScript, Lua, PHP, Visual Basic and SQL.
Indie Game life at the
Microsoft Accelerator
Program
Richard Hoffman with
the GallantCloud team
of the magic of passive income which sells games and makes you
money while you sleep. Obviously that is an art and hard to get
right. It takes loads of tenacity to get there.
I arrived at the silicon roundabout with the realisation of how
lucky we are to be in the heart of this incredible area, with such
amazing people around us in Tech City in London. Every day
brings something new and exciting, and each week I look through
the list of seminar’s that have been scheduled for us with an
awe and still almost disbelief that we have been lucky enough to
secure a place in the Microsoft Ventures UK accelerator.
We are looking into our virtual
games wall and discussing
possible game concepts that
might work for us.
This week went really quickly this time with us working on our
game prototype and setting our goals this week. We realized we
were a little bit over ambitious at the start of the project. Well, this
apparently happens to the best of us according to our mentors.
Over time we got much better at estimating what we can deliver
each week.
Unfortunately I found myself unable to attend all of the sessions
due to other commitments, but that’s where the GallantCloud
team is lucky to have CEO Ben in the ‘office’ every day to cover
any absence, relaying important information back to the team.
From my point of view we are making good use of the game
SCRUM methodology and trying out the ‘poker numbers’ as well.
This and the last week we had some meetings with two of our
awesome game mentors, who took some precious time out of their
busy schedules and visited us for the whole day.
Sadly the week had come to an end BUT… (drumroll please)…
We are officially incorporated, yey! But no time to celebrate really.
At the beginning of the program we were introduced to the
SCRUM methodology and how the pros in the game industry come
up with game ideas. They also looked through some of our designs
and we were able to have a brilliant discussion around what they felt
about them and what they thought could really work for us.
After the session we sat down as a whole team and went through
the designs again, pushing to make them fuller and form them into
something great! As they say: ‘Practice makes perfect’!
As they introduced their SCRUM methodology and experience
to us, it became quite clear how this would help our team as well.
Apparently there are differences between SCRUM for games and
traditional SCRUM for software development, which SCRUM
was initially designed for and was brilliant to learn!
One of the other highlights was the GallantCloud team trip to
Luton, where the Train2Game headquarters is located, and grabbed
our swanky new business cards. It was time to make good use of
them and meet other game developers at a Guildford TIGA event.
Time to get our new team out there and spread the good word!
We are looking at our virtual games wall and discussing possible
game concepts that might work for us. As we had some great
feedback from our game mentors. So we are highly motivated to
include those into our game and develop them further.
It is always great to work together with creative people and to
come up with original, funny and sometimes wacky ideas.
It was a very interesting night with a great (and brutally honest)
speaker about his journey of publishing a Snooker game on
different platforms and how it sold over a period of time.
Making a choice of the next game elements we are looking into
improving and developing our prototype over the weekend and
next week is a tough one.
The talk was very informative and certainly inspiring in regards
Most of the ideas are really good. I would love to see them
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incorporated and test out the results and effect on the game play.
After long discussions about the potential part we find interesting
and worth proceeding with.
After that was done, we started planning the next week and
refining the game design document for the game we are
developing. Another exciting week at the Microsoft Ventures UK
Accelerator program has passed and another exciting week is ahead
of us! «
Find out more about the Microsoft Accelerator Program, visit:
www.microsoftventures.com
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FEATURE
Always the Same Blue Sky
Grant Wilde
Designer and story teller
Could you tell us about your studio? How many team members
do you have, where are you based?
I don’t actually have a studio at this point in time, as I’m currently
without the means of financing one unfortunately, although that
is the aim! I gathered the people I thought were best suited to help
me realise this project, and I would definitely like to work with
them again in the future! Luckily two of my team were very easy
to source.
I used to be heavily into a bit of a bizarre anime-styled online golf
game called Pangya if you’ve heard of it? Although I’m an MMO
gamer, I don’t really build strong connections when I play... I think
it’s mainly because I always want to branch off, do my own thing.
A user going by the alias of Ayasal (real name Nhuy Nguyen) on
Pangya was the exception. You can probably guess, but during
matches of virtual golf you have a lot of time to talk, and Aya
was very sweet, always a lot of fun to chat to - as we played at
similar times, and both had an unhealthy obsession with collecting
outfits/upgrades for our characters, over time it built into a
genuine friendship. I learned she was an artist and was stunned
by her deviantART page. When we were playing one day, I told
her that I was thinking about making a story I’d written years ago
into a visual novel and she was pretty excited about the prospect. I
sent her over the story, and luckily for me, she loved it and quickly
drew her interpretation of Kira, which again stunned me. It was at
that moment that it moved from an idea to a serious project.
I’ve known Jon Hayward, the music producer of the project, since
the age of 4. Although we were in each other’s lives sporadically
from that point, we ended up re-connecting in the 6th form. We
rapidly become close friends and even ended up living in Tokyo for
a few months after school. Jon’s always been a ridiculously talented
I don’t really feel I can
claim full ownership over
my ideas as more often
than not they write
themselves
musician, in whatever capacity
he chooses to express it. When
I first reconnected with him
he was a singer/song-writer,
he brought people to tears
during his gigs. He studied
Creative Music Technology at
uni so gradually moved more
into digital composition. He
started posting his work to
Soundcloud and everything he created was
awesome. Although the tracks he released
were a different style to the sound I wanted for
the novel, I was confident that with his versatility
and talent he would be perfect, and I intend to work
with him on every project I produce in the future.
Although Aya was working on both backgrounds and character
art, she was struggling a little with buildings and asked for help.
So I went onto deviantART and advertised in the forums. Initially
Pablo Fiorentino joined the team. He actually worked with us
for a few months but unfortunately had to leave due to a career
change. We’re still using one of his pieces in the final product,
the background behind Kira where she’s sat at her desk. After his
departure, I went back onto the forums and found lordless. In all
honesty, lordless is a bit of a mysterious fellow, I get the impression
he prefers to let his artwork do the talking, which isn’t a problem
to me as it’s pretty spectacular! The majority of the background
art has been created by lordless, but I was keen to include the ones
Aya had worked on, so I’m lucky their styles seem to gel so nicely
together; I doubt most people realise the backgrounds are done by
different artists.
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Although I had a clear image
of the island in my head, I
was keen for my artists to
put their own creative spin
on things
James, who has also become a good friend of mine through Jon, is
a graphic designer. Although I’m confident in my own logo-design
skills, I knew James would knock it out of the park, and he did!
After release I was contacted by Marcel who very kindly offered to
translate the novel into German; the next update will also feature
a Chinese translation courtesy of Shan Radstone. I’m very keen
to get the novel translated into Japanese, as there’s obviously a big
market out there for it, so if anyone has a contact, hit me up!
