I was terrible at mathematics in my adolescence. I hated it. I dropped it as a subject going into Year 10, though that's not super important, as I eventually dropped myself from the entire curriculum before that HSC. At the time, I had no idea I'd eventually become a games developer, or the lasting effect my disregard for algebra and trigonometry would have.
As some readers know, I also moonlight as an independent games developer, based out of Melbourne. At the start of this year, I began working on our studio's third game, Fear Equation, which we officially announced yesterday. The response has been positive so far, particularly on how sweet the visuals look. Sure, it can't compete with the latest AAA games, but we've spent a lot of time getting as close as we can... and here's how.
We love games that mess with our heads. Who can forget fighting Psycho Mantis in MGS: Twin Snakes? The science of the mindscrew is a delicate one, but when used well, it can be a powerful tool for keeping players on their toes. Our most recent game, Deadnaut, a scary blend of Space Hulk and Event Horizon, had to be as unsettling as possible. The stranger and more unusual ways we could find to terrify the player, the better.
On Thursday, I launched a computer game. In many ways it was an anti-climatic way to celebrate 10 months of hard work (for which my neck will never forgive me), but it's the natural conclusion to the development of any game. Yesterday I put together a demo and made a few tweaks to the website and today, well, today I've had a chance to ruminate over the last year.
August. That's the last time I wrote at any length about the development of Deadnaut, the game I've been working on since February this year. The release is tantalisingly close and once again I'm feeling that strange combination of joy, relief and terror at exposing a creative endeavour I've worked on for the better part of year to the world. But overall, the emotions are positive ones, especially as I look at how far the game has come in the space of a few months.
Last Tuesday, we gently announced Deadnaut to the world. Well, to friends on Facebook and Twitter followers. It's the first time myself and developer-in-crime David Kidd had really talked or shown the game to anyone beyond a select few. We weren't immediately chasing media attention; more we wanted to show people what two game developers living hermit-like existences can do in the space of six months.
