Interview with Phil Newton of Sodaware

Something a bit different for you today. Write the Game was lucky enough to get an interview with Phil Newton, one of the developers behind Sodaware. Sodware is a place where indie game developers can release their games (and conversely gamers can find cheap, fun games whilst supporting the indies)

Phil runs a blog as part of Sodaware, giving advice to up-and-coming developers.

Thanks Phil, for agreeing to let us interview you. Let’s get started - First up, what got you involved with the game industry in the first place?

I was very young when my family bought their first computer, a Commodore Vic-20, but it immediately set my imagination going. As I got older I started typing in games from magazines and books, and seeing the seemingly nonsensical words come alive was so exciting! Programming games became my hobby from then on, and once I got my Atari ST I really started to understand how programming worked.

Things never really progressed from the hobby stage until recently. I studied software engineering at university, but the whole experience put me off programming. It wasn’t until I started doing my own creative projects that I decided to take things to the next level.

What are your thoughts on so called ‘casual games’?

I think many people see them as a threat to more traditional games, but in reality, they’re helping to get more people involved with games. You only need to look at other forms of entertainment to see there’s room for them. After all, television hasn’t destroyed opera or theatre, and different genres of music happily co-exist.

The real problem is that people see how much money they could make on casual games, and it draws their attention away the creative aspects. It can be a little upsetting to feel your masterpiece is being ignored in favour of simpler games, but how many copies you sell doesn’t reflect how good your game is.

Perhaps as developers we get a little carried away with our own egos and assume our games are the best, but there’s no harm in simplifying ideas so that more people can enjoy them.

Where do you get ideas for new games? What inspires you?

I get inspiration from most things. If it’s fun, a game can be designed around it! I think the creative design process is quite important, much like how artists sketch out ideas but never turn them into paintings. It’s a good idea to create lots of ideas, even if they’re no good. It keeps your creative skills sharp, and stops you from getting burnt out looking at the same things all the time.

What’s the most important advice you think someone just starting out in the games industry should know?

Don’t give up! It’s very tough when you’re just getting started, and you might not see any great success for some time. It’s especially hard when you hear about all the people who’ve had success overnight, but they’re the exception rather than the rule.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help off other people. Find yourself a mentor or guide, and get all the advice you can. People have overcome most of the problems you’ll encounter, so use their experience to help you.

If you’re a programmer, don’t get stuck in the technology arms race. You won’t win. New technologies appear every day, and it’s impossible to learn them all. Remember that you’re trying to finish a product, so stick at it and avoid the temptation to try out every new language and platform that comes along.

Finally, don’t be afraid to follow your instincts and make something crazy. It might not make you rich, but as long as it’s fun you can develop a good fan base which is far more valuable. A few enthusiastic fans can spread the word, and they’ll give you encouragement when times get tough.

Do you think it’s getting easier or harder for start-up companies to succeed? Why?

There’s a lot of competition out there, but there are also a lot of people that want to play games. There’s always talk that casual games or big companies will take over the entire market, but I disagree. There will always be room for indie games. The important thing is to choose your battles. Trying to take on the big studios will only leave you frustrated and broke.

As the market expands, more people will become comfortable using the internet to buy games. That can only be good for the independent developer. It’s never been a better time to go indie!

You’ve written two articles at Sodaware talking about raising and saving money when you’re just starting out. Do you think this is something start-ups often have trouble with?

There are many things to worry about when you first start your business, and money is usually at the top of the list. Having a little extra cash coming in gives you freedom to spend your time elsewhere. Even if you’re only making a few dollars a day, that can help pay your web-hosting or buy some cheap banner ads to get your site out there. Every little helps, as they say.

And finally, What’s your favorite game? Why do you think it worked?

Oh, there are so many to choose! From a creative point of view, I’d have to say NiGHTS for the Saturn. It’s an absolute joy to play, and it’s one of those games that always inspires me after I’ve played it.

I’m also a big fan of Shenmue on the Dreamcast. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but it was so huge at the time and it really blew my mind.

And finally, I should mention the original Sonic series, because I still adore those games. They had storytelling, puzzles and action all bundled up into an imaginative and great looking package.

Great stuff - I have to say I loved those original Sonic games too. Thanks again for the interview Phil, and good luck with your future games!

Related Posts

• Can’t Draw? No Problem!
• Starting an Indie Game Company
• Writing for Games
• The Legend of Zelda
• Graphics: How important are they really?

3 Responses to “Interview with Phil Newton of Sodaware

My Interview at Write The Game - Sodaware Says:
February 11th, 2008 at 10:56 am

[...] Interview: Interview with Phil Newton of Sodaware. [...]

James Says:
February 12th, 2008 at 5:14 am

Thanks for the interesting and insightful interview, Keira and Phil! It was nice to see some more unusual topics such as start-up finance being covered alongside the business and technical questions. Good work!

Keira Peney Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 7:07 am

Glad you liked it James

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