Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Jonathan Mak Interview

A quick ten-minute interview with the developer of Everyday Shooter, and a couple of other cool games.


How has the reception for PSN's Everyday Shooter (ES) been, and what's next for Queasy Games? More collaborative efforts with Santa Monica Studios? And will there be any releases from you next year?


Well, there's a substantial amount of press and most of the comments seem positive, so I guess it's been ok? As for what's next for Queasy Games, well, I have a rule where I keep my next project under wraps until it's almost done. If I don't, then I never end up finishing it. It's a rule my friend and I made up when we were kids writing code. We'd always talk about what cool new feature was going to be in our game/app but then we'd never do it. Finally, we decided only to tell each other if we can show each other. It's a great motivator. Release next year? Dunno!


In a recent interview, you mentioned that you were planning on making more freeware games. Can we expect a new one in the near future?


Let's just say I DO want to make a freeware game, but there's just so little time. :( But if I do, it probably won't be a big affair like Gate 88.


Can we expect more Everyday Shooter? New levels, sequels, a trilogy perhaps?


Well, at this moment, I'm much more interested in working on new material.


Any thoughts about the indie game scene you'd like to share with us? Or about any games in general?


What's everyone talking about? I thought PixelJunk Racers was great! Umm.. Do I lose street cred if I liked Heavenly Sword? Haha.. I thought the demo was horrible though.

Clean Asia was insane! In good ways (style), in bad ways (totally way too hard!)... although I think I'd have an easier time playing on a computer instead of TV, but it doesn't work on my computer.

I still really need to go through all your archives and play all those games... I fell so far behind with ES work, and now with work on the new game. I still haven't played Cave Story! Argh! I feel like I should be shot or something.

Umm... what else? I was on the weekly top ten for Gran Tourismo HD concept awhile back! I was so proud, I looked at the leaderboard and thought 'man, I'm going to be famous!'


Checked out this year's IGF yet? Anything that interests you? If you're asked to judge, will you consider it?


I don't think I'd have the time to judge all those entries, and who am I to judge anyway? There's a lot, cra... oh wait, about the last question BRAID, WHEN THE #)(%@ is it coming out!??? Anyway, Crayon Physics looks hawt.. I saw the video of him playing it on a Tablet PC.. geez I'm jealous on so many levels.

Clean Asia was one I mentioned earlier. Fez was insane, but they have to put guns in it, and lots of babes. Fish is going to hate me for that. I did play Battleships Forever. That game... man, I needed a roll of toilet paper next to me while playing it. It's like, a teenage boy's wet dream..

What's PixelJunk Racers and Undertow doing in the IGF? They're both published! Although that's something I've wondered. Like.. when my next game is ready, should I submit to IGF? What if during the course of judging, there's a deal? I guess it's not too late to pull out at that point right? Wait.. HYPERBOL!?!? That already won!! What? What? They want more now? C'mon! Professor Fizzwizzle too? Putt Nutz! Well, whatever.

I wonder why Dishwasher Samurai wasn't in here. That game looks like murder, I can't wait to play it. For the longest time I've been hoping that someone would just make a no nonsense hack and slash. Something like that Legend of Shadow game by Darthlupi... no bullshit puzzles or jumping. Just give me a murderous weapon and let me go to town. Is that too much to ask for? That first sequence was awesome I loved it.


If you're a millionaire, would you make a kick-ass ninja game then? If not, what else?


Well, I'd like to but frankly I don't know how. :-/ But let's say that I do sometimes have fantasies spending a million bucks making a big budget game haha.. there'll definitely be a lot of models involved. The real life ones I mean. Because y'know, when you're rollin' in it... I don't know where i'm going with this -


How did it feel to win practically everything in IGF earlier this year? How does it feel to lose to Aquaria in the grand prize category? Not counting that both of you did well to secure deals of course.


Well, I don't think I won practically everything haha. How'd it feel to lose to Aquaria? IT SUCKED!! I wanted 20 big ones!! But those two guys are hot so it's okay. I'm not sure how much I deserved that design award though. But whatever. Free money! Btw, when's Aquaria coming out?

Dunno... soon, maybe 3-5 weeks. Probably Christmas.

Seriously? On PC? Or XBLA?

They're trying to overtake Braid as the longest indie game in development. PC definitely, then Mac.

Haha.. looking over this IGF list is kinda depressing because it looks like there's a lot of really awesome games..


Who do you want to win the IGF this year? Regardless of whether they'd actually enter or not.


Oh geez, that's not something I can answer... I mean, I really dislike the competition aspect of IGF.. I'd rather it be more like a festival where folks just come out and show off their cool warez... but then again the competition aspect attracts more people I guess?

But yea, I'd just rather a whole bunch of them win so that everyone gets a better chance of landing a deal or making some cash... that way there's more chance that these awesome people will make even more games.

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