How did you get into gaming? (Scott)

As far as getting into game development it came later in my career.  I had done some programming in college and started my career by opening a boutique 3D animation studio in the early 90’s.  At the time I was into visual effects and animation for TV and movies.  It was cutting edge stuff and it felt great forging new ground. As 3D graphics advanced in gaming with the Atari Jaguar, Nintendo 64, GameCube and Sega Dreamcast I played a lot and watched closely as new gameplay and visual styles emerged. I became more interested in the possibilities of visual style and art in gaming. Today I enjoy the mechanics of game development, risk/reward, odds and challenge joined with amazing art (both 2D and 3D). I look at gaming as the definitive place where advanced storytelling, visualization, and digital art will continue to be developed.

What is your story when it comes to games?

I was a kid when the first handheld LED display games came out like Coleco Electronic Quarterback in 1978. They had really rudimentary displays but compelling play. What the visuals lacked your mind would fill in. The game that stuck with me though and fueled the passion for gaming was the Bambino UFO Master Blaster in 1979. The unit itself was a really nicely designed thing.  It felt good and used smooth lines and shiny a white surface long before it was Apple’s thing. This game came out on the heels of Star Wars and the original Battlestar Galactica tv show. With those visuals in my head, I played the game endlessly.  I have it to this day and still play it.  Level 3 is challenging.

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One game you would recommend to people and why?

This is really subjective but.  By Era – Do check out UFO Master Blaster if you ever get hands-on to see how it started. It shows that challenge and odds alone can create sticky gameplay. From the arcade era, definitely Discs of Tron. The arcade cabinet and game had an amazing look, a cool control mix and really required you to be mentally dialed in to play well. Current Era – there are tons but Perception from http://www.thedeependgames.com/ has had my attention for a while due to its unique premise, visual style and use of sound design.
Scott Hill – Managing Director