Month: March 2016

Chambara Post GDC

Posted on by Kevin Wong
Okay, so we didn’t win the IGF Best Student Game Award, but I’m not bummed at all. Huge congrats to Jenny Jiao Hsia and Alec Thompson for winning the award for Beglitched! The game looks great and filled with soul.

Just to be nominated and considered amongst such incredible talent is a baffling honor and I’m proud of how far the team has been able to go. Hundreds of games applied to be considered for this award, and together, we’ve been able to accomplish what very few can. Two years ago, when we were initiating Chambara as a summer project at William Huber’s invitation, I never saw it coming to this. Us, exhibiting the game at the largest and oldest games conference in the world, in front of amazing developers and people who were heroes to me as a teenager. Wow!

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The Chambara team on their way out from GDC

Thanks are in order, but I’ll have to save those for when the project wraps up. For now, I’ll just say that GDC was exactly what we needed at this phase of the project. To interact with other game developers doing incredibly creative work of their own and sharing their discoveries and skills in talks and classes is incredibly refreshing, and its hard not to leave GDC invigorated to return to work.

Two months remain in my undergrad. Assuming I don’t royally mess up, things should go well.

Our next exhibition will not be one we can’t attend personally, since it is overseas! We’re exhibiting at the NowPlayThis festival in London, and if you can make it out to that, you should check it out and try all the other amazing art games there.

Furthermore, ICYMI, Chambara‘s trailer and dev diaries are now out! Check them out!


 

 

Heading up to GDC

Posted on by Kevin Wong

Hi folks,

I’m flying north to San Francisco for GDC tomorrow. This year, we’re nominated for the Best Student Game Award at the Independent Games Festival and will be showing Chambara at both the IGF Pavilion and one other location that will be disclosed early next week that still has to be kept under wraps.

We’re bringing a bunch of stuff up with us. Lots of swag and collectibles. Stickers, pins, cards, and the like. Meet us at our booth, and you can snag some. They’re really cool, huge props to team ok’s marketing unit. We’re going to be in the North Hall, right by the entrance. You can’t miss us. If you’re a journalist, or are just interested in the game, feel free to buzz me and we can set up an appointment for a special showing.

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We’re going to be showing off an almost-complete version of the game. All of the core mechanics will be there and well polished, though we will be locking out some of the more advanced stages and content that would not make very much sense for beginners. We’ve exhibited a lot in the past, but showing at GDC is a big deal in the larger picture. I remember walking through the IGF Pavilion freshman year and being thrilled to see the developers and their games. Here I am years later on the other side of all that. Wow. That is really something.

As for how I feel? Not quite sure. One year ago, we left to go to London and the BAFTAs, and I was ensnared with anticipation as to how things could have changed if we won or lost. Retrospectively, things really did change, and having lived through the experience of being nominated for an award, this time feels different. I don’t know if we will win, and I respect the other nominees immensely, but I want us to do the best we can out there and, if the events of next week catalyze any change to the world around me, that it will serve the interests of everyone.

I’m excited for this next week. Let’s go.