Category Archives: Interviews
A Short Chat With 343 Industries’ Kevin Franklin On HALO 4
Since its release late last year, HALO 4 sold millions of copies worldwide and was critically acclaimed by all of gaming and mainstream media. The stellar singleplayer campaign focused on a deeper Master Chief and his relationship with Cortana along with the introduction of a new threat, while multiplayer brought back many familiar modes that HALO fans loved in War Games and introduced new modes like the episodic Spartan Ops.
I recently had a short chat with 343 industries’ Kevin Franklin, the lead designer for HALO 4 about its impact in the industry, Master Chief’s background, and the HALO Community. Check out the full interview after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Mackenzie Gray Talks Man of Steel and His Secret Role in the Film
Fans of Canadian fantasy and sci-fi shows/films definitely know the name Mackenzie Gray. From Stargate: Infinity to a memorable final season appearance in Smallville, Mackenzie has been a staple in Canadian and American productions for over 30 years.
I recently had a chance to talk to Mackenzie about his involvement with Man of Steel, Director Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot set to come out later this year. During our chat, Mackenzie talked about Superman, the detail on Man of Steel’s costume design, and even teased us about his super-secret role in the film.
Check out our full interview with Man of Steel’s Mackenzie Gray after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Mass Effect Lead Writer Talks DLC, Commander Shepard, And Potential For New Stories
Mass Effect 3 was perhaps one of the biggest games developed in Canada in 2012. Despite all the fan backlash stemming from the game’s original ending, the game sold quite well and even won hundreds of awards including Best Console Game, Best Original Music and Best Writing at the Canadian Videogame Awards. All those things aside, the one thing that Mass Effect fans all agree with is that the trilogy has some of the best writing and the most memorable characters ever written.
I recently had a short chat with Mac Walters, the Lead Writer of the Mass Effect Trilogy at BioWare and the man responsible for creating Male and Female Shepard, one of the most influential game characters in the medium today. During our chat, Mac discussed fans reactions to pre-and-post Extended Cut and Citadel DLC’s, why people love and identify with Commander Shepard, and where the franchise could potentially go in the future.
Check out my full interview with Mac Walters after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Electric Playground’s Victor Lucas Talks CVA, Elias Toufexis, and Indie Games
The fourth annual Canadian Videogame Awards (CVA) took place on Saturday April 20th and showcased the great Canadian talent behind some of the biggest games of 2012. From Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3 to Klei Entertainment’s Mark of the Ninja, Canadians were able to meet and celebrate the people that collaborate to make these great games.
We recently had a chance to talk to Canadian Videogame Awards Co-founder and Electric Playground host Victor Lucas just before the awards ceremony where he discussed the CVA, choosing Elias Toufexis as the host, and the rise of Indie Games. Check out the full interview with Victor after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Papo & Yo Creator Interview – Part Two: Breaking Conventions And Returning To The Past
Papo & Yo dealt with a not-so-good father and son relationship that’s set in a metaphorical/fantastical world with characters that reflected creator Vander Caballero and his family. In part one of our interview with Creative Director at Montreal-based Minority Media, we discussed his original vision, how he acquired funding for the game, and how he balanced the game’s puzzle elements.
In continuing with the interview, Vander and I got to talking about his relationship with his father and how it was reflected in the game, turning character progression on its head, breaking game design conventions, and even Papo & Yo’s original ending. It was a poignant discussion but an insightful look at how the game, its story and gameplay elements came about.
Check out part two of my interview with Vander Caballero after the break.
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Papo & Yo Creator Interview – Part One: Vision, Funding, and Puzzles
One of the PS3′s most groundbreaking independent titles of 2012, Papo & Yo is a semi-biographical story of Creative Director Vander Caballero’s past as he dealt with issues such as his father’s alcoholism and abuse. As the title alludes to, Papo & Yo deals with a not-so-good father and son relationship that’s set in a metaphorical world with characters that reflected Vander and his family.
I recently had a chance to talk to Vander, the Creative Director at Montreal-based Minority Media and creator of Papo & Yo at a recent gaming event. In part one of the interivew, Vander discusses his original vision, acquiring funding, and balancing the game’s puzzle elements. Check out part one of my interview with Vander Caballero after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Paranormal – Developer Matt Cohen Talks Horror Genre, Game Development, and Indie Horror
A few months ago, I wrote an Indie Spotlight about this scary game that I found on IndieDB and Desura called Paranormal. A game that was inspired by the Paranormal Activity movies, Paranormal is a first-person haunted-house simulator that scared the pants off unsuspecting players. It wasn’t your typical horror game, in fact, the game has no combat whatsoever and instead focuses on slowly introducing creepy hauntings; chairs moving by themselves, unsettling sights and sounds, and even creepy mannequins creeping up behind you for those oh-so-mortifying boo scares.
I had recently met with game developer Matt Cohen (AKA MattDementous) to talk about Paranormal, the horror genre, game development, and indie horror. At 19, Matt is perhaps one of the more successful and daring indie developers in the scene today.
Check out our full interview with Matt after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Puzzle Clubhouse Interview – Jesse Schell on Crowd-Sourced Game Development
Finding crowd-funding success with it’s Kickstarter campaign earlier this year, Schell Games’ Puzzle Clubhouse recently began it’s mission of turning the traditional game building model on its head. Puzzle Clubhouse is a game that allows players/subscribers/creators to be part of the creative and collaborative process of making games. This crowd-sourced game development process allows the developers to offer players a way to dictate the game’s art direction, materials, and story.
I recently sat with Jesse Schell, the CEO of Schell Games and Professor of Entertainment Technology at Carnegie Mellon University about Crowd-sourcing game development, Puzzle Clubhouse’s collaborative development process, and its active community.
Check out the our full interview with Professor Jesse Schell after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Vessel – Strange Loop Games’ Studio Head Talks Liquid Mechanics and Puzzles
One of the first independent games that caught my eye at PAX Prime, developer Strange Loop Games’ Vessel features an interesting 2D/3D hybrid art style as well as a unique liquid simulation mechanic. This liquid simulation utilized different liquids and their unique properties and mixtures that had dramatic effects on the game’s puzzles.
I recently had a chat with John Krajewski, Studio Head at Strange Loop Games about what inspired the Vessel’s mechanics and gameplay, main character and story, as well as platforms that the game will release on later.
Check out our full interview with John Krajewski about Vessel after the break. Read the rest of this entry
They Save Games – An Interview with Founders of Digital Game Museum
With PAX 2012 the place to see so many new and upcoming titles, it’s nice to come across a nod to the past. Tucked away on the 6th floor of the convention centre, the Digital Game Museum’s Evolution of the Console Controller exhibit connected the past with the future.
We met with founding members, Executive Director Judith Haemmerle and Ben Wilhelm to talk about the exhibit, the museum, and their goals for the future.
Check out our full interview after the break.