Could you tell us about Always the Same Blue Sky? / Could you
tell us why you chose the style of this game and why you chose
to make a game in this genre?
It’s weird because I don’t really feel I can claim full ownership over
my ideas as more often than not they write themselves. I rarely
sit there thinking about what to write, instead the majority of my
ideas tend to pop up when I enter screensaver mode and let my
mind wonder.
I was on holiday with my parents, I must’ve been around 15 on
a ferry to a Greek island, I was boiling hot, fixated with the sun
sparkling on the surface of the deep blue sea... I was in full-on
screensaver mode. I imagined how it’d feel to dive in, what if I saw
a girl down there and part of me instantly fell in love? My mind
spiralled. When I re-entered reality I immediately wrote everything
down, how I felt, bullet points of how the story played out, the
land it would take place in. I spent the rest of the holiday letting
the world I was building engross me, writing down everything that
happened there, something I’d done every holiday for as long as I
can remember really... there’s nothing I enjoy more than going to
an unfamiliar place and getting lost in my own world (I’ve always
been a bit odd).
Now, like I said, I’ve got a lot of stories like this one stashed away,
unique ideas spanning a wide variety of game genres that I’d love
the chance to develop. I knew a project based on AtSBS would be
the best move at this point in time, that it was the most viable with
the resources I had available to me. Next I needed to decide what
medium would suit it best, I looked at making it into a manga for
a while, but I really liked the interactivity that visual novels offer - I
thought it would be the best way to get across the world in my head.
It’s always a little tricky explaining what visual novels are to people
not familiar with them. It’s a medium that’s very popular in Japan,
I tend to describe it as a combination of a game, a manga and an
anime, what it boils down to though is an interactive story. So
Always The Same Blue Sky is a fantasy/romance visual novel, set in
a mysterious yet charming seaside town.
The artwork is incredible, it is heavily influenced by Japanese
art? Who is the artist and who are you influenced by?
Nhuy Nguyen is the character artist and lordless is the background
artist. I’ve always had an affinity with anime and was keen to go
down that route. That said, I was also conscious not be bound by
conventions... I suppose I didn’t really have a choice though; I don’t
know of any anime that’s set on a non-existent Mediterranean island
in the near (stained-glass-favouring) future! Although I had a clear
image of the island in my head, I was keen for my artists to put
their own creative spin on things as they’re very talented individuals
in their own right. The method I adopted was simply to give them
a brief, see what they came up with and then go from there. The
hardest part was locking down the look of both Kira and the island
(architecturally and in terms of the landscape). There were quite a
few revisions of the initial pieces, but when we were all confident
with the aesthetic we created the rest was easy!
Who composed the music? It’s awesome. What was behind the
choice to go with this style?
Jon Hayward whom I detailed above. It’s very much the same
situation with the art really, once we decided on a style we liked,
when our creative visions combined, the rest was easy! We spent
a lot of time going through tracks from anime/games/visual
novels we liked and thought would suit the novel on YouTube
and discussing what made each one a success. We both also have
a deep love of the Studio Ghibli films and were playing through
Ni No Kuni at the time, so you may be able to hear the influence
there. On that note, Ghibli also influenced my vision for the art -
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beautiful watercolour backgrounds with crisp more typical-anime
style character art.
my site www.crimsonnight.com if you’re interested :)
What are your favourite games to play?
Why did you choose to undertake this project?
It must have been a challenge?
There are two reasons really, one slightly noble, and one more
practical. The first is that games had a big impact on me growing
up, they were an escape when I was struggling with the world - I can
name quite a few games that have shaped me as a person because
they’ve had some sort of impact on me, and that’s the main goal
with all my work, to hopefully pass what I can of that experience
on. The second I touched on earlier, it has always been my dream to
become the next Shigeru Miyamoto and and really hope AtSBS is
the first big step towards that goal. At this moment in time it acts as
my key portfolio piece, a slice of what I’m capable of.
This is a difficult one. The aspect I most admire in games is
uniqueness, something that’ll leave an impression, and that can
manifest itself across most genres. I have a weakness for adventure
games (usually RPGs), that allow you to grow as a character in
an engrossing world, the most obvious example being Ocarina
of Time. My favourite console of all time is the N64 with the
Dreamcast coming a close second. I feel there was a lot more
freedom with major releases back then, a lot more experimentation
(Sonic on a skateboard, collecting animals to feed to his genetically
mailable alien pets anyone?)
Which game designers influence you?
Shigeru Miyamoto is my main influence as his games helped shape
me as a person! As I said though, I admire any designer that can
leave a memorable impression on me.
What did you learn during the development of the project?
A ridiculous amount, and in almost every area you can think
of. I learnt a lot about how to manage people, about balancing
everyone’s comfort with making sure things are progressing at a
good pace, and of course in unison. I learnt a lot about coding,
managing releases, and the limitations/possibilities of various
platforms/distribution methods; then of course there’s PR and
marketing etc etc. Most of these areas I was completely new to
before AtSBS and am still learning more about every day!
What else are you working on, what do you have planned for
the future?
Why to take over the world of course, one game at a time! >:]
Where/how did you learn to make games?
I suppose I’m lucky that I grew up when free downloadable
games were really big, and the quality of most of them wasn’t
great. I thought it would be worth giving it a bash, so I started
off by messing around with The Gamemaker, using assets
readily available and making fan games. Luckily they were well
received and people wanted me to produce more, so I continued
throughout my teenage years, favouring WYSIWYG editors as
coding always intimidated me. All my past releases are featured on
I’m currently working on a completely unique puzzle/platformer
aimed at large touchscreen devices, I don’t really want to give too
much away at this time, but I can guarantee it’ll be epic ;) All I’m
going to say is keep your eyes on Kickstarter Q1 next year! I’d also
love to continue work on AtSBS, expanding the novel and adding
more interactive features. I have also written a prequel and sequel
so it’d be awesome to get the chance to flesh-out the Blue Sky saga
one day! «
To download the game, go to:
www.alwaysthesamebluesky.com and enter the code
ind13discount to take advantage of an exclusive to ind13 offer
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FEATURE
Twitch.tv
My intial WTF moment was when my aforementioned colleague
(I won’t mention his name, but I will say that he shares it with a
little blue alien in a Simon Pegg film...) told me, when explaining
the site to me, that there are people who have actually quit their
jobs to work full time at sharing their game playing prowess.
Lee Smith
Lee Smith is the founder of Souzou, a
new creative agency based in London,
and a lifelong fan of Bubble Bobble.
One particualar example he mentioned, who was playing Call of
Duty: Ghosts, had a wife and two kids but was earning enough
from ‘donations’, that he could support his family and fulfil his
lifelong dream of his career being spending the majority of his
waking life playing games.
