Developer Playlist is The Black Panel’s occasional column devoted to industry figures and the games that inspire them. Each instalment features a ‘playlist’ of influential titles hand-picked by a talented creator.

Having a career in the games industry is one thing, but having a career that spans more than 10 years is something else, and that is exactly what Mark Rowley, technical director at SEGA Studios Australia, has managed to do. Having worked on massive hits such as Assassins Creed, Prince of Persia and Prey, Rowley has brought his knowledge, expertise and experience to SEGA to guide and develop their future licence based products including the upcoming London 2012 Olympics video game. With a pedigree such as this, his playlist makes for interesting reading.

—– Mark Rowley’s Playlist —–

The first game Rowley mentions is 1997’s PC classic ULTIMA ONLINE. He recalls being instantly addicted to Origin Systems’ trailblazing MMO and spending “a silly amount of money” on ISDN phone lines. He credits the game for drawing him away from “the industrial sector and into game development.” Rowley poured hours into his passion, even volunteering his own time to provide in game customer support. “For those who play UO, I was a counsellor on the Euro shards,” he says. “To this date, I still wish for an MMO that has such a freeform mechanic that can keep its players drawn in.”

The next game Rowley mentions is Sir-Tech Software’s seminal 1999 PC release JAGGED ALLIANCE 2. “I love board games, and these kinds of turn based strategy games give me the same sense of planning and achievement. Jagged Alliance 2 is a shining example of that style of game executed well. It has so much depth to it that every play through I find something new.” He also manages to sneak in some praise for a much more recent entry in the genre. “Big shout out to the team behind Frozen Synapse. I think they have taken this style of game and given it a new lease of life as over the past few years it’s been hard to find games like this!”

Rowley’s final choice is one that is dear to many of us and I imagine it won’t be until about October 27 that (in all likelihood) it will be replaced. That title in question is last year’s multiplatform BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 from Swedish EA subsidiary DICE. Mark puts it simply “This game is so addictive. The mix of FPS action and team based tactics always draws me back when I see friends online.”

What’s next for Mark Rowley?

Currently he is working on the official game of the 2012 London Olympics and while he can’t say too much about the features of the game, he hopes that it will allow people to be a part of the history associated with the Olympics and relive it with friends and family both online and off. He also identifies an added benefit likely near and dear to gamers’ hearts. “The best part is, they won’t need to train for years to take part!”

Other editions of Developer Playlist: John Halloran (PopCap); Jon Paquette (Insomniac Games); Daniel Visser (Wicked Witch Games)

Image Credit: Alhem (Ultima Online)

PART ONE I TWO

Despite the focus on free-flowing battles, players will also expect Kingdoms of Amalur to provide a robust role playing experience. Noting that the game boasts a full dialogue system, we ask Fridley just how important conversation and player choice is to the overall plot. He is unequivocal in his response. “Player choice in the narrative is the cornerstone of any good open world fantasy RPG and we went to great lengths in our quest and conversation systems to make sure the player has plenty of options.” Read the rest of this entry »

PART ONE I TWO

With its colourful fantasy setting and surprisingly deep combat system, the EA published Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is definitely one to watch. The multiplatform project represents something of a departure for developer Big Huge Games, which had previously been known for its work on historical RTS franchises Rise of Nations and Age of Empires. With hundreds, if not thousands, of fantasy milieus having been produced across a variety of media over the years, the studio will have to work hard to make its mark on the competitive RPG landscape. Read the rest of this entry »

Developer Playlist is The Black Panel’s occasional column devoted to industry figures and the games that inspire them. Each instalment features a ‘playlist’ of influential titles hand-picked by a talented creator.

Men (I mean manly men, I mean Daniel Boon style men) are not often associated with the video games industry. Daniel Visser may make many rethink their positions. Just look at his photo. If that doesn’t scream “I would eat Bear Grylls for breakfast” then nothing does. Visser is the Managing Director of Wicked Witch Software, an Australian development company that specialises in mobile gaming but has also worked on many console titles. Visser is so manly that he even scared the NRL and the AFL into letting Wicked Witch take charge of their respective licences for mobile gaming. He also worked in the past for Melbourne House, Torus Games and CrawFish Interactive. These studios have had an undeniable impact on the local games industry and with a pedigree like this, Visser’s playlist is something everyone should take note of.

—– Daniel Visser’s Playlist —–

TETRIS makes another appearance in a developer’s playlist. Visser says “While there are many classics like Tetris and Asteroids, and some great remakes or evolved versions such as Geometry Wars or slants like Bejeweled or Zuma, Tetris remains high on the list for the ultra-simplicity and its role in defining the casual continuous game. This game continues to influence me as much as being a solid reminder for how simple games can be, and how complex they end up getting!” Originally issued in 1987, Tetris has since been released on almost every platform imaginable.

For his second choice, Visser went with Ensemble Studio’s 1998 strategy classic AGE OF EMPIRES II: THE AGE OF KINGS, “While it is hard to pick a favourite RTS from Warcraft, StarCraft, Command & Conquer: Generals and other greats that may even include the Civilization and SimCity series, Age of Empires II still holds a special place for me because we played it the most over the years (perhaps we had more time then) and this game features a great end game with multiple ways to win that still holds up against modern RTS games, even its own sequel! This game is also an influence when we discuss balancing issues, unit counters, learning curves and end game play.”

Finally Daniel picks one of the most addictive game experiences ever created in Blizzard’s 2004 money making machine, WORLD OF WARCRAFT. Visser had been impressed with 1987’s Ultima Online, but when he played the Wow beta, he was “amazed at the level of detail in the world, and at the great storyline and artwork that we knew and loved from the previous Warcraft games brought to life in full 3D. This game is a great influence for everything fantasy, and is the undeniable benchmark in MMO gameplay.”

So what’s next for this manliest of games developers?

Well, the iPhone is clearly in his sights, with multiple sporting games coming out this year for the iOS platform. He also hopes to port these games to Android early in the new year. Visser is particularly excited about an upcoming casual game Wicked Witch is bringing to the iOS system. He says “our first casual game is as beautiful as it is addictive!” So readers, watch out for Visser and Wicked Witch… putting the MAN back into gaming.

Other editions of Developer Playlist: John Halloran (PopCap); Jon Paquette (Insomniac Games)

Image Credit: Moby Games (Tetris)