Tech Titans Tech Titans

By Simon Windler

very single video game started out as an idea. It could’ve been a design for a char acter, a story, a puzzle, or even a vast world to explore. Big or small, every single game you’ve ever laid your eyes on was derived from at least one “lightbulb moment” that soon blossomed into a string of complex interactions between the hundreds of lines of code meticulously typed out to serve as a single small part in the giant apparatus that is a video game.

If you’re a small developer, the ideas are the easy part. The real challenge comes with getting your name out into a world filled to the very brim with the twenty-fourth unnecessary edition of a sports game. There are of course many things that go into the development other than ideas; you’ve got sound design, artwork, advertising, and of course programming.

If even one of these components goes awry, then the entire game could potentially time on a worthwhile gaming experience, but some of these games can go under the radar. So, what sets blockbuster hits apart from the rest of the herd?

Development plays one of the most important roles in deciding if a game will sink or swim. Someone who can work well in a team and can bring something valuable to the table is someone who is setting themselves up for success.

Jim Butcher, who works as a technical lead for Blizzard had this to say about the subject: “there has to be some level of digging in and figuring out for yourself, but at the same time, if you never jump for help, you don’t benefit from other people’s experience. A good engineer practices a little bit of both and consistently evaluates what the right balance of those things is.” Butcher thinks that if you can find that sweet spot while working with a team, you will be a better worker. And in turn, a better developer. how did they get this popular? Well, it’s a huge compilation of many different cogs and gears that all go into making the perfect game. And who’s behind those cogs and gears? The developers and software engineers that work tirelessly

Thousands of developers work hard to make sure that you spend money and

Get Inspired!

Establish a recognizable style for your game to be popular and well known. That style can be in the form of writing, gameplay, or visuals. Billy, an employee at GameStop says that “a lot of games will take the safe direction just because it’s stable, it’s a lot easier to make a profit if people buy your game because it’s like another game.”

Inspiration is everywhere, and it isn’t a bad idea to learn from the success of past games to fuel your own creative endeavors. It creates a bit of familiarity and can make it easier for players to get into your game and start having fun as soon as possible. It isn’t a bad thing and can even make development easier and more enjoyable. Just be careful not to cross the line between inspiration and plagiarism!

A lot of risks go into creating a game, and often those risks can be alleviated by taking different mechanics from other games. Billy said that “so many games are similar to Dark Souls today. Dark Souls when it started was a very unsafe route, and now because of its success, other companies are copying it.” Dark Souls is a game that came out in 2011 and has since revolutionized the way that video games look and how they are played. Billy also commented on a recent hit, Hogwarts Legacy, a game that is based off of the famous Harry Potter book series. He said that it “has been described as having a very Souls-inspired combat.” Even twelve years after the release of Dark Souls, it is still impacting games made today.

Game mechanics are a great way for your game to be recognizable, and another thing that can help to boost your brand is establishing some strong intellectual property (usually shortened to just IP). Think about how easy it is to identify different game mascots like Sonic, Pikachu, Link, or Mario!

Social Platforms and Livestreams

With a nearly infinite amount of games out there, it can be hard to get your game in the public eye. Luckily, the internet can help to mitigate this.

As more and more people start to see and play a game, more and more people talk about it- creating a strong online and offline community among the player base. Jason Boulette, an experienced gamer, says that people love to be part of a community. He says that games “create a cadence by which there’s a shared experience.

Games are very good at creating those shared experiences.”

As the player base begins to build up, those players start making all sorts of internet discourse about the game. According to Boulette, “Once they start talking about it, they create content about it. Once you create content about it, it gets out in the world. And if you can get those two things to work in unison, you’ve got something on your hands.”

Video games have become a core part of the modern world, that much is simply undeniable. Some have created entire industries, others have filled just a small niche and are loved by a small community.

In just about every school, you can find someone who knows everything there is to know about a specific video game. Video games can reach very large audiences and bring large groups together to celebrate something they love. They can define an entire generation, and they will always have a very special place in fans’ hearts.

“What made Stray, at least to me, interesting, was that it was simple. It wasn’t a complicated game, it was relatively short. It puts you in the perspective of a cat in a way that I’ve never had a game do.”

By Simon Windler

What were the top games throughout the decades?

By: Rena Malhotra

1990

Continuing the Super Mario Saga, Nintendo released SuperMario64 in 1996! Mario finds himself transported through a painting! Within, he sees that Bowser is planning to take over the Mushroom kingdom. Mario must recover the “Power Stars” to save everyone.