Twitch: To Stream,
or not to Stream...
I recently wrote a short article on our website (ind13.com)
about Twitch, a live game streaming site that I only recently
discovered. Well, I was actually shown the site by a colleague on
a slow-work day...
I am sure many of you are already very much aware of this site
and I am a bit of a newcomer, but my interest was piqued enough
to revisit it many a time since that first showing, and so I thought
that a full article was needed.
At first, the idea seemed absurd. As it, quite frankly, is. Brilliant,
absolutely, but also quite asburd. People sit in their homes and film
themselves playing games. That’s the basic essence of it. So you see
the game they are playing, in a large window, and in the corner
there is a smaller window where you see the glorious wonder that
is the gamer themselves, talking you through what they are doing,
what they are playing. See, totally absurd.
However, with over 35 million (yes, million) unique visitors per
day from around the globe, there certainly seems to be enough of a
demand for it and, once you get past the initial “WTF!” moment
and delve into the world of Twitch, you can see why.
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KingKongor, another example, has had 21,299,886 channel views
which is just staggering, and gets donations of upto ¢1000 a time.
This is as close to being a professional gamer as it gets.
And that’s the point. Far from being an odd idea, a totally absurd
idea, it is actually an extension of every, now traditional, media.
Where once all gamers got their news, reviews, tips and other pieces
of information from printed magazines and then, with the invention
of the internet, from dedicated game sites, they can now go straight
to the source. Straight to other gamers from across the world. They
can communicate and share with like-minded souls, on the game of
their choice, and learn some new tricks and tips on the way.
And Twitch isn’t just full of bog-standard lonely 40 something
male gamers sitting in their room trying to reach out to the world
in the only way that they know, it is populated with some of the
most highly skilled gamers around. Male and female. Yep, that’s
right, because despite popular myth girls plays games too... and
not just Candy Crush and The Sims.
One such girl gamer is kaceytron who, being just 22, has
1,316,071 viewers watching her play games such as League of
Legends and World of Warcraft and she gets a constant stream of
donations of up to $30. Not as much as KingKonger, admittedly,
but all those donations would add up to quite a nice amount
for just playing one of your favourite games. (A warning to any
girl gamer out there though, if you are thinking about streaming
live on Twitch, be prepared to get messages from idiots who still
get over exicited by the site of a gamer with breasts and think its
amazingly funny to send extremely crude messages.)
Anyway, I digress. Are you stuck on that new Assasins Creed game?
These gamers will speed through the games with ease, and show
you how to too. These are the gamers that set new world records.
Hence why people donate, as it is a valuable resource for them. It
is worth donating a few pound to keep the very best playing these
games and sharing their skills with you in the same way it is worth
buying a dedicated games magazine (hint hint) to get the tips and
opinions that are enclosed within them.
That isn’t all though. Twitch have large-scale gaming competitions
that pack stadiums and it has also raised millions for various
charities. Twitch, it seems, is big and is most definately here to
stay, especially with the new XBox One and the PS4 making it
easier to stream your games live, without the use of extra cables.
The Twitch community is set to grow yet even larger and is going
to be seen in a lot of living rooms in 2014 and beyond.
So regardless of whether you’re a casual gamer, a pro player, a
game developer or a game publisher, Twitch is the perfect platform
to either share your gaming skills or your latest creation to the
worldwide gaming community at large. «
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FEATURE
Julian Campbell Foundation
Jacqueline Campbell
Dr. Liz Miller
JCF Founder/Head of Mentoring
and Education
Secretary/Head of Teacher
Training
Can Video Games
be used to Manage
Teenagers Mental and
Emotional Wellbeing?
Stress, depression and anxiety, once conditions of older
people, now affect younger age groups. It is not uncommon
for teenagers and young adults to suffer from stress, anxiety
and depression as they struggle to complete their education,
pass examinations, survive in complex family arrangements,
family break-ups, cross-cultural differences, bullying, the
need to conform socially, gain work experience and find a job,
compounded by the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and
avoid peer pressures use alcohol and drugs.
Although research by Young Minds states: “One in ten children
and young people have a diagnosable mental disorder, which is
equivalent to three children in every classroom”, Dr Liz Miller
states that these figures are rapidly increasing.
The Julian Campbell Foundation (JCF) is a charity that works
with young people to help them better manage their moods,
emotions and behaviour in order to support them in education and
early employment The charity works largely through mentoring
young people, running workshops and training programmes for
professional staff and members of the local community.
Now completing their pilot phase, supported by the Lottery Fund,
JCF have found their mentoring program to be extremely successful,
as well as there being a continued demand for wellbeing workshops
from professional staff such as teachers and the local community.
In addition to this support, their local Education department of
Enfield are actively supporting the opening of the JCF alternative
provision for children and young people in February 2014 .
There has been a great demand for the drama wellbeing
workshops, with schools asking for more of their services being
available as well as support for teachers to be shown to support
children and young people with their wellbeing. Research by
Julian Campbell Foundation found that 68% of teenagers involved
in the drama wellbeing workshops stated that they would use an
interactive computer game or application to help them manage
their own moods and wellbeing if one was available.
There has been great difficulty for JCF to produce an application
or game that would be effective enough to support the young
person in maintaining, their own wellbeing and mental health,
but at the same time, have the features of many of today’s games
and appliances, such as stimulation, interest, educational not to
mention being useful.
Julian Campbell Foundation are currently looking for game
designers, programmers and artists who can transform and
successfully produce a wellbeing game and application that would
transform the world of mental health by helping to spot signs and
redirect and change behaviours before crises situations occur. «
For anyone interested in finding further information, please
contact Mark on mark@juliancampbellfoundation.org.
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Rokas Butkus
Rokas is an artist for games, with a bachelors
in game design. Recently working with
GlobalEmpireSoft and freelancing.
1
Trial and Error!
Greetings ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the design
segment. We’re going to jump right in and have some fun with
getting a few ideas down on paper, computer screen or use
whatever medium you like. I want to cover a few approaches
and how I like to think when creating something new, starting
from scratch if you may. My weapons of choice at the moment
are an Intous4 A4 tablet and Photoshop.
Many beginners have some great ideas in their head, but find it
difficult to express visually. There is no magic shortcut around this,
it takes practice, dedication, understanding and muscle memory.
But what we cover here will help you with this process. I will go
over a few things which have really helped me in the past and
are still helping me today. By no means am I anywhere near the
standard of some artists you will see out there, but possibly just
like you I am striving to better myself and would like to share my
experience with design and hopefully help you along the way.
Design is like a language, you use it to communicate ideas. To
improve your design language you must look into fundamentals.
