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Interviews — 3 Comments 6
Nov 09

It’s a bird, It’s a plane, It’s…

Joey Betz

Joey Betz - Living life on the Edge

Dashing and Daring,
Crushing and Fearing,
Faithful and smart,
As He programs along.

Joey Betz
Coding Here and there and Everywhere
His games are beyond Compare,
He is called Joey Betz.

I hope everyone enjoys this interview.

1- Hi, Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

I live in Irvine Ca and I work full time as a game developer for Armor Games

2 – What is your educational background?

I got a Bachelors degree in game development, which sounds kind of cheesy, but it’s the best decision I’ve made.

3 – When did you realize that making Flash games is something you would like to do full-time?

Flash games are extremely fast to produce, and realizing that you can make something amazing within just a few weeks, I got addicted really fast.

4 – How did you get involved with Armor Games?

Dan was interested in a flash developer that was local, and I happened to be on his radar. After the gladiator battle with the other hopeful developers and the final fight against a Rancor monster, I was lucky enough to come out victorious.

5 – You are relatively new to the Flash game world. Did you expect the immense popularity for many of your games would produce?

No, that’s what so funny about it. I just make games that I would enjoy playing, and find it pretty cool that other people like them too.

6 – What qualities or features do you think added to the success of your games?

Addictiveness. I try and put addictive properties in every game I do, and sometimes it’s really successful.

7 – What is your favorite game you have worked on so far? What do you like most about it?

I’d have to say it’s a toss up between Crush the Castle and Phage Wars. During Crush the Castle John and I got to make a real working trebuchet in the office and launched Ball Revamped balls in the parking lot. With Phage Wars I did a lot of research on cells and got to implement a lot of technical charts in Phage Wars 2.

8 – Do you have any games currently in the works or planned for the future? Is there more destruction coming?

I have a some sequels coming up and quite a few new ideas in the works. Destruction aplenty.

9 – Where did you get the inspiration to make a game about demolition?

My dad actually came up with the idea for Demolition City. He wanted a game where you could blow up buildings with dynamite, and so DC was made specifically for him.

10 – When you are taking a break from game development, what are some things you like to do for fun?

I watch movies all the time. I especially enjoy anime movies and I think I’ve seen almost everything Studio Ghibli has produced. I enjoy listening to music quite a bit as well.

11 – Approximately, how often do you eat at Chipotle?

Twice a week and sometimes more. I’ve kind of brought it into the office as well, with Chipotle Mondays for lunch. It’s an addiction, and I struggle with it everyday.

12 – I hear that You and Daniel McNeely share the same birthday, both have a sister named Jennifer and that you use to live 5 doors apart in Newport Beach and never even knew it. Do you think you two are long lost brothers that were separated at birth?

I think Dan and I are one in the same person. When Dan is happy, I’m happy and when Dan gets sad, I feel upset. It’s really weird.

13 – What words of encouragement would you give to someone who is just starting off in game development?

If you aren’t having fun making a game, then you aren’t making a very fun game.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions Joey!

Game Development — 7 Comments 2
Nov 09

Better than the BING jingle

SSB is coming out soon so here’s a catch tune to get everyone excited!
Enjoy~

Interviews — 14 Comments 16
Oct 09

This is the Only Interview

This week on the Armorblog we bring you the excitement and mystery behind the Man known as JMTB02!

Hi, could you first introduce yourself to those who don’t know you?

Of course, my name is John Cooney, I am Head of Game Development at Armor Games. I’ve been producing games for the past few years and I’m the author of series such as Ball Revamped, Four Second series, Elephant games, Dark Cut series, etc.

What led to your interest and involvement in Flash game development?

Like any kid I loved video games, but moreso I loved the idea of challenging people. Flash was accessible when I started thinking about game development so I sunk my teeth into it. At the time I was actually interested in becoming an animator, I loved making animations in Flash and was thinking about continuing that into a future career. But dabbling in a few games I realized that I wanted to go that direction instead.

When did you begin working for Armor Games?

I started working for Armor back in 2004-2005 when Armor sponsored Ball Revamped 3. Ball Revamped was my first popular game on the web and that was enough to get sponsorships for sequels.

