Matt Hall Interview (Pac-Man 256)
Welcome to Impulse Gamer Matt! So how did you become involved in game development?
I first got a Commodore 64 for my 8th birthday and I’ve been making games ever since. I was an “indie” developer before I knew there was such a thing. My first professional game development job was at Tantalus in 2001 and I formed my own studio KlickTock in 2008.
What are some challenges for Australian developers?
Most Australian developers would agree that the biggest issue with developing games over here is the tyranny of distance. As an indie developer the contacts you make often define success. Getting over to events such as GDC in San Francisco is probably the most important thing you can do and has an huge impact on your career.
Tell us your favourite mobile game and why?
There’s been so many but Tiny Wings is the title that had the biggest effect on me. Before Apple had even featured it, it had leapt to the top of the charts proving that making an quality app is the so important.
What drew you back to Pac-Man?
I remember playing (well – more watching over someone’s shoulder) PAC-MAN in a seaside arcade a very very long time ago. The design is genius and truly stands the test of time.
Walk us through the development process?
BANDAI NAMCO approached us soon after we completed Crossy Road and asked us if we were interested in working on a new PAC-MAN game. Andy and I were very keen on the idea but we were very busy. So we turned to Seon and 3 Sprockets who I have known for a long time now. We put together the best prototype we could to prove to the Vancouver team (and hopefully throughout BN that we had something special and that they could trust us).
Best reward in the whole process?
The day I most remember was when I was on the long drive back from Seon’s and suddenly had the idea to theme the entire game around the level 256 glitch. I called him up straight away and he was really excited about the idea. That set the scene from that point onwards.
Tell us a little about the game play?
The original PAC-MAN was all about the Ghost AI. They had predictable movement but only the masters could remember which way the ghosts would turn. We wanted to take that behaviour, but simplify the AI so that the ghosts were easier to predict. That way we could have a lot more in the world without the the game being impossible to play.
What’s your favourite part of the game?
The BOMB, early on, was my least favourite power up. But, with a little tweaking on the timer and having it explode once you hit a ghost it quickly became my “go to” power up of choice.
How do you think the mobile gaming audience will find this game?
It’s a much more complicated game than Crossy Road. And unfortunately there aren’t 100 characters to collect! That said we set out to make a game that those who played (and loved) the original PAC-MAN would enjoy. I hope we’ve achieved that goal!
Android or iOS, which format do you prefer and why?
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