I’m talking about anatomy, perspective and all that great stuff. This
is what will help you understand how we perceive the world and
how replicate it visually.
You must start looking at things differently, notice the light and
shape of things, compare an objects size, when daydreaming and
looking out of the window, notice the shape of leaves, notice how
shadows fall from buildings. Look at books on animals, vehicles
and if you have the opportunity in that given moment, do a few
sketches and log that information in your brain. The more research
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If it helps, keep these images nearby for reference; possibly create a
mood board just so they are all in front of you.
and practice you put in the easier this stuff becomes.
My reference library, this is where a lot of my favourite images
are stored, I suggest doing so yourself, it will help speed up the
workflow and can be a source of inspiration on a slow day.
So our goal here is to create some thumbnail designs. This can be
applied to character designs as well as environments and anything
else.
I’m going to take the fun subject of mechs. It can be daunting
to look at a blank page with a topic in mind, so let’s do a little
research. Go on Google images or check your reference library,
find mech / sci/fi related stuff, consider the types of vehicles that
currently exist like military vehicles, tanks, helicopters, bomb
disposal units. Or even look at unrelated stuff such as animals in
nature, how they move and how this might be replicated to create
a functional mech with similar bone structure that allows it to
move a certain way.
So let’s get started. I’m going to get some rough shapes down. As
I do this I am constantly thinking about 3D form even though
it’s only a silhouette. But the silhouette is a very powerful tool; it
is the first thing our brain recognises, so for example if you have
3 overlapping circles with no detail, you will still be making the
connection with seeing a Mickey Mouse character.
So I’m just using a standard hard round brush with opacity at
100% and flow to around 40%. Flow is how much ink is being
transferred to the page when pressure is applied, I want to mention
this because I found this out really late and it helped simulate the
sensation I wanted from the pen which I found really useful.
I begin with shape number one, which was created using trial
and error to feel out a form which I found desirable. It works for
me because it has varying shapes of different mass, connected
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ART AND DESIGN
Trial and Error
ART AND DESIGN
Trial and Error
Image reference library
by smaller shapes and seems like something I can translate into
a number of designs. There is also a sense of balance, the shape
although floating feels like it could be placed on a floor if given
legs or wheels.
back being smaller I have created a 4 legged mech. It has a nonthreatening design and my thinking behind the design suggests
it might be a communications robot or used to scan people and
things.
overcome a difficult environment, or even latch onto things. My
idea with this one was that the head is used to weld/cut metal in
construction, so although this mech is not meant to be harmful, it
might be if used in a game where you could hack the mech.
Now I can’t stress this enough. Have fun with it and don’t worry
if it’s not coming out exactly how you want. You learn best from
making mistakes, if you are getting it right first time, the next time
if it comes out wrong you won’t be able to understand why. Make
the mistakes; because you will learn from those mistakes, you will
know why it happened and how to fix it. Making mistakes is a
good thing. These are by no means a finished product and do not
take long to create, so keep at it and have fun.
Number 3 is very similar and shares the qualities of number 2 but
expressed slightly different.
So let’s break down those forms even more. On the far left you
can see how the silhouette is broken down into two major forms
connected by a smaller form. In the line drawing it shows how the
shape might look in 3d using outlines. Then the red arrow shows
how I started to place this shape firmly on the floor by adding legs.
On the far right is the same major large form found within the red
circles, for the final design all I did was flip this upside down to
create a new design using what was already there.
In image two onwards you can see exactly this, using a sense
of perspective, with closer legs being larger and the legs further
Number 4 rounds off the edges more and makes the robot more
symmetrical, I wanted a biped design which is more human in its
likeness. Just for fun I added a tray of drinks to give this design
clear purpose.
Number 5 has a more threatening feel to it, the sharper shapes
gives the sensation that this robot has the potential to be
dangerous. But also the amount of legs might express it has to
2
Using a little bit of white paint, I have added the focal points.
This is something very minor which can make a design more
understandable; it also helps to direct the viewer’s eyes to what you
want them to see first.
I hope that this has been useful! I will leave you with an image of
some mech designs I have recently messed around with.
These were started using thumbnails as in this tutorial, but I
have rendered them a tiny bit to show their design a bit more.
Which basically just means I’ve added and additional layer to the
thumbnails and have used a lighter tone to bring parts of the mech
forward and dark tones to push parts back. But we’ll get into more
detail about this next time.
Also note I have used a silhouette of a person to help understand
the scale of these machines. Putting a person into any image is a
great way to define scale. «
3
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ARTIST PROFILE
Junior Da Silva
ARTIST PROFILE
Junior Da Silva
Junior Da Silva
Junior is a young digital artist with the experience
of letting his artwork breathe and is looking to
expand his knowledge in the games industry
Profile of
a Games Artist
WAZZUUUUHHHH!!! ;) My name is Junior Da Silva and I’ve been
doodling as far back as I can remember. I’m from Tottenham in
North London and I’m 23 years old .. I believe …
BTEC course in Multimedia which was bloody awesome. The
teachers (Malcolm Barrett, Alfred Oti) showed me things on a
computer that completely changed the way I looked at my own art.
My earliest memory of anything artistic was the first time I saw
my uncle draw Fred Flintstone on a napkin, (unbelievable skills
haha) in front of me, and that sparked something creative inside
that I’ve never really been able to let go off. For a 3 year old, it was
intense...
They also introduced me to Maya, which actually severed a
relationship I had at the time (I fell more in love with Maya than
the girl I was seeing at the time #epicLOLz)
With that being one of the most important landmarks in my life, I
picked up a pencil and began to practice, looking to one day draw
as well as my uncle did, which has led me down a very interesting
path. It doesn’t make a lot of money yet, but I’m happy, so
financial gains do not really bother me much... for now *cough*
The College Years
Nothing really changed for me until I reached college. I took a
I practiced on Maya for a while, quite obsessively until the course
finished... it proved quite helpful though because I managed to
grab a triple distinction by the end. After college my creativity
path got blocked.
I chose to do Computer Science thinking about money and
ultimately screwed myself. I completed the course but It was
pointless. I’m an artistic person and I denied myself my very
skillset, so it just made the whole process for my work to get
recognised that much longer.
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ARTIST PROFILE
Junior Da Silva
The Gaming Years
I’ve been gaming most of my life. The first game that made an
impact was FFVII, that game is so damn epic I cannot begin to
describe it, though im sure a lot of you will agree and share the
fondnessssss!! Playing FF7 was what actually got me thinking
about 3D in the first place, though at the time I was too young to
realise it was within grasp and not complete rocket science.
Square Enix(Soft) in general was a massive inspiration to me and
my art style, and I think, they were the reason I decided to start
drawing humanoid characters instead of just creature creation.
