I am Lee and I been a gamer since the late 1980ies been involved in computers, programming and graphics ever since then. Long time role-player and Game Master. Interested in getting into game development... too many ideas that need to get out of my head.
Hey. My name is Jonas Wolterstorff. I visited you in your society for the first time this week, February 2015. It was great. I am a German, studying Sustainable Development in Utrecht, the Netherlands. I am doing an exchange semester at the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoche, while writing my master thesis in Stellenbosch. I am interested in Gameful Design and Behavioral Change. I am working on a project called "Mindful Meerkats".
Sup! I'm Greg Abrahams, I'm a musician and composer (graduated with BMus from UCT in 2011) and an avid gamer. I mostly played CS 1.6, Quake III, UT2k4 and DotA but now really only play EVE-Online. After graduating I spent more time playing and writing music than playing games (semi-sadface).
I play guitar for Nomadic Orchestra and Original Swimming Party and compose music for film, adverts and hopefully (soon) games too with my fellow UCT graduate (MMus) Andrew Hoole from our studio in Obs (Cape Town), Sound Foundry.
If you have a game that needs music, then we have music that needs a game!
My name is Luke and I majored in film. Along my journey i discovered unity and a light build went on inside my head. I quit my job at e.tv after i realised that I'm tired of making someone else's dreams come true. So i started a indie game company called "9 To Friday".
you can check the project I'm currently working on over here 9tofriday.co.za and you can check some artwork in this Thread
I'm really glad to have found this community as its been a long and lonely road teaching myself how to do this. i really can't wait for the community meeting, would love to see whats going on outside of this "cave" (room) I'm working in.
I'm Sebastian. My web dev career has magically transformed into a game dev career! Currently actively devving with JavaScript ES6/HTML5/WebGL/Java/LWJGL/Unity3D. My personal projects are slowly moving into the C,C++,C# domain as I'm slowly getting into using Visual Studio.
My current pet game project is on the Jam/Competition forums: BuildX
I am still to release my first game on the App/Play Stores...
My name is Johan. I'm currently studying my last few years in electronic engineering. I'm a programmer and designer by heart, but I've dabbled in 3D modelling (Blender). I also have skills regarding video editing, basic photo editing, basic special effects in videos and I have a keen eye for detail. Games have been my life since I've been a small kid and I'm finally at the point where I can actually start contributing to the games medium. My favorites include: Sub Culture, Starcraft, Quake 3, Unreal Tournament, Freelancer and Mark of the Ninja.
You'll find that I'm a very open minded individual who is more than willing to listen to criticism and advice, as long as you have a good reason behind it of course.
My interests aren't limited to gaming. I also like rock climbing, parkour, muay thai, hiking and cooking. I'd also just like to say hello to all the Nightwish fans :)
I'm looking forward to hanging out here on the forums. I'll try not to lurk too much.
Hey Everyone , I'm Brendon Frost. I'm a software developer and games enthusiast. I'm currently a web-developer at Jmlabs . I'm a massive sci-fi and Warhammer 40k fan. I'm slowly learning game development (programming) in what little free time I have and I'm just keen to learn more.
I'm Daoyi, I'm an illustrator in Cape Town. Recently started working at QCF Design, so I'm trying to become a lot more active within the community. Till now I've been mostly hermitting off the radar, but hopefully will be able to meet and get to know some more of you lot in the near future. Looking forward to having great news to share with everyone.
I'm Leon(not actually my real name but that's what everyone calls me). I would say i love programming and the frustrations and challenges it provides. I Start studying for a degree in computer science part-time at UNISA this year and basically I'm just fiddling with game development and art in general but would like to someday do either professionally
I go by Lupus for all things related to my writing, and I'm just that; a writer interested in gaming as a whole. I wish to work on games development so as to show that gaming as a whole is a medium through which meaningful stories can be told and to one day see it elevated and seen as an artform (I see gaming as art but many do not). I keep meaning to learn at least rudimentary programming but keep putting it off. I also can't draw... or make music... so yeah, I've got an uphill journey ahead of me. But hey, where would the fun be if there was no challenge to it.
I'm Lindie, and I like playing games. One day I thought: hey, wouldn't it also be fun to make some? So now I am working on that. My skills are anti-impressive at this particular point, but I am giving them a good work out and hopefully soon they will be... I want to say poofy as in big, but that doesn't seem the right word for a muscle, even a mental one. Help me out here, I have no muscles of my own, what is it that they do when they swell?