What were you doing prior to moving to Southern California? Was it difficult to move and begin working far from home?

I was a college student at the University of California, Davis, working on my Bachelor of Arts in Technocultural Studies. Once I graduated the “what next?” question popped up and it seemed obvious to continue doing game development. Moving is always difficult, I was moving from Northern California which is 450 miles away. It was a difficult move because I had to leave my then-girlfriend behind in Davis while she finished up her degree, but we managed to survive the long distance for the next few years and we’re now happily married!

How do you like working for Armor Games? What is your favorite thing about it?

I love working at Armor Games. Easily the best part of working here is the casual attitude and supportive environment. We’re not a stiff-backed company full of bureaucracy, we’re a small game company who loves making games and doing interesting things within Flash gaming. And the snack food is good.

You have created many characters for your games. Which is your favorite?

I’m really in love with my little Blue Elephant. He’s so much fun to work with and being only a few pixels tall he hits easily into overhead compartments.

Out of all the animals you could have chosen to launch, how did you decide on the Hedgehog?

It was an internet argument, the best form of argument. In an argument with Kongregate’s Director of Games, Greg supported the idea that Sugar Gliders (little flying creatures) were far superior to Hedgehogs. His primary argument was that the flying ability of sugar gliders trumped any quality of hedgehog. So I decided to make a hedgehog fly, and one better, made it a Flash game called Hedgehog Launch.

Which game did you have the most fun working on? What made it such a great project?

Llama Adventure, easily. It is a text-based adventure and it is goofy and fun. I love writing and I had the opportunity to write nearly 25-30 pages for this game. Not the most popular game by any means, but it was incredibly fun to make.

Which of your games would you say has been the most successful so far? What do you think attributed to it’s success?

Success is such a subjective topic, but in my case I would have to say that Achievement Unlocked was my most successful project. On all levels it was fun to make and even more fun to see people play. It by no means gained the most hits but I think it stirred the pot much more than my other projects.

Do you have any games in the works or planned for the future?

I am working on I Hate Traffic and Elephant Rave HD. I Hate Traffic is a smash-em’ up car game in line with I Love Traffic, and Elephant Rave HD is a pet project to get the original up to full-size.

Currently, what is your favorite console game? Favorite Flash game? Favorite board game? When was the last time you played a board game?

Favorite console game is easily Super Mario Bros 2. See any of my previous rants for that subject. My favorite Flash game is currently is a toss-up between a few, Desktop Tower Defense, Transmigration, and a few others. Board game? I love Settlers of Catan and Scrabble, I played Scrabble just earlier this week!

When you are not developing Flash games, what are some things you like to do for fun?

I love photography and have been doing that for over a year now. It’s fun to get out and do some hiking and photography together to get exercise and creativity flowing. I also love running and biking, especially when working towards events. Otherwise I’m a pretty big gamer and enjoy watching ice hockey as well.

You go by the name Jmtb02. Is that cryptic code or does it have a hidden meaning?

Not really, it stands for John MounTain Bike 2002. When I was younger I made a screen name in 2002 for my hobby at the time, and it sort of stuck once I started using it as my login on various Flash sites. I used to keep it secret to keep people guessing.

Throughout your most recent games you’ve hidden random numbers. Are we ever going to find out what those mean?

What hidden numbers ?

Game Development / Interviews — 26 Comments 7
Oct 09

Hero Interactive – Bubblicious Interview

This week we bring you a very exciting interview with ‘Hero Interactive’.

Hero Interactive Logo

1. Hi, Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about yourself?

Yeah sure! I’m Jared Riley, the founder and owner of the flash game studio Hero Interactive. We’ve developed a number of popular games out there, many of which you’ve probably heard of such as Bubble Tanks and StormWinds. Our studio is located in Southwest Michigan, USA and currently consists of 3 programmers, an artist, a project/community manager, and two composers.

2. What sparked your interest in Flash gaming and, more specifically, how
did you get into Flash development?

I was always interested in game development and had initially planned on entering console game development. For that reason I picked up degrees in Computer Science and Telecommunication from Michigan State University. However, disillusioned with the lifestyle and work conditions a console developer could be looking forward to, I decided to try something different. So in 2006, I started exploring with Flash and seeing what was out there. Turns out it was a good fit for me.

