Interview With Pro Game Designer Michael Rainsberger

How did you get started in the gamemaking business? How old were you?

Though not "technically" in the game industry, I guess I would be what you would consider an independent game developer, but I got started into games off and on through life. I have always been interested in the art of story-telling, regardless of its medium. I have dabbled in nearly every way of telling stories in one way or another that I can think of.

My serious adventures into the game industry began when I was in college when I became a Seer for Ultima Online designing and started running quests for the Napa Valley shard. It was a volunteer position that I had to apply for and go through interviews and training.

What is your educational background?

I have a bachelor's degree in cinema/television critical studies. I have taught myself pretty much everything else that I do, such as programming, 3D graphics, computers and networking, and pretty much anything else that deals with a computer.

What part of game development is your specialty? Technical? Story? Graphics? Other?

One of the curses/blessings of being an independent developer is getting to share in all the chores. However, the area that I spend the most time doing and enjoy the most is game design.

What type of games do you make?

Currently I am working on the design for an online role-playing game, and fleshing out the needs and requirements for the engine.

Have you made any games we might have heard of? What were they?

I have never released any games myself. But I did spend about two years as a Seer for Ultima Online, where I was designing and running quests live.

Do you work for a company or for yourself? Explain.

I do both. During the day I am a systems administrator at a tech. company. And in the rest of my time I work for myself on a MMORPG project.

How long does it take to make a game?

Depends on the game really. Typically a full-blown production studio takes at least 2 years to complete a game. For independent developers it can take a little longer without having nearly as much manpower and resources as bigger developers.

What's your favorite game? Why?

Now this is tough one. I guess my favorite game would be Ultima 7. I would say this game has influenced me the most because of its immersiveness. The ability to interact with all sorts of objects in the game world, the characters and the free-form feeling of the gameplay made me feel more a part of the world; making the suspension of disbelief easier. It's unlike most games where it is rigidly obvious that you are a pawn in the story with little or no control on its outcome, regardless of the fact that in most games your only control on the outcome by what is given to you anyhow =P. The game also required you to think by having to solve various puzzles and even moral choices which affected gameplay. Not that it was the most sophisticated as compared to now, but the depth and scope of the game is/was impressive.

How hard is it to be successful in a game developing career?

It depends on the position someone is trying to get into. The game industry is a very competitive career field. Nearly everyone who is an avid would like to make them as well.

What suggestions do you have for someone interested in game developing?

The aspect of game development one is interested in determines what routes you might take. A standard route that many industry professionals claim is the easiest way into the industry is to start in QA (quality assurance) where you test games for bugs and gameplay. This is like most career fields, where you start on the "bottom rung" and work your way up.

I also suggest doing as much research as you can on the field that you are interested in, and try to practice it as much as possible. If you are into 3D graphics there are some free version of software out there that you can hone your skills and make graphics for some games. Or even better is to take a game that provides editing tools with it such as Unreal, Dungeon Siege, NeverWinter Nights, etc. and create your own mod for it.

Here are a few links to some good websites:

http://www.gamasutra.com/
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev (email list on online game development)
http://www.flipcode.com
http://www.gamedev.net

What is some good gamemaking software?

If you are interested in making your own complete game there are several resources out there. Some free, some not. You could just mod an existing game with its provided toolset. There are many different "levels" of game making software out there, some requiring more technical knowledge (such as programming) and others that are easier for people who are more interested in designing a game and not worrying about the code. I will try to list some game engines. Some are "freeware" and some require licensing. There are tons out there depending on your skill level so I will list a few and provide a link to Gamasutra 's engine page as well as Flipcode's.

3D Game Studio

Torque Game Engine

3D Rad

Blender

Crystal Space

GameMaker

Dark Basic

Or if you want to do it all… Microsoft Visual Studio

Link to Gamasutra's game engine listing:
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/products.php3?cat=153176

Link to Flipcode's link page, click on 3D Engines:
http://www.flipcode.com/links/

What do you think makes a good game?

To me a good game is one that makes me feel apart of the environment the developer has created. It must make me think, other than deciding whether I want to blow that car up or leave it be. I want to be engaged like any other storytelling medium. Movies make people cry, books fill your mind with wonder, and games should be able to do the same and more. This is the only medium for story telling that allows one to take a more active role in participating in the story. A lot of games out today are regurgitations of the same old thing: run around and shot everything that moves, and we will throw in some movies in between to make you think you are apart of something bigger.

What does the future hold in store for games?

This is a tough one. At the moment I fear that games are stagnant. The publishers are holding back the game industry by only funding projects from major studios that are nearly guaranteed to make money (e.g. Quake 1,2,3,4 … 20, just as an example, how many games out there are a sequel to something else). They are dissuading developers to be innovative and creative for the fear of losing the backing of their publishers. Also, publishers are beginning to focus on console games because of the sheer number of sales that can be generated for a single PlayStation game versus a PC game. Technology is finally slowing down a bit in terms of capabilities of the hardware, so that game makers are practically able to create nearly anything.

The problem is going to be, how long the publishers are going to have a tight grip on the game industry and support projects that are perceived as more risky to them. Original games are considered risky which is good and bad for independent developers because we are not under the same pressure to re-release the same old game time after time again. However it does make it difficult to find any financial backing for a publisher if needed.

Please give us any identifying info you want to share, like your name, location, company name, etc. Should we include your email address?

Oh, you wanted to share this =P:

Michael Rainsberger

Titania and Oberon Productions

rainsbergerm@comcast.net

This was a very educational experience. Thank you so much for your time.


Taken from: www.vstudioes.uni.cc
Written By: Tokuman
Edited By: Knil
Coded By: J@nr0k