What I will eventually be able to do will be largely self-taught, as I am too focus-impaired to respond well to traditional training methods, but I do okay when I wander off on my own path. I like RPGs, strategy games, and anything with Tycoon after it. Also the Sims, because I like being in charge of little pixel people's fates. I may or may not be a tad megalomaniacal. I've played a lot of MMOs in my life, but have kicked that drug for the time being. I verily dislike first person anything. I want to watch my character run. Hell yes pixelated butts. I've quit many a game because I didn't like the run animation.
I like to bake? Does anyone care about that? I am not that interested in cooking, except if I can make a sauce, then I feel like an alchemist / potion maker and it's all "little bit of this" and "little bit of that". I have not yet killed anyone using this method, so I am considering my concoctions a success. I also know all of 8 guitar chords, but my fingers are too slow to play them with anything resembling skill.
Yes. Right. Hello and all that. Nice to be here. I shall stop typing now, or I will keep babbling until sunrise like the utter dweeb I am.
my name is Jason I'm from Durban and I'm studying management at DUT I've been a game fanatic since I was young and I'm just starting my Game Dev quest.
Hi I'm Huang-you Chen but many know me as Lisa. I am a Wits students studying game design. I enjoy making things that trigger people to think about themselves, how they are living their lives and basically to keep people on their toes (mentally and physically). I'm new to game design and I'm currently working on a triangle game about letting go. http://makegamessa.com/discussion/3207/prototype-a-game-about-giving-up-your-triangles#latest
Hi all - my name's Gary and I started gaming through the real tough and dark days of gaming; when adults told me to turn the game off 'cause your eyes are going to go squint, the tv was going to blow or my dinner was getting cold (even though dinner was sometimes peanut butter sandwhiches at times). All this to get me to stop experiencing the euphoria of just having completed another stage of contra or got the 100m world record in hyper olympics. Needless to say they failed to get me to stop playing games 'cause I developed trust issues towards adults when I found out the identity of the tooth fairy and santa. I never stopped playing and because of me and many others like me...Sony looked after our needs by developing the playstation...so did Nintendo and a few others. The desire to just play is that real.
Now its time to give back...in the form of funding for developers. I have a day job but am constantly looking through posts to see who I can provide funding to in order to fuel the long long dormant desire to once again be challenged by games that once stirred emotions like T.I.M, Asteroids, Hyper Olympics, etc.
I am a writer and activist. I also love games - mostly playing games.
I have written about games for Mail & Guardian and Finweek, as well as MarkLives.com.
I have just started a new site called OpenlyCurious.Co that will feature games under the 'play' section. I edit an annual magazine called #TheFutureByDesign which features articles and insights about the SA game industry.
Currently sponsoring one young person who is learning about game dev and is exploring Unity to try an create games.
What I think about a lot is diversity in the SA games industry and amongst game developers and what can be done about this. I think joining forces with Project Codex http://www.projectcodex.co/ or with Olico http://olico.org/olico-youth/ could be options to foster diversity in the industry, and to broaden the sector. I think that Make Games SA should look at an outreach or diversity portfolio in its constitution or membership to actively deal with this.
I am trying to make a game - who isn't? My general experience is that writing is a hell of a lot easier than coding, despite the fact that I come from a family of hard core coders. [My father coded in binary using punch cards.] In my spare time I'm writing a novel about zombies, global warfare, underground tunnels, a queer liberation movement and two mercenaries called Plato and Procter. I live in CT with my partner who is an amazing documentary producer, but who now writes with me.
One of the best games I ever played was Heart Of Darkness. I have such nostalgia for that game it kills me. I must also confess to a tower defence fetish.
Really awesome to read about some of the cool things people are doing and making here.
Hi @dammit Very early days so what I am doing is scoping out a game brief from a template I found on Gamasutra, and then I am working out the screenshots using PPT. Possibly sounds quite lame - but that way I am able to really organise the flow of the game and to think how it might work. It is a sandbox game, so it is simple, and complex at the same time.
In terms of development I am looking at Unity or Game Maker. Right now I think that Game Maker might be the best option.
So yes. Really early days. I have also started doing WordPress and will be looking to using some WordCommerce has have been trying to wrangle that.
@CharlieAckAckAck Whatever works for you, I say. I tend to jump in once I have an idea and realise later that planning would have been "nice". But if I start planning, I never get anything done :P
Game Maker's a good place to start, though I have no idea if it's capable of what you want to do. I'm hoping to venture into Unity myself soon with a Point&Click adventure...maybe...