3. What are some things you like about Flash as opposed to trying to develop on other platforms?

Flash is an amazing platform to work with. Firstly, it’s one of the (if not the most) ubiquitous programs out there. It’s installed on billions of machines, more than Microsoft Windows by far. Our games can run on almost any computer be it Windows or Mac. Additionally, Flash games can be developed far more quickly than console games so we’re able to experiment with games and try something new. In a month or two we’re usually on something new!

4. How did you come up with “That Hero guy from your logo”? Who drew him?
Was he modeled after you?

Haha, actually I didn’t have much to do with the character though I get this question often. I did choose the name of the company and when we approached the logo design company, we gave them a lot of input: we wanted a super hero, blue, orange, and white colors, etc… After MANY revisions this is what we got! I’m happy with him, and he’s served as a great mascot.

5. What inspired you to make games about Bubbles in Combat?

I knew I wanted to make a game where you could go around shooting off components of enemies and then having those parts fuel your own growth. Once I decided I wanted to be able to also have you float around from one arena to another, bubble just kind of came to mind and stuck. I wanted a casual shooter as well, and it was a good fit.

6. What aspects of your Bubble Tanks games do you think attributed to
their success?

I think there are two big factors that make Bubble Tanks as popular as it is. The first is the game centers around growth. Watching your tank constantly evolve and grow is really fun and gives us a sense of positive progress in the game. Secondly, the ability to just float around and choose who we fight and when we fight them allows us to control the difficulty in the game far better than most and in a way that is subtle yet makes sense. If you find the game too easy, all you have to do is keep swimming away from the center of the map. If you find it too hard, you can simply stick around the center killing the smaller enemies. If you’re in a situation that’s too stressful- just run! This kind of difficulty control allows the game to be challenging and interesting yet never so hard you get frustrated and quit. I’m definitely trying to find new ways to port this sort of system into other games’ designs.

7. Which of your games are you most proud of? What do you like most about it?

You know, despite it’s limited popularity, LightSprites is just one of my favorite projects. I LOVE that game. It was a very original and ridiculous game that I really enjoyed playing AND making. Once I saw all the little people dancing and having fun and then bursting into flames or getting struck by lightning, I knew the game was awesome.

8. What new games do you have planned for the future? Any screenshots we can check out?

Being constantly busy producing, we currently we are working on THREE new games! Some of them are actually getting near to completion.

The first game and closest to release is a game called Paint the Fence. The game cleverly has you painting fences as fast as you possibly can while trying to avoid obstacles, enemies, and other challenges. Sound easy? Try painting a chain link fence with a paintball gun with an explosive cat running around. Paint the cat and it explodes and you DIE. Yeah, it’s pretty intense. There will also be a meta game on top of the standard one: beating levels unlocks stickers (such as broccoli) that are then hidden throughout the game. Collecting all the stickers hidden in a world will unlock bonus levels.

http://www.herointeractive.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/blogpost1.jpg

The second game on the way is Bubble Tanks Tower Defense. Like most TD games, you’ll be able to place towers to destroy the oncoming waves of bubble tank “creeps”. These enemies will be able to move anywhere and won’t be following a pre-defined path. Although you’ll only be able to place a basic tower on the map, these towers are able to evolve into many other different types. Additionally, you’ll be able to merge towers together to form super towers four times the size of a normal tower. Even these super towers can be merged to form even larger mega towers.

http://www.herointeractive.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bttd_screenshot_11.jpg

Finally, we’re working on the much anticipated Bubble Tanks Arenas. BTA breaks away from the standard Bubble Tanks tradition by giving players something a little more intense. Rather than just wandering around a massive world, you’ll be able to choose arenas, a series of bubblefields with pre-set enemies and challenges, to take on and score points with. The coolest feature? You’ll be able to design and share your very own tanks! In addition, users of ArmorGames will be able to create Enemy tanks and Arenas to challenge their friends with as well. Completing Arenas will earn you new items and weapons as well as increase the possible size of your tank. This is definitely a game we’re really excited about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS95fZCUW44&feature=player_embedded

All in all, I’m really excited about all of these games and really looking forward to getting them to all of the players! More information on the games can be found on our blog.

