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"Are There Any Jews in the Audience?" - IGDA's Demo Night 4
DG: I was impressed by the sheer variety of the games presented. On the one side you had games like Supple and Wingnuts, which are really complex, graphics-heavy games, and then there were games like Snagu which were so incredibly simple in their execution. It was a very nice mix. GS: How do you think your game "fit in" with them? DG: I think it fit pretty well. I realized while I was up there that I was talking to a group of game makers, and not game players. This was group who had grown up on graphic adventures like Shivah, and could appreciate it for what it was. GS: Did you feel at all intimidated when you looked at the info sheet and noticed that one game had a budget of 100K?
DG: Compared to my paltry budget of zero? Yes. I was worried that people would look down on such a home-brewed game, but it turned out not to be a problem at all. GS: Did you get the response you were hoping for? DG: The response blew all my expectations out of the water. At most, I expected a "Oh, how quaint" kind of reaction, but I was totally unprepared for how happy people were with the game. I'd been making these games for free for years, and I often get fan-email from players, but this was the first time it ever happened to me in "real life." The freeware games were successful, but it was a success that only existed on the internet when I was in front of my computer. So, in a strange metaphorical way, the reaction made me feel like two halves of my life had merged. The game-making side of me felt more legitimate and "real." Nobody in "real life" had ever heard of my games, or cared, so it was nice to see that change. GS: Do you think any opportunities will come up as a result of the evening? DG: I hope so! At the very least, it introduced me to a number of industry people who were willing to give me advice. I am very new to the scene, and simply making the game is only part of it. [There's also] the marketing, the pricing, the selling, etc. It's all very strange and scary to me. I met some very nice people who let me pick their brain, and offered to help. Also, just being around other indie game designers was incredibly inspiring. This crazy endeavor of mine suddenly feels a little less crazy. GS: To clarify, how long have you been designing games? DG: I started making freeware games in August, 2001. So about... 5 years. GS: Are you a full time game designer? DG: I am trying to make it full time. I was in a good situation where I had saved up a lot of money so I figured it was "now or never". So I'm dedicating all my time to making these games. GS: What's been the hardest part about being an independent New York game developer? Do you feel your struggles were to what the other designers encountered, despite the differences in each person's games? Or any unique ones you believe? DG: The biggest challenge is that games in general take a long time to make, and even longer to turn a profit. Living in NYC is so expensive that it makes being an indie game dev here very challenging. Which is probably why the scene here is kinda small. I've been forced to budget. And buy cheaper coffee. GS: On a different note, what's been the response from other Jews? Both gamers and non? DG: The response has been very positive. The game was featured in the "Jewish Weekly News" and has popped up on dozens of Jewish blogs. I once got an email from an Israeli soldier, who told me he and his buddies were really enjoying the game. It made my day, to hear that. The reaction from non-Jews have been just as positive. They like the fact that the game doesn't try to preach to them or convert them. He's Jewish, it's the world he lives in, and they accept that. I'm glad, because I was worried that the non-Jews wouldn't "get it". GS: How exactly is The Shivah being distributed? DG: Right now, you can buy it on the internet via an online shop. It can take orders through PayPal, and then it will provide you with a secure download link. Some people don't like using credit cards online, so they send me the money through the mail. GS: So, do you now feel a part of the New York game dev community officially? DG: I definitely feel like I'm part of something now. Before, I really felt alone and unsure of what I was doing. I really feel like I'm part of a community now that I can fall back on and get advice from. It's also nice to be able to talk to people about making games in general, as that used to be a world that only existed for me on the internet. --- The Shivah can be purchases through his Gilbert's homepage, davelgil.com. Over the past few weeks, Gilbert has been talking with Manifesto Games, which has expressed interest in distributing the game. It should be available though them in the coming days or weeks. |
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