GTA VI
Since GTA 5 is out I might as well mention it, and if you haven’t
already purchased, please, say “no” to living under a rock for much
longer and actually go get it. Damn, people have literally been
stabbed for the game so you can see how deep it is.
But yeaahhhhhh, as I was saying, the GTA series in general has
always been incredibly fun and is, in my opinion, way beyond
its time. GTA and FF7 are my favourite all time games, you also
have to have the Mario Kart series and the Gears of War there also
though, at the moment, GTA 5 is really rockin my socks so I’ll
probably be hooked onto that for a bit until the PS4 is out.
As far as my art and my 3D stuff goes, after uni and getting a job,
I just kept practicing until I became pleased... wait... pleased is a
strong word... until I began to be able to tolerate my work, then I
met these great people Casper and Carin.
Shotopop
They were designers and the owners of a digital illustration
company “SHOTOPOP”. When I saw their work it was like the
initial inspiration I got from my uncle, the second landmark, so I
did everything I could to spend a little time with them in between
work hours and see their work process.
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After college my creativity
path got blocked. I chose to
do Computer Science thinking
about money and ultimately
screwed myself...
They helped me out a bunch and I’m only at this level with the
digital side of my illustrations because of them (check them out,
Their work is amazing www.shotopop.com). Though I still have a
long journey ahead which I look forward to.
3D was a passion from college, but then something even more
wonderful happened, I discovered zbrush and, instantly, it grabbed
my attention like Maya never has. The fluidity of the software just
left me in awe, and, as soon as I could I began to practice...
My early work was so dog sh*t it’s unbelievable, but I’m at a stage
now where I can actually make something resemble a concept
sketch, which is about damn time too. I have been teaching
myself for nearly two years and only now is the work looking like
“something”.
Overall my path is long and narrow, and its taking a little while
to take off but, hopefully, eventually, I will get a break and get my
foot in the door with a company. The next stage for me now is
to try and get an apprenticeship as a character designer, working
along side guys in the business will just make me improve 10 fold.
If you like the art style follow the insta: zucasil. I try to update
regularly, though a lot of it is un-vectored todo doodles. «
To see more of Junior’s work visit: creativepool.com/silvaj
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RETRO CORNER
Manic Miner
The coloured tape stopped less than official copies of the game
being sold as the real thing, since they had to be special ordered
in that hue. But the newest move to combat this scourge of the
industry was to be found beside the instruction manual, the
greatest threat to the game sharers and ne’er-do-wells, a small piece
of card!
This ‘Code card’ as it was christened ushered in an era of endless
similar items, some of the most interesting being the ones that
came with Lucas Arts titles, if you get the chance, please check
them out online, some are extremely ingenous. But this was my
first taste of such practices, and it amazed me. Using a grid of 4
digit codes alloted by different colours, the game could effectively
lock you out from playing without it. Now to your young eyes,
you may think this crude item could be no barrier, but we had
no camera phones, no internet, colour photocopying was a pricey
dream and photography was also an expensive hobby.
Alan Vader
Invader, Vader, avid gamer...
Greetings Earthlings!
Welcome to the second part of my Matthew Smith
retrospective! (Retro! Speccy! and... er... Digestives? Yes!
Digestives! And choccy coated at that!)
She refuses to allow Willy the sleep of the righteous until he has
cleared up all the bottles and glasses and assorted miscellenia left
by his rowdy (and extremely adventurous!) guests.
Are you all sitting comfortably? Then I’ll beg...
STOP THAT AT THE BACK!
Welcome to the world of 80s storytelling kids! You may complain
that some games have bad storylines, but this is what you got
in those days, all the rest was filled with your imagination!
Nevermind that if you owned a mansion it would probably have
more than one bed, or that since he pays Maria’s wages she could
either like it or lump it in regard to her job, but this was the
tableau over which your adventure would play out.
I’ll begin!
So we left Matthew last week celebrating his independence upon
opening his own software house, Software Projects. And retaking
the reins on his creation, Miner willy. It was 1984 when the long
awaited sequel was released, and what a twisted tale it ended up
telling...
Jet Set Willy
When we last saw Willy, he was stuck underground in the ruins
of a lost civilization, if you were an extremely skilled player, then
you will know that he managed to find immense wealth in the
depths and returned to Surbiton with a new found fortune under
his blocky armpits. Flush with filthy lucre, he bought himself a
recently vacated mansion and all the trappings that came with
it, a yacht, a long drive, servants and unfortunately for him, a
housekeeper called Maria!
After one of his extremely debacuhed celebrations, Willy attempts
to return to his bed to sleep off what is bound to be the mother of
all hangovers, little realising that for Maria, this was the last straw!
Opening the case of a copy of Jet Set Willy, as I did on a snowy
winters day many years ago after an Alexandra Palace spectrum
computer show in 84. You’re confronted with some of the more
interesting aspects of this game, firstly, some copies (Not mine,
as I seem to remember.) were on a blue cassette tape. (Mine was a
nice grey colour.) This was the first part of the anti-piracy measures
introduced by Software Projects, back then, ‘sharing’ your games
was a simple act, brought on mostly by the introduction of dual
tape decks, by inserting your game into one deck and a blank in
the other, after 3 minutes of interminable screeching, hey presto,
2 games!
Less ethical people may have sold such copies on the black market,
indeed, in most playgrounds during that time, a few pence and a
blank tape would change hands on occasion in the hope of a little
digital entertainment the next day!
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So for the most part this simple measure worked, that is until the
game was cracked, a practice that exists to this day. With a few
peek and poke commands, you could circumvent it eventually,
but once again, with the only avenue of communication being the
game magazines, who were funded by advertising from the game
companies, well, they knew where their bread was buttered, so
they kept such things schtum (For a while, the temptation of the
extra readership eventually got to one of them!).
So for quite a while, the only way to play Jet Set Willy, was to buy
Jet Set Willy, and at £5.95, why the heck not?
I remember treasuring my code card, budget laminating it with
sellotape (Other stickyback plastics are available!) lest I would lose
access to one of my favourite games. And what of the game? Let’s
take a look at it!
Last time I waxed lyrical about the music in Manic Miner, and
here also, it’s an audio assault. Firing up the game after dilligently
entering the correct code, (Did I mention that the game would
reset your computer if you entered the code incorrectly twice? Well
it did, that was a thing.) you would be welcomed by the Software
Projects logo and a moving rendition of Beethovens Moonlight
Sonata. If you left it alone for a while, then you would get an
epilepsy inducing scrolly message, another practice that became
commonplace on 8bit titles, sometimes used to say hi to your
friends and thank co-workers, or in this case, to remind you what
you have to do in the game.
It’s not as showy as Manic Miners start screen, but you can be sure
that Matthew had been far busier with the game itself.
