Teenagers...people wouldn't even know
by Maximillian Brewer · 01/11/2010 (8:30 pm) · 51 comments
Hey guys,
A little something about Young Devs
Well, i've been thinking a lot, as I spend time around the blogs and forums. I think people who use these forums for get who the people they are talking to are. And especially the younger developers here. It's no secret, that most people know of Matt Young, as the awesome teenage developer (which i agree with, and think he is doing some awesome stuff!) but there are others out there.
I think it would be good for Torque Powered to make some sort of note of this. Because I know from personal experience (being only 14) that it is hard for us to compete. We face lake of funding, limited resources, and time. One example of this is my wish to develop an iPhone game. For me, this involved spending a lot of time to earn enough money to buy the necessary engine. And after more than 3 months, I was finally able to afford iTGE. And from this, and other stories of teenagers using their enthusiasm and commitment to work towards a dream, I think more recognition of "Young Devs" needs to be made.
Also, making it known who we are, and that we are teenagers would be great, because I know that for example, Alexander (a friend of Matt Young) didn't even know I was 14 until 2 weeks ago.
My Projects
Well, I haven't posted much about my development porject of late, and many of you may not have seen me around here before, but as an introduction, my name is Max Brewer, teenager developer, and have a dream of making iPhone and Nintendo Wii games.
1) Project: Goth
Through these holidays (extending in Australia :D) I wanted to make an iPhone game. Came up with an idea, and started developing. Just wanted to share with you guys some of my concept idea for the game.
Sarai is a borderline schizophrenic teenage girl, who wears black boots, a short tartan skirt, white shirt with a heart image on it, and multiple chains and bangles. One day, Sarai goes to visit an ancient temple with her young brother, where they find a secret passageway. The two siblings follow the passageway, until they reach a secret chamber. Inside the chamber is a stone of Yantium. Sarai and her brother slowly move towards it, and reach out to touch it. When they touch it, a dark entity known as The Juggernaut is summoned, and takes control of Sarai and her brother. Sarai infiltrates The Juggernaut and sees how to kill him, but when she recovers, her brother is gone, captured.
The Juggernaut spreads, gaining power through this rare rock, Yantium. Sarai knows that burning all the stores of Yantium will remove his source of power, and therefore weaken him. Once he is weak, The Juggernaut is vulnerable, and can be killed.
So that's my concept idea, and have started working on levels with a bit of help from fellow "Young Dev", Alexander.
Project: Art
After spending time working on my 3D iPhone game, I ran into some problems with the 3D iPhone engine (which are being fixed as we speak, thanks Luma) and so wanted to look into the 2D engine which seems more successful at the moment. I haven't got much of a detailed idea, but am planing on making a colourful 2D platformer. My vision is to have it set in a beautifully coloured and painted (PD particles :D ) environment.
JESTA
A project that is quite weird, but I have been asked by my school to make an educational game! So, another task a head of me is to work on an educational game designed to teach Year 10 Chemistry (being in year 9, that could be a problem XD)
Plan is to make a sci-fi game built with Torque 3D. Unfortunately I only could afford the binary on the super awesome deal for $100, so i'm not sure how i'm going to do this, when AFX is necessary for the complex battle system, and that means i need the source :( *fingers crossed for a miracle*
Finsihing up
Well i hope that my blog has been a good read, and informative on the stresses and conditions that Young Devs face. I wish you guys luck in all you project (especially you awesome young devs!) and hope you have a successful year.
Thanks for your time.
A little something about Young Devs
Well, i've been thinking a lot, as I spend time around the blogs and forums. I think people who use these forums for get who the people they are talking to are. And especially the younger developers here. It's no secret, that most people know of Matt Young, as the awesome teenage developer (which i agree with, and think he is doing some awesome stuff!) but there are others out there.
I think it would be good for Torque Powered to make some sort of note of this. Because I know from personal experience (being only 14) that it is hard for us to compete. We face lake of funding, limited resources, and time. One example of this is my wish to develop an iPhone game. For me, this involved spending a lot of time to earn enough money to buy the necessary engine. And after more than 3 months, I was finally able to afford iTGE. And from this, and other stories of teenagers using their enthusiasm and commitment to work towards a dream, I think more recognition of "Young Devs" needs to be made.
Also, making it known who we are, and that we are teenagers would be great, because I know that for example, Alexander (a friend of Matt Young) didn't even know I was 14 until 2 weeks ago.
My Projects
Well, I haven't posted much about my development porject of late, and many of you may not have seen me around here before, but as an introduction, my name is Max Brewer, teenager developer, and have a dream of making iPhone and Nintendo Wii games.
