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Interviewed Paul Steed
Author's name: Relix
Website: Relix's Site
Relix : First Paul, let me say thank you on behalf of Quake3stuff for taking the time for this interview.
Steed : My pleasure ;]
Relix : Can you give us some background on yourself?
Steed : I’m an old-school computer geek who cut his teeth on mechanical pinball machines, stand-up arcades like Tempest, Galaga and DigDug and even programmed on a Vic20 writing text adventures. I would’ve turned into a real programmer too, if I hadn't found girls (not enough time to learn code AND chase women back then). ;) As it is I picked up my first mouse when I was 27 working for Origin Systems in 1991. I spent 4 years in Austin with Lord British and Chris Roberts working on games like Privateer, Strike Commander, Wings of Glory and the Wing Commander series. My first character animation was on a game called BioForge. After Origin I bounced around working for Iguana Studios and Virgin Interactive Entertainment before going to id Software in 1996. I joined WildTangent in 2000 and most recently started my own company in November of last year.
Relix : What prompted your entering into the gaming industry, and how long has it been?
Steed : Before making games I had had a lot of jobs. You name it…I did it. When I found out you got paid to sit around and make and play games I was floored! I still feel very, very lucky to do what I do for a living for the past 10 years.
Relix : Could you give our readers some insight as to what a workday might entail for you?
Steed : I get up, go to the gym, work from home a little checking email and things, go to the office, work and head home about 12 hours later (usually 2 or 3 in the morning). Because I recently bought a pimped-out Dell Precision work station-rated laptop I sometimes park somewhere scenic to work.
Relix : Have you ever dabbled with other parts of production, aside from modeling/animation?
Steed : I’m trying to get back into programming and have started dabbling in Java a bit. On Quake2 and Quake3 I worked closely on the sound aspect of the characters and cinematics. It’s a little known fact Rob Zombi did the second half of the intro to Quake2 based on my input and (of course) animation. Since I dig his music quite a lot it was a pretty cool thing to have happen. At WildTangent I was a producer but made time to do art and design. I actually started at Origin as a game designer and moved into art because the pay was better!
Relix : I know you have at least one book, are there any others out there? Or plans for others?
Steed : I plan to write two more books: one on animation and one on life as a game developer- the latter being a sordid tell-all, pseudo-autobiographical, satirical work. Of course it will be fictional with names changed to protect the guilty. ;]
Relix : Can you tell us what your favorite game of all time is, if there is a favorite?
Steed : I have a couple favorites I rate that way because of how many times I’ve replayed them. Of course Doom and Doom2 were pivotal in keeping me interested in being a developer (I wanted to make games like THAT!). Warcraft2, Duke Nukem, Quake, Dark Forces, Starcraft, and both Diablos sucked a lot of life away, too. ;] Sitting in front of a computer working on content for long,long hours doesn’t compel me to play too many games, unfortunately. However, I have been eyeing the new consoles with renewed interest. I reckon it’s often too much like homework when you play a game too similar to the one you’re working on but I believe to stay current as a developer you have to know what’s popular. I have to admit I’m a casual gamer, though. That’s fine with me because of all the demographics, casual gamers spend the most money. It’s important to know what turns them on so it’s no accident I respond to very commercially successful games!
Relix : Are their any hobbies that are of particular interest?
Steed : Mountain biking, hiking, playing pool…the usual guy stuff.
Relix : Can you elaborate on what you are currently working on at Wild Tangent? *DELETE IF UNACCEPTABLE*
Steed : Sure! I’m making a series of four music visualizers similar to the Holiday and Valentines Dancer I created while at WildTangent. I’m also working on several game ideas that also utilize WildTangent's technology. Once the Betty Bad movie deal gets going that will take up a lot of my time, too! ;}
Relix : In your opinion, where do you see gaming making changes/advances in 5-10 years?
Steed : I feel strongly in the growth of episodic games like Betty Bad delivered via the Internet. As a developer, spending a year on a game is much more preferable than three years. Betty was the first installment of three parts. Hopefully the sequels will be done whether it’s by me or someone else. I believe the Internet will become a viable game delivery mechanism if for no other reason than the retail space is so damn crowded! And when the heck are publishers going to ditch the BIG FAT BOXES and go with DVD cases? I’ve heard Duke Nukem will go to this packaging solution but I’ll have to wait and see. I believe you’ll see better stories in games and people responding to high quality writing similar to they respond to well-written movies. I write all my game designs in screenplay format because an action game featuring characters is like a movie in many ways. You just have to balance the compelling narrative with fun gameplay. Innovation is great and I’m sure the next great paradigm is around the corner but focus on quality gameplay and higher production values will result in better games in the future.
Relix : Paul, thanks very much for the interview and Good Luck to you.
Steed : - Thanks, Scott ;]
Scott O'Dell - a.k.a. "Relix"
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