Gamertell

Q. Tell us about your self.

A. I’m Andreas Wieslander, production manager of Burning Man Studios. Working out of Sweden, my job is to make sure things get done.

Q. What previous experience did you have before joining Burning Man Studios (BMS)?

A. University studies and a brief support job at a Swedish game developer.

Q. How do you think that past experience has helped to prepare you for working with a game company?

A. Not well enough. I studied game development for three years at University, which for my part included mostly management and sound design.
The problem with working with management or administration is that you can’t be self-taught in the same way as a programmer, modeler, sound designer or animator can. I have to rely on the work of other peoples if I want to build a portfolio, which was very hard.
I’m very grateful for the chance at proving myself with BMS and also for learning the hands-on things that an education cannot provide.

Q. What do you hope to bring to Burning Man Studios and its primary game title?

A. I hope to accomplish what my role represents; completing the game on time and on budget. It’ll be up to the team leads, and of course the producer, to make sure the quality is good.

Q. What has been most challenging for you?

A. Planning tasks is by far the hardest since we’re all in different situations. Some can work full-time, some part-time, and some join for just making one model or a couple of design sketches. The common denominator is that we all spend time on this project when our personal lives allow us.

Q. What has been most surprising for you so far?

A. On the not so funny side of things; the amount of paperwork needed to get funding is amazing (at least from governmental institutes).
On the funny side I’ve been surprised that about nine out of ten people that sends us applications haven’t read our advertisements fully.

Q. What tools/software do you use?

A. I mainly use a MacBook, with basic software. Word, Excel, Skype, Adium , Ventrilo, Cyberduck, MediaWiki, Mail, Photoshop and iWeb.

Q. What do you hope to get out of Burning Man Studios?

A. I’m putting myself to the test. We are firstly working towards a demo of our game. Our team leads are responsible for the quality of the work that comes out. With that being said I will be satisfied once the demo is completed, since my job is more or less making sure that things get done.

Q. Did you have a previous interest in video games prior to your work with Burning Man Studios?

A. I sure do; starting at age 6 when I got a Commodore 64 some people might have guessed this is what I would end up doing. I’ve had some wonderful gaming experiences and would like to return the favor. There are no limits of what can be expressed in this medium.

Q. How far do you think the company can go? And what place would you like in it down the road?

A. It’s way to early to tell. We will have to change the way we work as soon as the demo is done, which will inevitably lead to losing and getting new colleagues. I am very confident about the core team that have often proved their talent and willingness to work like maniacs.

Q. Have you found working with people that live hundreds, if not thousands of miles apart from one another and in different countries difficult?

A. Yes, the actual physical distance is making things very complicated, particularly when it comes to reporting development progress. We can chat, phone and mail all we want but actually being able to see your team members progress at the desk will be far superior.

Q. Be honest. Do you think BMS is just another fan-hobbyist group looking to get rich with a wild idea, or is there really something behind the company?

A. We’re the real deal, and of course we have our flaws. There’s probably no end to some people thinking the gaming industry is a joy-ride; but we’re getting better and better at spotting both treasure hunters and ambitious, hard-working talent.
I think it was Mark Twain that said: “Work like you don’t need the money, Dance like no one is watching and love like you’ve never been hurt.”
Even though I can’t count myself as one of them, yet, this team has got talent that works with this spirit.

Q. What are your thoughts on MMOs as that is BMS’s ultimate goal?

A. MMOs are the one genre I feel has best prerequisites for immersing the player in a fictive world. It’s incredibly hard but the reward of having all users affecting each other and the world they live in is a good starting point.

Q. What marketing are you, or have you, planned for?

A. It’s too soon to mention the full game. Our demo, with the intent of getting publishers/funders, will be marketed in as many ways as possible. I wish I could share some of the things going through my mind but it will make a much better surprise in the end.

Q. What have you found to be the most rewarding and frustrating so far working with BMS?

A. The most frustrating part is that we currently do our work on a almost non-existing budget, meaning we have to limit our time here and work for money elsewhere. It’ll be a happy day when we can work full-time on this and complete a game in a more feasible time span. The rewards are on a very personal level. I had doubt when joining Burning Man Studios if I could be of value, but looking back, and looking forward; I can only feel more proud when I get to play or game in it’s finished state.

Q. When will there be a point that you abandon your goals and company? What do you think can bring you to that point?

A. I’m going to follow this through until we have a Demo we’re happy with. I might have second thoughts if our producer threw in the towel, but there’s a better chance of Tank Abbott beating Kimbo Slice (any MMA fans out there?)

Best of luck to all you independent game developers out there!

Read all 10 weeks of “Burning Ambition: How to make your mark on the videogame industry:”

• Introduction: An insider’s look into indie game development  (February 26, 2008)
• Part 1: Start burning your dreams into reality (February 27, 2008)
• Part 2-A: The man with the burning dream (March 5, 2008)
• Part 2-B: An interview with founder and CEO Steven Hammans  (March 5, 2008)
• Part 3-A: The origin of an intellectual property (March 12, 2008)
• Part 3-B: An interview with lead designer and writer Christopher Buckner (March 12, 2008)
• Part 4: The nightmare of turning a story into a game (March 19, 2008)
• Part 5: The bigger nightmare of finding a concept artist  (March 26, 2008)
• Part 6: From paper to screen (April 2, 2008)
• Part 7-A: Colorists, the unsung heroes (April 9, 2008)
• Part 7-B: An interview with colorist Jesse Heagy (April 9, 2008)
• Part 8-A: The sound of beautiful music (April 16, 2008)
• part 8-B: An interview with composers Allen Pinard and Eike Steffen (April 16, 2008)
• Part 9-A: Managers, programmers and modellers, oh my (April 23, 2008)
• Part 9-B: An interview with Project Manager Andrea Wieslander  (April 23, 2008)
• Part 10: The dream becomes a bit more real with a working demo (April 30, 2008)

Site [Burning Man Studios]