You tend to be known for really exciting, action-packed games like Road of the Dead, but you also made a series of (really intimidating for me as a non-musician) music simulations in the form of Punk-o-Matic. What type of game do you prefer working on... something quick and fun, or more complex and serious? Do you find working on one style of game easier than any other?
I thoroughly enjoy making both types of game and they both have their difficulties. However, when you make interface games like Punk-o-matic, it's usually easier but not necessarily less time consuming. I say interface games because with games like Road of the Dead, a lot more comes into play to bring the fun in, the artificial intelligence, the controls, difficulty, etc. With games like Punk-o-matic, it's mostly a matter of interface, riff selection, character customization, etc. There's no FUN factor to tweak as the fun comes the functionality of the software rather than an emotional experience. Lab of the Dead is kind of sitting on the fence there, part interface game, part emotional game.
While our readers are probably most familiar with you from your various games, you've also dabbled a lot (pretty successfully) in animation and music. Which do you feel comes more naturally to you? When making a game with a group, is there any particular aspect (art or music, for example) you always prefer or look forward to handling yourself rather than letting someone else do it?
I can agree with you that I'm somewhat successful at making music, but not so much at making animations. I manage, at best. Haha! Programming is definitely my expertise and the activity from which I get the most enjoyment. In the interactive world, being a programmer is like being a god; you bring worlds and characters to life and allow them to interact with each other. Although I can make artwork, animation and music, I've come to a point where I prefer having people as good in these fields as I am in programming. That's the best way to make really well produced games, bring in good people. Making everything would be more time consuming and would probably not give the best results. I still have solo projects for which the level of artwork needed is on my level and games like Punk-o-matic where only me (by necessity) can make all the sounds and music bits.
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http://jayisgames.com/archives/2012/01/link_dump_friday_249.php