Ja. Procrastenation is a hell off a thing. As is duelling that dragon ADD. So one could stay lost in planning forever - it is such a nice stage. But it is in the doing that the magic lives. The wrangling of creation.
My name is Michael. I am currently studying Game Design as part of Multimedia at University Pretoria.
I enjoy all parts of creating games, from coding to content creation. I have a very strong passion for 3D content creation. I have used Blender to do so for more than 5 years now.
I am now in the process of creating a full game in Unity as the final year project for the game design module. Best project ever.
If I can find the time I try to post some progress updates.
My name is Tessa, I'm currently studying Multimedia at the University of Pretoria with a focus on Game Design. I'm also an avid gamer.
Creating games are fun! I especially enjoy content creation and conceptualizing. I've recently started my quest to learn more blender, but I have worked in Autodesk before. I really like 3D modelling and creating concepts for landscapes and creatures alike.
I'm busy creating a full game in Unity as a final year project for an awesome game design module. I'm working with @Kwantanic and I'm looking forward to making awesome stuff and to learn more and more as i go forth on my journey.
@Kwantanic and @Crimson , Welcome!! I'm sure everyone here would love to see what you produce (when you have something to show, even something rough and small, we all love the process of game development)!
I'm relatively new to gamedev. I'm currently working on a game in my spare time using Monogame and C# as I'm C# Web / app developer by profession. I'm from Cape Town and keen to see what I can learn from everyone on here, I have SO much to learn in this space. Keen to join some future meetups and discussions too.
I'm Peter. C#/Java/Android enterprise developer. I bought the Humble Game Making Bundle and having a go at learning to use Unity. Aiming to build some 2D games.
My current love is roguelikes (Brogue) and roguelike-likes (FTL), so I want to try my hand at making something with a bit more narrative. I'm imagining building a turn-based platformer, or at least real-time with pausing, imagine a bullet hell platformer where you pause at will like FTL. I realise that I need to take baby steps though, so starting tutorial, step 1 now!
Hi there! I'm Martin Booth. I am working for the Serious Games Institute - SA at NWU-Vaal. Feel free to check out the games that I have worked on at as part of SGI-SA - Univenture Android game, Mandela 27 Serious Game with @D_lee_003, and Rhino Rush with @zaan. I also created FinMan as part of my Masters studies.
I am mainly a programmer, but I always like to make my own assets, even if they look and sound crap. I can create basic pixel arty and chiptuny stuff myself. I currently work with Flash and Unity3D. I like to use GIMP, Inkscape, Blender, OpenPMT, BFXR and Audacity to create assets.
Hi, I'm Johan. I and a couple of friends are working on a part-time basis on a pervasive, mixed reality online game that is tightly integrated with physical toy robots. We are looking for a really creative, unconventional game designer/developer to partner with us on this. Anybody with any form of interest in this can contact me on johan@johanpoolman.com.
Hi, my name is Daniel Lawrence. Been figuring out game development since the age of 12 (Started with Basic and Pascal), and am currently developing games in C++ for both Linux and Windows. I've dabbled with most engines and languages, but C++ is my "home ground".
Some of my more popular/complete games can be found on my GameJolt profile.
Most of them are created in Game Maker, the two exceptions being Project Phoenix and Exile. The former was made in Unity in a week for a competition, the latter in C++, in about 1 month, for another (Placed 4th, got a runner's up prize).
I'm a meddling artist and musician too, with examples of my music being on Soundcloud. Mostly Chiptune for the NES.
I currently work for a PC repair shop on the West Coast, and have been doing freelance Android app development on and off to make a bit of money.
Nice to have a local site to discuss game development on!
Hi, im Andrew. A young software developer and aspiring game developer, hoping to learn alot from all of you here in order to advance my development skills into GAME DEVELOPMENT!
Hi I am Leigh. I am here because my 9 year old son (who calls himself a brainiac) wants to be a game builder. I only know html coding and my developing experience only goes as far as web design, and I do not know where to start him off. I would appreciate any advice on where he should start.
I have been following these forums for a little while now. I am a Sound Designer, focused on Game Audio.
Not sure if this is the right place to post this but I wanted to share my story.
I studied music production after I finished matric, and while doing my music production course we had a few modules on Audio Post Production for film, which I really excelled in. I ended up winning a scholarship to study "Sound Design for Visual Media" at the Vancouver Film School in Canada. Where I promptly discovered and fell in love with the world of Game Audio.
I had finally found where I belonged. Game Audio brought together my two interests - Programming and Sound Design. It allowed me to be technical and creative all in one amazing package. I pushed most of my time and effort into bettering myself and mastering my now chosen career path.