Jet Set Willy absolutely dwarfed Manic Miner in scale and
grandeur, it’s one of the first examples of a free-roam title, no
longer were you stuck in a single screen until the task was done,
you were allowed free reign in a large mansion where the rooms
were properly (And sometimes improperly!) connected. You start
This Freak
Brothers
inspired screen
also contained
one of the new
additions to
Willy games,
a rope swing.
You could go
full Tarzan
or just use
it to ascend
through the
roof!
in the bathroom and can wander banqueting halls, kitchens,
pools, beaches, yachts, rooftops, driveways, banyan trees, Chapels,
even the depths of hades itself! (Briefly!) All to a staccato rendition
of ‘If I was a Rich Man’.
I talked about how people doubted the possibility of having 20
‘levels’ in a game back when Manic Miner was made, well, Jet Set
Willy came in at 60 screens! Some of them certainly weren’t as
dense as the previous title, but Matthews superior coding skill was
shown again, he had truly topped himself!
But here comes the buts! Matthew was later quouted as saying “Jet
Set Willy wasn’t released - it escaped”, people were clamouring
for the title, and maybe it was rushed out of the door a little.
In the instructions there was a promise of champagne soaked
helicopter ride with Mr Smith over their hometown of choice to
the first person who could tell them how many items needed to be
collected to complete the game.
Naturally, skilled players nationwide rose to the challenge wanting
to truly become part of the ‘Jet Set’! But people began to notice a
problem.
See, Jet Set Willy also contained another
first, the first example
of a ‘buffer
overflow’ bug!
An arrow in
one of the
rooms would
not delete itself,
but carry on
going past the
screen, thereby
overwriting vital
game data, since
the program was so
greatly compressed,
every byte counted.
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Special
promotion for
the Winter
Holidays
By entering ‘The Attic’ screen, you triggered this bug and it in turn
made some rooms in the game impassable, killing you instantly!
Now, there were no such thing as online patching and the many
other crutches that games makers take for granted these days. so
how could Software Projects ride this one out?
Certainly, they could release a poke to fix it, but this would mean
admitting the game wasn’t fit for purpose, and it also meant people
would have to type in this poke each time they wanted to play the
game, but that wasn’t the worst thing, considering the 3 minutes
plus load times that were standard practice.
Jet Set Willy absolutely
dwarfed Manic Miner in scale
and grandeur, it’s one of the
first examples of a free-roam
title...
Bundle Mania
Indie Games for Charity
Get cool games in a bundle and support charities in needs.
Their solution was as ingenous as it was a little bit cheeky, they
took out full page ads and published the following...
“Once you have visited the Attic your very prescence will trigger
a chain reaction in the Chapel. The four guardians from there will
then go to the Kitchen, West of the Kitchen, Cuckoo’s Nest and
the East Wall Base making short cuts through them impossible as
you will encounter instant death when entering the rooms.
In this game it is essential that you make a map and leave visiting
the Attic until the last possible moment. Needless to say, that from
the Attic the only route left to you is the most torturous path back
to the Bedroom... Happy Adventuring.”
That basically translates to, ‘We screwed up, so please make more
of an effort when you play our fantastic game KTHNXBAI!’ I
think this may also be the very first example of a game company
making up absolute claptrap to cover themselves and stick it to
their customers, a practice that continues to this day! Still, it’s so
wonderfully ballsy, you have to give them credit for trying!
Happy Adventuring! Eventually they redacted this story and
released a poke, and people could enjoy the game as intended, and
it’s a good game, crushingly hard, but good nonetheless.
Still, I think the history is much more fascinating! «
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Road Rush 66
Man Alive
Drive down the Route 66!
Quirky & immortal
platform fun!
Julian Campbell
Foundation
Get your Game
Bundle now!
Support a selected Charity
to make a difference for
kids and teenagers!
Scan QR Code to go straight
to the site!
www.bundle-mania.com
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@Indie Game developers: Contact us if you
want to get your games on future bundles!
ind13.com
RETRO CORNER
7 Reasons Why I’ll Die Alone...
RETRO CORNER
7 Reasons Why I’ll Die Alone...
7 Reasons
Why I’ll Die Alone...
Welcome to an occasional feature where I take a look at some of the finest tat
the gaming world offered, and I purchased. This time it’s all about Capcom’s
birthday, here are some of the stranger items that have found a place in my
space flat, and the worst part is that it isn’t even all of it!
I really am going to die alone aren’t I? *sigh”
Enjoy! - Alan Vader (With thanks to Kumiko for her translation assistance.)
Capcom Picture Clock - As a piece of swag, it’s
The Magnificient World of Chun-li - Released to coincide
Chun-li Doll - Why do you own a dolly of Chun-li Uncle Alan, you
unimpressive, little more than a postcard sandwiched
with the Manga movie, this tome contains all the
may ask? The answer is NEVER YOU MIND!
between two pieces of plastic, But it’s the adorable
information you could ever wish to know about the high-
artwork that makes it amazing, with a fine collection
kicking heroine. Including a section on the Miss Chun-li/
of Capcoms lesser know z-list stars. nearly every series
Miss Cammy competition that would make a certain
Demitri the vampire from Darkstalkers isn’t much like his cousin count
shown here has been cancelled by now, apart from Street
youtube trope hater absolutely furious!
Dracula, only female blood will do for him (sexist!), so he has an attack
Fighter and Resident Evil (Although that ones debatable!)
called Midnight Bliss, which automatically converts his victim into a female,
and who knows, there may still be hope for Darkstalkers.
something that stood out even more in Capcom Fighting Jam, where his
opponents were less ‘other-worldly’. Yujin produced a series of ‘converted’
figures, pictured is Alex from SFIII, but there were also Hydron, a squid/
kraken! And Guile! The midnight bliss has caused much confusion in the
Capcom Universe, none so great as the time when the converted monsters
decided to raid Morrigans closet for more suitable attire!
Re-enact all your favourite courtroom dramas with the
Phonenix Wright figure collection from enSky.
Poison 1/6th scale figure, Capcom’s notorius is he/isn’t she
Objection! Overruled! I hold MYSELF in contempt! ...
character rendered in finest Chinese PVC, you can pretend
No wait, that was...
it’s pallete swap Roxy if you’re uncomfortable with whether
fictional characters are ‘sitting on a secret’ or not!
Purchased at the Tokyo Game Show, when I realised they were sold out of Phoenix
Wright t-shirts in my girthy size. The Japanese use the kinder phrase of Companion as
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opposed to our ‘booth babe’. Actually, for Cammy isn’t this more clothes than usual?
Must be a nice change of pace for her.