1) Project: Goth
Through these holidays (extending in Australia :D) I wanted to make an iPhone game. Came up with an idea, and started developing. Just wanted to share with you guys some of my concept idea for the game.
Sarai is a borderline schizophrenic teenage girl, who wears black boots, a short tartan skirt, white shirt with a heart image on it, and multiple chains and bangles. One day, Sarai goes to visit an ancient temple with her young brother, where they find a secret passageway. The two siblings follow the passageway, until they reach a secret chamber. Inside the chamber is a stone of Yantium. Sarai and her brother slowly move towards it, and reach out to touch it. When they touch it, a dark entity known as The Juggernaut is summoned, and takes control of Sarai and her brother. Sarai infiltrates The Juggernaut and sees how to kill him, but when she recovers, her brother is gone, captured.
The Juggernaut spreads, gaining power through this rare rock, Yantium. Sarai knows that burning all the stores of Yantium will remove his source of power, and therefore weaken him. Once he is weak, The Juggernaut is vulnerable, and can be killed.
So that's my concept idea, and have started working on levels with a bit of help from fellow "Young Dev", Alexander.
Project: Art
After spending time working on my 3D iPhone game, I ran into some problems with the 3D iPhone engine (which are being fixed as we speak, thanks Luma) and so wanted to look into the 2D engine which seems more successful at the moment. I haven't got much of a detailed idea, but am planing on making a colourful 2D platformer. My vision is to have it set in a beautifully coloured and painted (PD particles :D ) environment.
JESTA
A project that is quite weird, but I have been asked by my school to make an educational game! So, another task a head of me is to work on an educational game designed to teach Year 10 Chemistry (being in year 9, that could be a problem XD)
Plan is to make a sci-fi game built with Torque 3D. Unfortunately I only could afford the binary on the super awesome deal for $100, so i'm not sure how i'm going to do this, when AFX is necessary for the complex battle system, and that means i need the source :( *fingers crossed for a miracle*
Finsihing up
Well i hope that my blog has been a good read, and informative on the stresses and conditions that Young Devs face. I wish you guys luck in all you project (especially you awesome young devs!) and hope you have a successful year.
Thanks for your time.
#2
01/11/2010 (8:41 pm)
A lot of people didn't know I was 15 until "TorquePowered" brought user pictures back :P
#3
Bryce, anyone ever tell you that you resemble Steve Martin ?
01/11/2010 (8:57 pm)
I think that you young devs are awesome! ..and I know 120% of this community agrees. Bryce, anyone ever tell you that you resemble Steve Martin ?
#4
01/11/2010 (8:59 pm)
@Bryce: Well I haven't read one of your blogs since a few moments ago, and just saw your new pic XD I always assumed you were some sort of guy in some massive company XD lol
#5
Funny story is I purchased TGB to use with iTGB, my son reminds me afterwards we already had a license, doh!
Keep with it, I know I am living the dream and you can too.
01/11/2010 (9:23 pm)
Rock on! I bought my son TGB a few years ago, he also had access to full adobe suite etc as I work in product/interface design. Long story short he's a first year student in art school and pursuing a career in motion graphics. Funny story is I purchased TGB to use with iTGB, my son reminds me afterwards we already had a license, doh!
Keep with it, I know I am living the dream and you can too.
#6
01/11/2010 (9:48 pm)
Hey Im 18..well just turning 18 but I have been around since my middle school years since i bought "3d Game Programming All In One". Im on the site everyday but I don't really post all that much. I guess i should start huh? But really it is hard to get some of the funding, thats why I havent bought t3d yet lol
#7
01/11/2010 (9:55 pm)
I was talking to some friends about Young Dev discounts from Torque Powered. They would be so cool, for everyone up to 18, so that would include you XD
#8
01/11/2010 (10:36 pm)
Yeah that would be cool. I suggest GG do it that way as us young ones don't have to beg are parents for a 1k/$250 engine lol.
#9
"Hey dad, can you give me $1k?"
"umm...why son? that's a lot of money!"
"oh, I want to buy a game eninge" XD
lol
01/11/2010 (10:52 pm)
lol..so true:"Hey dad, can you give me $1k?"
"umm...why son? that's a lot of money!"
"oh, I want to buy a game eninge" XD
lol
#10
That's a first, but I've heard I look a bit like Zachary Quinto. It's the nose.
Er....I get allowance sometimes if that counts.
01/11/2010 (10:53 pm)
Quote:Bryce, anyone ever tell you that you resemble Steve Martin ?
