Q & A | Meet Nelson | CBG Game Design Intern
Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Education?
Graduated from Fairport High School. Currently a sophomore studying Game Design and Development at RIT. Planning to minor in creative writing.
Experience with games/gaming:
I’ve been making my own games and have been a freelance game developer for a few years. I’ve been at Sharp Notions for a little over a year as an intern.
Favorite games to play in your spare time?
I mainly like to play games that I can play with other people. I prefer playing a game in the same room with someone rather than playing with them online. I’m really into shooters and action games. Some of my favorite games: The Last of Us, Halo, any Mario game, Battlefield, Limbo, Red Dead, Grand Theft Auto, Mass Effect, Just Cause, Far Cry, and Galaga.
Favorite type of games to make?
I’ve made many different types of games, but I lean more towards making action games. I like explosions. I’m like the Michael bay of game development interns.
Do you have a favorite character?
Ellie from The Last of Us. She kicks ass.
If you could have a game designed around your life what would you call it?
Time Management Simulator
What was the first game you created?
The first “game” I created was “A Stick Story” when I was 13. You played as… a stick figure. You could only run right and press space to fire a gun (you only had one bullet). There was a single bad guy you could knock down. That was it. Also, it had birds.
What inspires your ideas & creativity?
I get creative by just living my life. Video games are fun and all but I get most of my ideas by being an active person. Going out and doing something, meeting new people, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.
How do you stay motivated when you hit a wall?
I stay motivated by walking away from that wall. If I’m stuck on something in particular I’ll take a break and go work on something else. I’ll go back to whatever stumped me later with a different perspective, and normally that helps me solve it.
Do you listen to music while you work?
Totally. Sometimes I get on Pandora, but I like playing the music that I’ve purchased on my ipod. I listen to a whole bunch of stuff: rock, punk, funk, blues, movie/game scores, pop, angry rap, big band music. Pretty much anything but country.
What are your top 3 tools to work with?
Unity, a notebook, or a guitar.
What is your favorite thing on your desk?
I don’t have much on my desk except for a Mr. Bill. He’s a chill guy.
What do you think is in store for the future of mobile games?
I feel like there is going to be a stronger connection between mobile and web (browser based) games in the future. We’re already starting to see this, but applications and games will be more cross-platform focused as the technology gets there. The people that get there first with that are going to be the ones to benefit most. I feel like the slice of what you can get with just a mobile game will get a little smaller. I’m crazy though.
Any other fun facts, hobbies, favorite gaming blogs/forums?
Sometimes I sing when I’m the only one in the office. Also, I met Greg at moonlight creamery on a random night and ended up with an internship. That’s pretty cool.
I like to play guitar and write songs; I record a bit. I used to perform at places. I like to longboard and I suffer from MAD (Music addiction disorder). I also make games in my free time… my hobby pretty much became my job.
I’m really into using twitter to keep an eye on other developers + companies. Some of my favorite “big” guys are: Cliff Bleszinski, Warren Spector, and Neil Druckmann (Who favorited a tweet of me in a last of us shirt! …I’m a nerd…). Some of the blogs/forums I like:
- http://www.html5gamedevs.com/
- http://www.truevalhalla.com/blog
A closing statement:
Making games is about teamwork, being a one person band will only get you so far.