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RETRO CORNER
Retro Computer Museum
Andy Spencer
Chairman, Retro Computer Museum
Brand New, it’s Retro...
Where do I start? I guess at the beginning . . .
My love of gaming started way back in 1978 when my Auntie (Lil)
and Uncle (Den) purchased an Atari 2600 with Combat and Space
Invaders. I was addicted and I am sure that I played it more than
them.
A couple of years passed and another Uncle (Roy) purchased a
Sinclair ZX81 with a 16Kb Rampack. This obviously was a step
backwards colour wise (!) but you could now actually program the
computer yourself.
Addiction set in again - not good for my poor Uncle who lost
his computer within weeks of having it. Over the next couple
of years I managed to get my hands on an Acorn Atom - from
another Uncle (Dave), which again was a lovely little machine
but obviously lacking in colour. As you can probably ascertain my
Dad has a lot of brothers and sisters. A couple more years passed
and my Dad (Colin) purchased himself a Sinclair ZXSpectrum. I
was absolutely mesmerised by this wonderful little machine - full
colour and sound too. To say that I loved my Dads ZXSpectrum
was an understatement.
My first memory was travelling on the local bus service from
Hinckley to Nuneaton to visit WHSmiths to actually purchase
said machine. We also purchased two games that I still love to play
today - namely Mined Out! by Quicksilva and Space Raiders by
Sinclair/Psion. It took us hours to load these games as our we had
no idea what volume to put our tape deck at. Please do try out
Mined Out if you have never played it - very playable!
We then went on to have a Commodore 64 and friends of
mine had an Acorn BBC Micro (Model B) and also an Amstrad
CPC464. I still have fond memories of both of those systems too.
A little later on I purchased myself an Amiga 500, an Amiga 1200
and then the dreaded PC.
Now forward to May 2008 when I decided that my collection of
machines was just gathering dust and needed to be used more. I
started a little website (with my wife Linda’s permission) called
‘The Retro Computer Museum’ - it was called this because at the
time I only had Computers and NO consoles at all. The website
itself was truly terrible and was visited by a few people (namely
friends who were just trying to humour me!).
A good friend of mine at the time said he could do a better website
with a forum and other bits and bobs added. This became live in
July 2008 when the Retro Computer Museum started to actually
get attention from a few more people.
As soon as word started getting around about RCM the donations
of machines started literally flooding in and after just a few
months and a small event held at Swannington Village Hall we
found ourselves with some lovely consoles too. This was when I
had around 25 or 30 computers of various types and a few TVs people were actually interested in retro gaming and it showed - just
over 100 people attended our second event. This has since risen
to the giddy heights 500 people at an event we held at Snibston
Discovery Museum last Easter.
Due to the success of the first event and the donations continuing
to grow we then went on to get storage for the systems as we ran
out of room in our garage (at home). This at first involved one
room in a massive factory that was split into different units unfortunately that seemed to fill up very quickly. This then moved
into two rooms. The more events we did the more donations we
received and we outgrew these two rooms very quickly. In 2011
we decided to move premises completely - this gave us two large
storage rooms, a workshop and a room to actually setup 25 of
the machines. This worked very well for a couple of years but we
outgrew this too.
We now occupy a place in Leicester that gives us 6 main rooms,
the first being a kitchen/workshop, 3 of the rooms are for storage
and the other 2 are hands on gaming heaven - with around 40
machines all fully playable.
We can now hold events at our own place by prior arrangement
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RETRO CORNER
and we also open most Sundays. Our collection of systems is now
well over 250 unique machines and over 20,000 bits of software
spread across the systems. We also have a huge library of books and
magazines - all fully accessible. Of course even though we do have
all of this kit we still absolutely love donations of any kind - please
do get in touch if you have something you want to donate to us whether it be games, books, systems or even a monetary donation.
FEATURE
As soon as word started getting
around about RCM the donations
of machines started literally
flooding in...
The Retro Computer Museum in Leicestershire, UK
Since the very early days people have joined the team of retro
enthusiasts and we now have around 15 or so volunteers that help
out when they can. Without this team the Museum would not
function and I cannot emphasise enough on their importance
to this ongoing project. If you wish to volunteer please do get in
touch - there is always something to do.
The Retro Computer Museum is a registered charity dedicated to the benefit
of the public for the preservation, display and public experience of computer and
console systems from the 1960's onwards. Our charity registration no. is 1146912.
Our main focus is on systems that were in use in the home and schools rather than big
computer systems and mainframes of early computer development. We have systems ranging
from the early Pong consoles through to the Sega and Nintendo console
wars and the home computers of the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64s and Amigas.
In 2012 the Retro Computer Museum became a charity and
is now run by a Committee of 5 people - of which I am the
Chairman so I still have a daily input on what is going on, my wife
Linda and my good friends James, Richard and Stuart make up the
other Committee members.
Our aim is to provide Retro Gaming and Computing events. We also offer
educational visit / tours for Year 6 students upwards - these visits comprise of a talk
about the history and the massive rise and fall of home computing mixed in with hands
on use of the very early 8 bit systems and eventually up to the ‘newer’ 32 bit systems.
We can tailor these visits to suit the individual needs of your school - these can be held
at your school or at our HQ in Leicester - please do get in touch with your exact requirements.
We also offer Retro Gaming Birthday Parties for any age group - young or old!
We have hosted and attended several events and have been
fortunate enough to meet some really wonderful people - many of
whom I now class as friends. These include very talented people
from lots of software houses across the globe. «
Find out more by visiting www.retrocomputermuseum.co.uk
Over the years I have played on more systems and games than I care to mention but
some of my personal favourites have to be:
ATARI 2600
ZX SPECTRUM
ACORN BBC
COMMODORE 64
AMSTRAD CPC464
Adventure
Manic Miner
Crystal Castles
Commando
Roland on the Ropes
Haunted House
Jet Set Willy
Arcadians
Rambo
Roland in Time
Space Invaders
Mined Out!
Ghouls
Mega Apocalypse
Sorcery+
Asteroids
Ad Astra
Repton
Thrust
Get Dexter
Donkey Kong
Transversion
Elite
Wizball
Gauntlet
The Retro Computer Museum has held many Retro Gaming events of its own
to date, including partnership events with Snibston Discovery Museum.
The Museum has also made appearances at the 2010 Vintage Computer Festival
at Bletchley Park, at Abbey Pumping Station Hobbies and Pastimes Day,
at BBC Radio Leicester for the Sparks Childrens Charity, at the 2010 EuroCon event
with a line up of British Computers, at Revival 2013 hosting part of the gaming area,
at the Silicon Dreams event hosting a small part of the gaming area and more recently
at the fantastic SuperByte Festival in Manchester where we hosted the gaming area.
