★ AMSTRAD CPC ★ MARK EYLES ★ |
| Mark Eyles | Games - Auteurs |
You've seen the film of the book of the play of the cuddly toy of the cartoon character of the peculiar little scribble on the back of a fag packet... Now hear what Mark Eyles, software designer extraordinaire has to say... What games licensed from films have you worked on so far? What's your favourite? Once a film license has been obtained what do you, as the Software Designer, have to do? Read the scripts, or see the film, if it's been shot, and devise a storyboard. This'll include a detailed gameplan of the scenario, characters, their behaviour and how the game will play. I usually produce a few sample screens on my Spectrum too. If this is accepted a whole programming team is brought together to implement the design into a working game - well, that's the Idea! What sort of problems are associated with producing a game from a film? The main restriction is the hardware – obviously you haven't got the sound and colour that a film producers got. Its also very difficult to recreate a hero and show the differences between characters. Still, it's a challenge and very satisfying when you've come up with something that reproduces a films atmosphere. Do the programming team have difficulty converting your design of a game when they're working with only 48K of memory? Admittedly I'm not a programmer (if I programmed a game it'd look like a load of blobs moving around in Basic) but I do know what a machines capable of. There would be no point coming up with a mega amazing design that just wasn't feasible to program. But it works the other way too – most programmers couldn't design a game so we complement each other. What are the advantages and disadvantages of designing a game when you've only seen the script of a film? Usually its no problem, though films can sometimes alter by the time they actually hit the screen. In Aliens, for example, it wasn't until I d seen the film that I realised the little girl, Newt, (the sole survivor on the planet) played such an important role. I then had to incorporate this into my original design and by this stage the programmers were already developing the game. Producing a game is an ongoing process – we're continually adapting and refining it though the essential design will still be the same The advantage of designing a game based on a film when its in script stage is you've more time to program the game. That way it should be a better product and still come out when the films released. Do you go to the cinema a lot? Yes I do. Obviously I go and see all the films that I hi designing games for, but IV also go and see anything that I think will be well produced. I particularly like sci-h stuff and Spielberg movies. Are you a trainspotter and do you have a pair of mittens wtth elastic on? I haven't put my trainspotter sticker up anywhere, sorry, but I s pose I'm an ageing trainspotter. And no. but I have got this really neat pair that have the fingers sawn off and a little flap on the top so you can wear them like mittens too. What's your favourite? Usually the one I'm working on, in this case Aliens – itll be brilliant! Once a film license has been obtained what do you, as the Software Designer, have to do? Read the scripts, or see the film, if it's been shot, and devise a storyboard. This'll include a detailed gameplan of the scenario, characters, their behaviour and how the game will play. I usually produce a few sample screens on my Spectrum too. If this is accepted a whole programming team is brought together to implement the design into a working game - well, that's the Idea! What sort of problems are associated with producing a game from a film? The main restriction is the hardware – obviously you haven't got the sound and colour that a film producers got. Its also very difficult to recreate a hero and show the differences between characters. Still, it's a challenge and very satisfying when you've come up with something that reproduces a films atmosphere. Do the programming team have difficulty converting your design of a game when they're working with only 48K of memory? Admittedly I'm not a programmer (if I programmed a game it'd look like a load of blobs moving around in Basic) but I do know what a machines capable of. There would be no point coming up with a mega amazing design that just wasn't feasible to program. But it works the other way too – most programmers couldn't design a game so we complement each other. What are the advantages and disadvantages of designing a game when you've only seen the script of a film? Usually its no problem, though films can sometimes alter by the time they actually hit the screen. In Aliens, for example, it wasn't until I d seen the film that I realised the little girl, Newt, (the sole survivor on the planet) played such an important role. I then had to incorporate this into my original design and by this stage the programmers were already developing the game. Producing a game is an ongoing process – we're continually adapting and refining it though the essential design will still be the same The advantage of designing a game based on a film when its in script stage is you've more time to program the game. That way it should be a better product and still come out when the films released. Do you go to the cinema a lot? Yes I do. Obviously I go and see all the films that I hi designing games for, but IV also go and see anything that I think will be well produced. I particularly like sci-h stuff and Spielberg movies. Are you a trainspotter and do you have a pair of mittens wtth elastic on? I haven't put my trainspotter sticker up anywhere, sorry, but I s pose I'm an ageing trainspotter. And no. but I have got this really neat pair that have the fingers sawn off and a little flap on the top so you can wear them like mittens too.
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