All my handwork and sacrifice both personally and financially (Canada - specifically Vancouver is not the cheapest place to live when you are supported by your parents who earn ZAR) paid off when I was employed contractually by electronic arts to be a sound designer on an unreleased mobile title months before graduating. It was a dream come true. I had the opportunity to not only design sound on new IP but I had the liberty of implementing my own Sound Design within the game. It was some of the hardest months of my life. balancing my final terms and a high pressure contract at the same time. I believed that if I managed to pull it off it would be the ideal start to a career I was so vested into making myself a success in.
Needless to say I pulled it off. I graduated and completed the project for EA. After a coupIe of weeks I was then offered a job at EA as a mid level Audio Artist, slated to work on the upcoming Need for Speed title. I was ecstatic and over the moon as I am sure you can imagine, slowly but surely I was making my dream come true.
And thats when everything fell apart. My student Visa was coming to an end, so I needed to apply for a post graduate work permit. So with my Qualification from the Vancouver Film School and my Signed contract from EA in hand, I applied for my work permit.
To my horror I was denied. Immigration laws had become stricter due to abuse by fast food companies within the country. The school I had attended was taken off the list of eligible schools for which a student could apply for a post graduate work permit. South Africa had no trade agreements with Canada that I could fall onto. So I was told that it would be nearly impossible to make this happen. I then had to go through the heart breaking of process of turning down my dream job and move back home to South Africa.
This is where I am right now. I have the knowledge and I have the skill. I have proven myself far and beyond what was expected from me and yet I feel like I have nothing to show for it.
I am really glad to have found this forum and that the Game Dev industry is alive in SA. I check in everyday in the hope that there will be a job posting or a team looking for sound design support so that I could keep busy and more importantly make a living for myself.
Anyway, I just thought I would share, I look forward to just getting back to doing what I love.
Hi. My name is Macky Muller, I am from Polokwane. I did an online short course on IT Management through GetSmarter, a division of UCT. I don't have any game developing skills myself but do love gaming during my free time, and hoping I could learn more through you guys, and make a living out of having fun.
Hey there. My name is Graham and I'm a writer for Burn Media (Memeburn.com / Gearburn.com / Ventureburn.com).
I've done a bit of programming before, but mostly BASIC, PHP, and MySQL. I'm useless as a programmer, but still interested in the industry and local scene.
Hi all. My name is Chris and I live in Cape Town. Last year I finished my studies at UCT (CompSci Hons). While there I did some courses in game development, and now I'm hooked.
Imo, game dev is the most fulfilling way to apply my skills. I'm excited to see we have an active community where we can share ideas and learn from each other. Looking forward to posting some work in the future, and seeing what else others have made!
I'm rc, I've worked in the software world for about 9 years. I mainly freelance to US based companies in the IOS app and game space. I am in Bloem where I work from home. My beautiful wife is a nurse at the university hospital. I don't intend on making my own games yet as the us based pay is way to good to give up and it keeps me very busy. In my spare time I ride and fix Jeeps. hobbies include mixed m.arts and yoga. I am passionate about truth and perusing truth in the online and real world. R ;)
I'm Jacques. I'm an Android/iPhone developer. After playing around with Unity and doing some tutorials, I've decided to make a brawler game with one of my friends. I've never had this much fun coding, so I'm very excited to keep doing this in my free time.
when you say just.one.game do you mean you have one idea that you really really want to make? Are working a thing called " Just.one.game" ?
Hi @Votsy! That sounds exciting! I recommend sharing as early as possible so that you can get awesome feedback, there are quite a few brawlerheads around here.
My name is Nkululeko. Im tryin to get involved in the indie game dev scene. Ive been working on a scifi video game for about a year and a half. I suck at programing , but i can draw nice pretty pictures. Which is why im using a free game dev tool called 3d Rad, that requires very little programming.
Hi everyone! (Sorry, this is going to be a lengthy one)
My name is Hermann and ever since my dad bought me the legendary “Click and play” program, I have wanted to develop games (granted, I was just a kid at the time).
I’m a professional 3D animator and 3D designer, with work place experience in both. I have studied programming languages, such as C# and Visual basic. I have taught myself web development (with HTML 5 and CSS) and I know a tonne of game theory (“Art of game design, a book of lenses”, “Game feel”, “Beginning Level Designer” etc.). I also have workplace experience working in Unity 4.6 + 5.1 as UI scripter.
