Influences come in many shapes and sizes and from a variety of sources, with even, what seems on the surface, the smallest incident able to have a profound affect on the character and development of individuals.
Those in igaming are undoubtedly no different, but one segment whose reach throughout the sector can’t be denied concerns the many generations of video games platforms and the seemingly unending spin-offs that ensue.
The early successes of Atari, development of Nintendo and today’s all too often PlayStation/Xbox debates have spawned an endless supply of entertainment, from board games to the thousands of apps many now have at their finger tips, and everything in between, also contributing.
Making the latest entry in the series is Krzysztof Opałka, CTO at Yggdrasil, who identifies those titles that have provided significant inspiration.
Super Mario Bros
Why I love it
I remember it like it was yesterday when my parents got me the brand-new Nintendo NES for Christmas and Super Mario Bros was of course the first pick and it immediately became a cultish title. It had easy to grasp and fun mechanics wrapped in a storyline with a clear goal – beating the villain and rescue the princess. It was enjoyed by people five years old as well as 50 years old. It was such an immersive experience to sit in front of a 15-inch CRT TV and play video games!
Career influences
I think those moments influenced me a lot and made a subconscious impact on my future career decisions. Oh, boy… I wish I could go back to those times for one day.
Heroes of Might and Magic III
Why I love it
Another title from my childhood. Astrologers proclaim the week of nostalgia. Hundreds (or probably even thousands) of hours spent on conquering different maps. Everyone had their favourite city to master. Fabulous settings and amazing music gave me goosebumps every time. It also had the multiplayer mode which made it even more fun to play with friends from school.
Career Influences
On a career level, HoMM III taught me a lot about user interface. The complexity of the mechanics was covered by easy to use, intuitive UI and I am sure this had a tremendous impact on its popularity and was one of the reasons of success. I realised the importance of smooth UI and I have tried to apply that to any product I have worked on.
FarmVille
Why I love it
Admitting to have been a fan of FarmVille might be a bit embarrassing, but who cares? So many people would secretly wake up in the middle of the night to collect crops. It was a lot of fun to compete with friends to build a better village. At one point though, it started to get annoying with constant notifications and spamming on your Facebook wall. Ironically, what initially made Facebook games so popular, eventually killed it.
Career Influences
FarmVille was the first massive casual online game that proved that you don’t need an expensive console or a dedicated device to be a gamer. All you have to do is log in using the same old PC you use for browsing the web or work. It had extremely low entry barriers and reached out to the masses. Because of FarmVille, I realised that playing games is part of human nature and gaming should be accessible to everyone.
If you would like to participate and elaborate on your own gaming influences contact [email protected].
