I got the pleasure of interviewing a young man named Muir recently who is just coming to the end of section 1 of his course. You may have seen Muir on Twitter or the Train2Game Forum as he is always very active on there. Now you can find out more about him!
You can here the interview here: http://audioboo.fm/boos/1391947-train2game-student-muir-halleron-talks-to-t2g-radio
Or read the transcript below:
Hi my name is Muir, I’m a Games Development student with Train2Game and I live in Widnes, Cheshire.
Hi Muir, how you doing mate?
I’m alright thanks Mark, how are you?
I’m good cheers buddy. So tell me, how did you get into Games Development?
Well, I’ve always loved games. My first games console was when I was like four years old and it was an Odyssey 2, if you can remember back that far! Showing my age. I’ve just been really interested in games going all the way up to Nintendo, Xbox360 and PlayStation. When I saw the Train2Game thing online I went on the website, filled out a form and didn’t think twice about it really.
Was there any particular game that made you want to get in to development its self?
Probably the Elder Scrolls series. I had a play with the Elder Scrolls, Skrim it was, there game engine that they use that they have opened up to allow people to mod the game. I was just absolutely gob smacked by it and everything that goes in to making a game. I’d say that’s probably the biggest series that’s worked.
Yeah. Were you into coding before that or is it something you have learnt through Train2Game entirely?
It’s pretty much something I am learning just through Train2Game. I remember when I was really little, about five or six years old, my Dad bought a home computer and I actually had a go at learning BASIC on that. It got to the point where I could make a really, really simple game on BASIC and that was about it.
So what have you been up to with your games development at the minute?
Well right now I’m nearly finished with Section one in the course and I’ve lately been doing the one game a month challenge that’s online. That’s www.onegameamonth.com
Oh yeah? How’s that going?
It’s going pretty good, this month has been pretty slow, I’ve had a mental block with coding for some reason this month but the last 3 months I’ve made one game a month. The first one was something based on one of the Game Maker tutorials in the intro booklet for the Train2Game course and the other two were ones I came up with, on myself. The last one being completely done in C++. I’m actually really proud of that one!
Nice, so it sounds like you are progressing quite well then?
Yeah and I just recently I’ve also been accepted with Road Hog Games. Doing there student initiative.
Ah very nice and what are you doing with them?
Well right now it’s a group of two developers, two designers and two artists I believe. We are in the process of making a game under the tutelage and support of Road Hog Games.
Finally, What is your greatest ambition for your career?
Well I am hoping eventually to be able to get to a point where I can either work for a well developed gaming company as a developer or go in as an indie dev and make my own games.
Is there any company in particular that you’d want to work for?
Well in this area, just in Widnes, there’s actually Sony Evolution Studios is in Runcorn which is real close to where I live. So I’ve been feeling the waters with them a bit and there’s a few other small gaming companies in Liverpool and Manchester as well.
Excellent. Well thank you very much Muir!
Thank you Mark!
Following the bank holiday the game charts have been released a day later. There is a new number one this week, Resident Evil Revelations have taken the top spot. Other new additions include, Donkey Kong Country Returns which enters at number five and Fast & Furious Showdown which comes in at number fourteen. Following the reveal of Call Of Duty: Ghosts last week, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has plummeted from number five down to number nineteen.
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