I like to think I am both right and left brain orientated and I am capable of combining my creative and technical skills, as well as drawing on my diverse experiences, to create a great gaming experience. I’ve done things ranging from creating and animating characters to modelling a 250k triangle model of an underground digging vehicle for a simulator to scripting a UI for an iPad (iOS) game.
All gaming genres are great in their own right and have their merits, though my personal favourite to play would have to be the ‘sandbox themed, first person role playing action genre’ (titles like Skyrim and Fallout: new Vegas...and yes, I know, Fallout 3 was better but I could never get a copy). I absolutely adore the idea of creating a fresh new character and see him/her grow in a rich, lore inspired world.
I’ve already worked in the gaming industry and wish to continue to do so. For others who like to get hints and tips on how to be a better game developer or even a game designer, you should check out “Extra Credits” on youtube.
Hi my name is Etienne and im writing all the way from Malmesbury :D Currently I have 1 project completed http://contest.gamedevfort.com/submission/123#.VcnvmbUYv85 . Other than that I there isnt much to say I like games I like making them and playing them :D The guys from freelives told me to sign up here and connect with the community.
Im not the best developer and lack experience but im learning as i go along.
I'm situated in Pretoria. I did my Hons. in Info science with a gaming focus. I work full time for a company doing flight sims for the airforce. And mining sims. But I have a dream of making just 1 game loved by a few thousand people. I have a thing for tower defense and strategy type games so I'm currently working on various ideas in that department.
I have absolutely no desire to do game dev in a business environment. I feel it would ruin the fun I get out of it.
I also enjoy messing around with web development. And I'm okay at best with art.
And a couple prototypes that never saw daylight. Which is rare. I like to carry projects through even if they don't look promising. My general rule of thumb is if I get a gag out of it or enjoy it then I'll finish it. Or if my mom suggests it I'll make it. Because she always thinks my games are awesome.
Comments
My name is Jonas Wolterstorff. I visited you in your society for the first time this week, February 2015. It was great.
I am a German, studying Sustainable Development in Utrecht, the Netherlands. I am doing an exchange semester at the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoche, while writing my master thesis in Stellenbosch. I am interested in Gameful Design and Behavioral Change.
I am working on a project called "Mindful Meerkats".
Cheers & keep hacking!
@bloodmandarin welcome to MGSA and to South Africa. I know you will enjoy your stay :)
I play guitar for Nomadic Orchestra and Original Swimming Party and compose music for film, adverts and hopefully (soon) games too with my fellow UCT graduate (MMus) Andrew Hoole from our studio in Obs (Cape Town), Sound Foundry.
If you have a game that needs music, then we have music that needs a game!
-Greg
http://steamcommunity.com/id/gregwastaken/
My name is Luke and I majored in film. Along my journey i discovered unity and a light build went on inside my head. I quit my job at e.tv after i realised that I'm tired of making someone else's dreams come true. So i started a indie game company called "9 To Friday".
you can check the project I'm currently working on over here 9tofriday.co.za
and you can check some artwork in this Thread
I'm really glad to have found this community as its been a long and lonely road teaching myself how to do this. i really can't wait for the community meeting, would love to see whats going on outside of this "cave" (room) I'm working in.
Rock on!
I'm Sebastian. My web dev career has magically transformed into a game dev career! Currently actively devving with JavaScript ES6/HTML5/WebGL/Java/LWJGL/Unity3D. My personal projects are slowly moving into the C,C++,C# domain as I'm slowly getting into using Visual Studio.
My current pet game project is on the Jam/Competition forums: BuildX
I am still to release my first game on the App/Play Stores...
My name is Johan. I'm currently studying my last few years in electronic engineering. I'm a programmer and designer by heart, but I've dabbled in 3D modelling (Blender). I also have skills regarding video editing, basic photo editing, basic special effects in videos and I have a keen eye for detail. Games have been my life since I've been a small kid and I'm finally at the point where I can actually start contributing to the games medium. My favorites include: Sub Culture, Starcraft, Quake 3, Unreal Tournament, Freelancer and Mark of the Ninja.
You'll find that I'm a very open minded individual who is more than willing to listen to criticism and advice, as long as you have a good reason behind it of course.
My interests aren't limited to gaming. I also like rock climbing, parkour, muay thai, hiking and cooking. I'd also just like to say hello to all the Nightwish fans :)
I'm looking forward to hanging out here on the forums. I'll try not to lurk too much.
I'm Daoyi, I'm an illustrator in Cape Town. Recently started working at QCF Design, so I'm trying to become a lot more active within the community. Till now I've been mostly hermitting off the radar, but hopefully will be able to meet and get to know some more of you lot in the near future. Looking forward to having great news to share with everyone.