9. Is developing Flash games something you do full-time?

It is! We actually have a number of people working at our office full time on flash game development! Aside from myself there is Eric and Jimmy on the programming and design front. We also just picked up KC, our full time artist, so hopefully our games will get a much needed boost on the graphics front. My wife Steph handles our community stuff such as updating the blog, sending out the newsletter, and responding to your comments on ArmorGames as well as doing some Project Management work. We also have two composers named Brian Hall and Calvin Winbush who create completely original music for our games. All of these people make Hero Interactive work, without them it wouldn’t be near the success it is today.

10. What would you say to those just getting into Flash development? What are some things you learned early on?

Well, there isn’t any single lesson I could hand off. The secret is just to be prepared to spend a LOT of time on it. I didn’t just start developing Flash games overnight. I went to a 4 year university, picked up bachelor’s degrees focused on game design and development, and have been hammering away at the pixel factory for the past 3 years. I’m still learning a ton every day.

Be prepared for a lot of competition out there, but if you are serious about flash games and put in the hard work to make great games, you’ll do great!

11. Are there any Flash developers whose work you admire?

There’s just so much talent out there. I think one of my favorites for a long time has been John (jmtb02) here at Armor Games. Seriously, the guy has put out almost 50 games now and he still is one of the most creative developers out there. He takes something simple but extremely fun and makes a game with that almost every time. I know few developers that can put out original and creative games that are hits like his, not just once, but over and over again.There are so many new people coming in to Flash games and getting a random hit here and there that I think the community has forgotten some of the real superstars in the community. Developers who have consistently been putting out amazing games since way back. I’m thinking not only of jmtb02 but NinjaKiwi, Casual Collective, etc… Joey Betz, Krin, and Con Artists have also been putting out some really amazing work that is always inspiring us here at Hero Interactive.

12. We heard HI has their very own office and full time staff. Can you send us a link showing off your office set up and computers?

I sure can! But you’re going to have to wait a few day till I can get my camera, take some pics, and then send them to you!

13.) When you aren’t making or playing flash games, what’s your favorite platform to play games on?

I actually am most partial to PC games as strategy and simulation are my two favorite genres. I seriously can’t wait for Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, both by Blizzard. Oh, and then there’s God of War 3 coming out for the PS3 soon. I am a diehard GoW fan and have beaten all 3 (including the PSP game) about 209309232 times.

I keep inviting the ArmorGames office to play Hero Interactive in Warcraft 3 but they haven’t yet risen up to the challenge….

_________________________________

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions Jared! Be sure to visit their website for more information on their upcoming games.

Game Development — 3 Comments 29
Sep 09

Boom goes the Dynamite!

Boom Goes the Dynamite

The famed Joey Betz has teamed up with the mighty and talented BomToons to bring you this fun sequel. The game will be out before weeks end so check ArmorGames.com daily!

Game Releases — 7 Comments 22
Sep 09

Crush the Castle – FREE (iPhone / iPod Touch)

We released a FREE version of the game as well. Download & Enjoy!

Get it Now!

Game Development — 21 Comments 17
Sep 09

Crush the Castle – Available on the iPhone

Crush the Castle is now available on the iPhone!

Download Now!

Office News / Random Musing — 5 Comments 17
Sep 09

Knights, Castles and Royal Weddings

It’s been a while since the blog was update, but we do have a few exciting announcements!

1.) Our Armor Office has been officially Knighted . They Knights were a grand gift from a great friend across the Pond. (Thanks Tony)

2.) Like Crushing Castles? Crush the Castle just got approved on the App store. It hasn’t gone live in their system yet, but you should be able to download it in a few hours. We’ll update the post once its live.

3.) Our very own Jmtb02 got married to his High School sweet heart Carlie. The wedding was in Napa Valley and they are now on a 2-week honeymoon to the outback. Make sure to stop by his page and congratulate them. Here’s some more pictures from the wedding.

Our goal is to update our blog on a more regular basis so stay tuned for lots of exciting information.

-The Armor Team

Contests — 18 Comments 24
Aug 09