Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing the CoFounder of SynaptixGames, Stephen Madsen. SynaptixGames started out as a Father/Son duo over 5 years ago.
Q: How old are you and when did you become a game developer?
A: I am 30 years old and I started developing video games professionally in 2009.
Q: What inspired you to become a game developer? Why? Who?
A: I played video games as a kid and all through high school. When I found a school (Full Sail University) that would teach me computer science and video games, it was an easy choice.
Q: What education do you have in game developing? Self taught or institution learned?
A: Full Sail University
Q: With technology changing every day, how much time do you spend researching the trends and changes in the developing market?
A: At least an hour spent every day keeping up with the release of new hardware, tools, and SDKs. Some of that time is spent following trends on Twitter and news from the developing market.
Q: How long does it take to develop a game?
A: Anywhere from 4 months to 4 years depending on the scope of the project.
Q: How many games have you developed in your time as a developer?
A: 20 published titles.
Q: Do you find working at night is easier than working during the day? Does something about darkness and quiet bring you focus?
A: I get most of my work done late at night or early in the morning. At those times of day, I can more easily get into the zone and make rapid progress.
Q: Do you think Virtual Reality has opened the doors to unlimited gaming experiences?
A: The doors to unlimited gaming experiences was already opened without VR. There are so many devices and gadgets to create games for. It is a fantastic time to be a developer. However, VR itself is open to unlimited gaming and non-gaming experiences.
SynaptixGames 