I'm Leon(not actually my real name but that's what everyone calls me). I would say i love programming and the frustrations and challenges it provides. I Start studying for a degree in computer science part-time at UNISA this year and basically I'm just fiddling with game development and art in general but would like to someday do either professionally
I go by Lupus for all things related to my writing, and I'm just that; a writer interested in gaming as a whole. I wish to work on games development so as to show that gaming as a whole is a medium through which meaningful stories can be told and to one day see it elevated and seen as an artform (I see gaming as art but many do not). I keep meaning to learn at least rudimentary programming but keep putting it off. I also can't draw... or make music... so yeah, I've got an uphill journey ahead of me. But hey, where would the fun be if there was no challenge to it.
I'm Lindie, and I like playing games. One day I thought: hey, wouldn't it also be fun to make some? So now I am working on that. My skills are anti-impressive at this particular point, but I am giving them a good work out and hopefully soon they will be... I want to say poofy as in big, but that doesn't seem the right word for a muscle, even a mental one. Help me out here, I have no muscles of my own, what is it that they do when they swell?
What I will eventually be able to do will be largely self-taught, as I am too focus-impaired to respond well to traditional training methods, but I do okay when I wander off on my own path. I like RPGs, strategy games, and anything with Tycoon after it. Also the Sims, because I like being in charge of little pixel people's fates. I may or may not be a tad megalomaniacal. I've played a lot of MMOs in my life, but have kicked that drug for the time being. I verily dislike first person anything. I want to watch my character run. Hell yes pixelated butts. I've quit many a game because I didn't like the run animation.
I like to bake? Does anyone care about that? I am not that interested in cooking, except if I can make a sauce, then I feel like an alchemist / potion maker and it's all "little bit of this" and "little bit of that". I have not yet killed anyone using this method, so I am considering my concoctions a success. I also know all of 8 guitar chords, but my fingers are too slow to play them with anything resembling skill.
Yes. Right. Hello and all that. Nice to be here. I shall stop typing now, or I will keep babbling until sunrise like the utter dweeb I am.
my name is Jason I'm from Durban and I'm studying management at DUT I've been a game fanatic since I was young and I'm just starting my Game Dev quest.
Hi I'm Huang-you Chen but many know me as Lisa. I am a Wits students studying game design. I enjoy making things that trigger people to think about themselves, how they are living their lives and basically to keep people on their toes (mentally and physically). I'm new to game design and I'm currently working on a triangle game about letting go. http://makegamessa.com/discussion/3207/prototype-a-game-about-giving-up-your-triangles#latest
:)
Now its time to give back...in the form of funding for developers. I have a day job but am constantly looking through posts to see who I can provide funding to in order to fuel the long long dormant desire to once again be challenged by games that once stirred emotions like T.I.M, Asteroids, Hyper Olympics, etc.
I am a writer and activist. I also love games - mostly playing games.
I have written about games for Mail & Guardian and Finweek, as well as MarkLives.com.
I have just started a new site called OpenlyCurious.Co that will feature games under the 'play' section. I edit an annual magazine called #TheFutureByDesign which features articles and insights about the SA game industry.
Currently sponsoring one young person who is learning about game dev and is exploring Unity to try an create games.
What I think about a lot is diversity in the SA games industry and amongst game developers and what can be done about this. I think joining forces with Project Codex http://www.projectcodex.co/ or with Olico http://olico.org/olico-youth/ could be options to foster diversity in the industry, and to broaden the sector. I think that Make Games SA should look at an outreach or diversity portfolio in its constitution or membership to actively deal with this.
I am trying to make a game - who isn't? My general experience is that writing is a hell of a lot easier than coding, despite the fact that I come from a family of hard core coders. [My father coded in binary using punch cards.] In my spare time I'm writing a novel about zombies, global warfare, underground tunnels, a queer liberation movement and two mercenaries called Plato and Procter. I live in CT with my partner who is an amazing documentary producer, but who now writes with me.
One of the best games I ever played was Heart Of Darkness. I have such nostalgia for that game it kills me. I must also confess to a tower defence fetish.
Really awesome to read about some of the cool things people are doing and making here.
Very early days so what I am doing is scoping out a game brief from a template I found on Gamasutra, and then I am working out the screenshots using PPT. Possibly sounds quite lame - but that way I am able to really organise the flow of the game and to think how it might work. It is a sandbox game, so it is simple, and complex at the same time.