The Retro Computer Museum relies mainly on donations from its
members and visitors. We have had over 200 systems donated as part of
our collection, along with numerous books, software titles, peripherals,
magazines and brochures etc.
We appreciate any and all donations, no matter how small. We also accept
broken machines and peripherals as these can be used to repair existing systems.
Please contact us if you feel you have something we may be interested in.
And of course there are plenty more . . . this is just an insight into what I like to play.
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Unit S1, Troon Way Business Centre,
Humberstone Lane, Leicester LE4 9HA
T: 07519 816 283 E: info@retrocomputermuseum.co.uk
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NEXT GEN GAMER
Evil Ages of Games
Lara Croft and the
18 Rating Disaster
Ophelia Matthews-Smith
A young gamer with only a few years games
experience, Ophelia approaches the industry with a
fresh new eye.
My mum and dad bought me the new Tomb
Raider game for my birthday. I loved Tomb
Raider so of course I wanted to try it out
straight away, and was really excited.
“Sorry, I can’t play that game because I am only 9,” I usually say.
Why should I even say that, I mean, a gamer needs their games
right? What is a gamer without their games? Nothing!
young age of some of us gamers. For instance some of the games
had a bit of violence and now the violence has taken over the fun,
and it’s way too realistic.
Don’t you ever think why games have so much violence these days?
Well… I do, every second of the day.
Why can’t they make the games funny instead of serious? What is
the fun of blood getting splattered everywhere and people dying
anyway?
For instance, GTA (Grand Theft Auto) already had violence when
it was first made. I could name all the different types of things
that most children aren’t allowed to see, and that is with the old
GTA… Have you seen how much more has been added?
It’s really unfair that all the best and biggest games that everybody
talks about are the ones that I can’t play. I start feeling a bit
abandoned by the way the game creators don’t think about the
To be honest, adults don’t play as many games because they’re
either at work or meeting their friends. Kids play games most
of the day (or would if we were allowed...) so why are kids so
ignored when it comes to the big games such as Assasins Creed,
Call of Duty or Red Crucible? They should make the games more
child friendly instead of just making games for the grown-ups and
the way they want to play them.
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The problem is, even the games that
I used to play like Tomb Raider,
that were meant to be for kids, were
ruined by violence and now they are
trying to ruin more of the games.
What is the fun of blood
getting splattered
everywhere and people
dying anyway?
What a pity.
My mum and dad didn’t think the 18 rating
was serious because they didn’t think that
this Tomb Raider would be worse than first
one I tried, but they were wrong.
At some points I couldn’t help but scream,
and everyone around me got scared too. I got
really shocked at some points and threw the
controller away from me.
I wonder what the games will be like
in the future if this all continues.
Imagine heads getting chopped off
in Minecraft or maybe they will
make Angry Birds 18 rated with
psychopathic birds stealing peoples
cars and taking drugs, turning it from
Angry Birds to Gangsta Birds.
Days later I got used to the frightening
scenes but I still think that it should have less
violence in it as it could scare adults, so it was
decided that we should stop playing it.
Sometimes I play the old Tomb Raider to get
the scenes of the new one out of my head.
Although I love Tomb Raider dearly, if another
one comes out, I don’t think I will be buying it
unless it is tested, just for me.
In my point of view, I think the kids
should make the games because they
normally have better ideas, don’t you
think? «
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FEATURE
Crystalline Green
Alfie Brian Taylor.
Alfie is a young gamer who has his own YouTube
channel www.youtube.com/AlfredPlays
The Significance
of Indie Games
When you think of Indie games, what is the first thing that
comes to your mind? From the smartphone you find yourself
permanently checking, to the PC you spend the time that you
aren’t checking your smartphone on, there isn’t a place where
you can’t find Indie games.
What separates these games (and initially adds the spark) from
mainstream games is the fact that they are made without a
publisher and funding.
Therefore, this gives the developers the chance to be as creative as
they want and make the game about whatever they want it to be
about. Compare that to a franchise series, such as Call of Duty,
where the publisher has rights to which content each of the two
developers of the game can release, which can seriously limit the
things they can do and the extremes they can take the game to.
Besides there being such a range of these games available. One
of the best feelings I commonly get after playing a game I
particularly enjoyed and got into, is that I’ve given the developers,
who spend so much time and hard work creating a game with
meaning and for our enjoyment, a chance to show us as an
audience... what they can do and levels on which they can take
their game to.
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FEATURE
Crystalline Green
Therefore, if you like the game, you can support the developer.
know it’ll be identical to the game they released previously.
Being somebody who enjoys Indie games myself, they are pretty
significant in my life too. For instance, when I’m bored of playing
the ‘big shots’ like Fifa and the Grand Theft Auto series, I like to
play a game such as Cloudberry Kingdom that not many people
are privileged enough to have heard about or to have played.
However, with Indie games, you never know what’s coming next!
A game that recently caught my eye was ‘How to Survive’ (can be
purchased on Steam) Why? Because the developers showed some
gameplay, added a voiceover and it honestly worked like magic.
Indie games are also the type of games you see people all types
of people, from children to business people, playing in multiple
different situations. The most common being on public transport
when you bizarrely look at ‘that guy’ in business attire desperately
tapping away at his mobile in order to complete his level before it
gets to his stop.
It’s not only the hard work and effort that makes Indie games so
significant. What brings it home for me is that Indie games seem
to be the most interesting games. Not only visually but, compared
to mainstream games such as Call of Duty, whose main objective is
to simply kill people.
Indie games have a meaning and, the majority of the time, have a
storyline which really grabs the players’ attention and makes them
want to complete the next level and then the one after that and
so-on.
What more could you ask for from a game?
One of the greatest things is that, due to the fact they’re made
without a publisher, there’s no hype for when a new game comes
out. No advertisements all over the place and no constant spamming
on websites for this ‘great new game’ when the majority of people
There weren’t any amazing cinematics which the mainstream
publishers use to attempt to bribe its audience into buying their
game. Without the exception that there is such a high demand for
these games on the mobile platform, individual Indie developers
are rarely noticed for the masterpieces they create.
In regards to the PC, the people who download and play Indie
games aren’t fully appreciative towards Indie games as they are
towards the big titles because a misconception.
A common misconception is that a recently released game such
as How to Survive won’t be up to par with a new release such
as Batman: Arham Origins on all levels, so what’s the point in
downloading it? However, the truth can only be revealed once
you’ve tried both games.
Give the Indie game a chance before you judge it and compare it
to a mainstream!
These are just a few of many reasons why Indie games are so
significant to a multitude of people. By considering the points that
I’ve raised throughout this article, you can begin to understand not
only what Indie developers go through in order to get their games
into the public sector, but to realise that Indie games aren’t only a
passtime, they’re a lifestyle. «
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