That's a first, but I've heard I look a bit like Zachary Quinto. It's the nose.
Quote:I always assumed you were some sort of guy in some massive company
Er....I get allowance sometimes if that counts.
#11
01/11/2010 (10:58 pm)
lol...not realy
#12
And a lot of really nothing game engines. GG changed all that. Price point as we know, isn't what it was to allow the young devs in anymore.
But they can still get the demo and script away with a heap of active help in the forums to help. Thats a good thing, and know that if its great they can sell it once they get a license.
But then again maybe UDK is better for younger people to learn with all the tools, info and license?
01/11/2010 (11:20 pm)
Torque is a great place for young devs I think, I started using Torque when I was 16. Before that it was Quake 3 mods and before that Doom mods.And a lot of really nothing game engines. GG changed all that. Price point as we know, isn't what it was to allow the young devs in anymore.
But they can still get the demo and script away with a heap of active help in the forums to help. Thats a good thing, and know that if its great they can sell it once they get a license.
But then again maybe UDK is better for younger people to learn with all the tools, info and license?
#13
01/12/2010 (12:09 am)
:) i remember when i started modding halflife when i was 17 back then it was mod or nothing, and when valve released their sdk that was incredible for the time...everyone starts somewere, just be happy that tools like this exist today were back then there was no garagegames or indie friendly engines, you wrote your own or modded an existing game and that was it...
#14
Keep pushin'! The best part of being in school is that you have tons and tons of free time - use it wisely and swing some sweet internships! Then again, not sure if a TorquePowered internship in Vegas is the thing to recommend to impressionable youth nowadays ;)
01/12/2010 (1:49 am)
Wow, I remember back when I thought I was a young dev around these parts...Keep pushin'! The best part of being in school is that you have tons and tons of free time - use it wisely and swing some sweet internships! Then again, not sure if a TorquePowered internship in Vegas is the thing to recommend to impressionable youth nowadays ;)
#15
You and I are clones... same name, and now I find out we are both 15...
We don't look the same though, that could be freaky.
01/12/2010 (8:04 am)
@Bryce,You and I are clones... same name, and now I find out we are both 15...
We don't look the same though, that could be freaky.
#16
I wish you best of luck in game development to all of you,young developers!
01/12/2010 (8:09 am)
This blog brings back my memories to the time when I was 14 ... to the time when I bought my first book about 3d graphics. :)I wish you best of luck in game development to all of you,young developers!
#17
Good luck with all of your projects! The chemistry things sounds pretty cool.
01/12/2010 (10:22 am)
Wow... when I was 14, I was struggling to make 3d vector graphics on a 16 megahertz computer. :)Good luck with all of your projects! The chemistry things sounds pretty cool.
#18
There are educational licenses of things available, you'd maybe have an easier time convincing your school to pick some up?
01/12/2010 (10:52 am)
I don't know about the 'lack of time' thing though. For most teens there is a large abundance of time. Those are like 7 golden years you could be cranking stuff out on ;) There are some (my son) who go to school 7:30 to 5 every day and have a ton of homework after that. But he still has time to play WoW etc for hours and hours.There are educational licenses of things available, you'd maybe have an easier time convincing your school to pick some up?
#19
That was almost 20 years ago. Ugh. I don't feel any different than when I was 14 though. My wife agrees.
01/12/2010 (10:56 am)
When I was 14 I received my first Commodore 64. After about two years of coding on paper that is, which was freaking my mom out. :)That was almost 20 years ago. Ugh. I don't feel any different than when I was 14 though. My wife agrees.
#20
I looked into other engines like the C4 engine, and they were all code based. Unlike Torque, it has an easy to use world editor. Talk about easy, Torque beats them all. Take it from a 12 year old. ;)
01/12/2010 (11:56 am)
Thanks for shouting me out! Alex and I are about the same age, and were both suprised that were in this position of developing right now. To be perfectly honest, Torque is the only thing I actually understand when it comes to game engines. I always found game engines complicated with the C++ code based engines, so I thought just programming would be easier. I used to want to be a program developer and make applications on Xcode, but I always found myself making levels for Left 4 Dead, Gears of War, etc. I looked further into unreal and source, and my eyes almost fell out when I saw the $10,000 - $20,000 price tags. Then I found torque.(Thank god for Marble Blast!) I downloaded a demo and was creating environment with constructor in no time. I looked into other engines like the C4 engine, and they were all code based. Unlike Torque, it has an easy to use world editor. Talk about easy, Torque beats them all. Take it from a 12 year old. ;)

Torque Owner Alexander B