In terms of development I am looking at Unity or Game Maker. Right now I think that Game Maker might be the best option.
So yes. Really early days. I have also started doing WordPress and will be looking to using some WordCommerce has have been trying to wrangle that.
Game Maker's a good place to start, though I have no idea if it's capable of what you want to do. I'm hoping to venture into Unity myself soon with a Point&Click adventure...maybe...
My name is Michael. I am currently studying Game Design as part of Multimedia at University Pretoria.
I enjoy all parts of creating games, from coding to content creation.
I have a very strong passion for 3D content creation. I have used Blender to do so for more than 5 years now.
I am now in the process of creating a full game in Unity as the final year project for the game design module. Best project ever.
If I can find the time I try to post some progress updates.
My name is Tessa, I'm currently studying Multimedia at the University of Pretoria with a focus on Game Design. I'm also an avid gamer.
Creating games are fun! I especially enjoy content creation and conceptualizing. I've recently started my quest to learn more blender, but I have worked in Autodesk before. I really like 3D modelling and creating concepts for landscapes and creatures alike.
I'm busy creating a full game in Unity as a final year project for an awesome game design module. I'm working with @Kwantanic and I'm looking forward to making awesome stuff and to learn more and more as i go forth on my journey.
I'm relatively new to gamedev. I'm currently working on a game in my spare time using Monogame and C# as I'm C# Web / app developer by profession.
I'm from Cape Town and keen to see what I can learn from everyone on here, I have SO much to learn in this space.
Keen to join some future meetups and discussions too.
My current love is roguelikes (Brogue) and roguelike-likes (FTL), so I want to try my hand at making something with a bit more narrative. I'm imagining building a turn-based platformer, or at least real-time with pausing, imagine a bullet hell platformer where you pause at will like FTL. I realise that I need to take baby steps though, so starting tutorial, step 1 now!
I am mainly a programmer, but I always like to make my own assets, even if they look and sound crap. I can create basic pixel arty and chiptuny stuff myself. I currently work with Flash and Unity3D. I like to use GIMP, Inkscape, Blender, OpenPMT, BFXR and Audacity to create assets.
See you guys around!
Been figuring out game development since the age of 12 (Started with Basic and Pascal), and am currently developing games in C++ for both Linux and Windows. I've dabbled with most engines and languages, but C++ is my "home ground".
Some of my more popular/complete games can be found on my GameJolt profile.
Most of them are created in Game Maker, the two exceptions being Project Phoenix and Exile. The former was made in Unity in a week for a competition, the latter in C++, in about 1 month, for another (Placed 4th, got a runner's up prize).
I'm a meddling artist and musician too, with examples of my music being on Soundcloud. Mostly Chiptune for the NES.
I currently work for a PC repair shop on the West Coast, and have been doing freelance Android app development on and off to make a bit of money.
Nice to have a local site to discuss game development on!
I have been following these forums for a little while now. I am a Sound Designer, focused on Game Audio.
Not sure if this is the right place to post this but I wanted to share my story.
I studied music production after I finished matric, and while doing my music production course we had a few modules on Audio Post Production for film, which I really excelled in. I ended up winning a scholarship to study "Sound Design for Visual Media" at the Vancouver Film School in Canada. Where I promptly discovered and fell in love with the world of Game Audio.
I had finally found where I belonged. Game Audio brought together my two interests - Programming and Sound Design. It allowed me to be technical and creative all in one amazing package. I pushed most of my time and effort into bettering myself and mastering my now chosen career path.
All my handwork and sacrifice both personally and financially (Canada - specifically Vancouver is not the cheapest place to live when you are supported by your parents who earn ZAR) paid off when I was employed contractually by electronic arts to be a sound designer on an unreleased mobile title months before graduating. It was a dream come true. I had the opportunity to not only design sound on new IP but I had the liberty of implementing my own Sound Design within the game. It was some of the hardest months of my life. balancing my final terms and a high pressure contract at the same time. I believed that if I managed to pull it off it would be the ideal start to a career I was so vested into making myself a success in.
Needless to say I pulled it off. I graduated and completed the project for EA. After a coupIe of weeks I was then offered a job at EA as a mid level Audio Artist, slated to work on the upcoming Need for Speed title. I was ecstatic and over the moon as I am sure you can imagine, slowly but surely I was making my dream come true.
And thats when everything fell apart. My student Visa was coming to an end, so I needed to apply for a post graduate work permit. So with my Qualification from the Vancouver Film School and my Signed contract from EA in hand, I applied for my work permit.
