Meet Our April Dev. of the Month, Benjamin!
Benjamin Designs Games at Pizza Club Games
How have video games impacted your life?
"In so many ways. Where I live, the friends I keep, how I spend the limited time I have on this planet... I've heard it said that your hobbies shouldn't be your job, for fear that it will take the fun out of them. I can very happily say that while that may be the case for some, I'm just as addicted to my hobby as I was before my career in developing them. They are, however, altered in how I experience them. I've learned to seek out the answers to why a particular game becomes top shelf in my collection, why I return to some games over and over, and why other games make me infuriated, sad, bored, etc."
Why did you choose to become a developer?
"One game. Final Fantasy VIII for the PC. Yep. Prior to that I spent most of my time on my NES and N64. I hadn't really experienced the scope of what a narrative game could be... Enter one of my cousins choosing a random game off a shelf (because the box was shiny) and giving to me as a gift. It changed everything. I could't believe how large the world was, how the characters felt like they had distinct and relatable personalities (to my twelve year old brain), and how after hours and hours of gameplay THERE WAS STILL ANOTHER DISC WAITING FOR ME. Right then and there I knew it was a calling to become a game developer. I still return to FFVIII almost every year and it still holds that special spot in my heart."
Any advice for future game designers?
"Pursue answers when you’re playing games. Frequently ask yourself questions like, “Why do I enjoy this aspect of the game? Why did that thing make me feel this way? What works with this part of the game? What doesn’t?” Understanding intentionality when designing games is the first step towards being able to communicate game design effectively to an audience."
You can follow Benjamin's work at Pizza Club Games on Instagram and Twitter.
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