To my horror I was denied. Immigration laws had become stricter due to abuse by fast food companies within the country. The school I had attended was taken off the list of eligible schools for which a student could apply for a post graduate work permit. South Africa had no trade agreements with Canada that I could fall onto. So I was told that it would be nearly impossible to make this happen. I then had to go through the heart breaking of process of turning down my dream job and move back home to South Africa.
This is where I am right now. I have the knowledge and I have the skill. I have proven myself far and beyond what was expected from me and yet I feel like I have nothing to show for it.
I am really glad to have found this forum and that the Game Dev industry is alive in SA. I check in everyday in the hope that there will be a job posting or a team looking for sound design support so that I could keep busy and more importantly make a living for myself.
Anyway, I just thought I would share, I look forward to just getting back to doing what I love.
Sash.
sashenreddy.com
I don't have any game developing skills myself but do love gaming during my free time, and hoping I could learn more through you guys, and make a living out of having fun.
I've done a bit of programming before, but mostly BASIC, PHP, and MySQL. I'm useless as a programmer, but still interested in the industry and local scene.
Imo, game dev is the most fulfilling way to apply my skills. I'm excited to see we have an active community where we can share ideas and learn from each other. Looking forward to posting some work in the future, and seeing what else others have made!
Hey all! Welcome to MGSA - hope to see you stuff and interactions on the forum soon! :)
I'm Jacques. I'm an Android/iPhone developer. After playing around with Unity and doing some tutorials, I've decided to make a brawler game with one of my friends. I've never had this much fun coding, so I'm very excited to keep doing this in my free time.
when you say just.one.game do you mean you have one idea that you really really want to make? Are working a thing called " Just.one.game" ?
Hi @Votsy!
That sounds exciting! I recommend sharing as early as possible so that you can get awesome feedback, there are quite a few brawlerheads around here.
Welcome!
My name is Nkululeko. Im tryin to get involved in the indie game dev scene. Ive been working on a scifi video game for about a year and a half. I suck at programing , but i can draw nice pretty pictures. Which is why im using a free game dev tool called 3d Rad, that requires very little programming.
Thats about it. :)
My name is Hermann and ever since my dad bought me the legendary “Click and play” program, I have wanted to develop games (granted, I was just a kid at the time).
I’m a professional 3D animator and 3D designer, with work place experience in both. I have studied programming languages, such as C# and Visual basic. I have taught myself web development (with HTML 5 and CSS) and I know a tonne of game theory (“Art of game design, a book of lenses”, “Game feel”, “Beginning Level Designer” etc.). I also have workplace experience working in Unity 4.6 + 5.1 as UI scripter.
I like to think I am both right and left brain orientated and I am capable of combining my creative and technical skills, as well as drawing on my diverse experiences, to create a great gaming experience. I’ve done things ranging from creating and animating characters to modelling a 250k triangle model of an underground digging vehicle for a simulator to scripting a UI for an iPad (iOS) game.
All gaming genres are great in their own right and have their merits, though my personal favourite to play would have to be the ‘sandbox themed, first person role playing action genre’ (titles like Skyrim and Fallout: new Vegas...and yes, I know, Fallout 3 was better but I could never get a copy). I absolutely adore the idea of creating a fresh new character and see him/her grow in a rich, lore inspired world.
I’ve already worked in the gaming industry and wish to continue to do so. For others who like to get hints and tips on how to be a better game developer or even a game designer, you should check out “Extra Credits” on youtube.
Other than that I there isnt much to say I like games I like making them and playing them :D
The guys from freelives told me to sign up here and connect with the community.
Im not the best developer and lack experience but im learning as i go along.
I'm situated in Pretoria. I did my Hons. in Info science with a gaming focus. I work full time for a company doing flight sims for the airforce. And mining sims. But I have a dream of making just 1 game loved by a few thousand people. I have a thing for tower defense and strategy type games so I'm currently working on various ideas in that department.
I have absolutely no desire to do game dev in a business environment. I feel it would ruin the fun I get out of it.
I also enjoy messing around with web development. And I'm okay at best with art.
I've made a couple of lame-ish 1-button games before:
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dirtypixel.hogsndogs
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ericlouw.gridlock&hl=en
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.word.search.android
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dirtypixel.thedirtypixel&hl=en
And a couple prototypes that never saw daylight. Which is rare. I like to carry projects through even if they don't look promising. My general rule of thumb is if I get a gag out of it or enjoy it then I'll finish it. Or if my mom suggests it I'll make it. Because she always thinks my games are awesome.